The Spielberg Oner! What is your favourite long take or 'Oner' as the Film Courage dude calls it. In my mind, Touch of Evil is a classic opening to a film, but then I love Tarkovsky's long takes as they seem to induce time for reverie in the viewer; and that's what he wanted, to give his audience the time to reflect on what was happening. In this video essay there is much talk of using the long take or Oner to move the narrative along quickly, but Tarkovsky didn't use it that way, nor as we have seen earlier this month did Mamoru Oshii in Ghost In the Shell. So how about you? Is the long take an outdated indulgence from the age of the auteur, or a simple modern utilitarian device to move the narrative along quickly? Here you go? http://youtu.be/8q4X2vDRfRk
Thanks Chris, I shall check it out. Have a great day.
Have just checked it out Chris. The word I would use for it is mesmeric and the only negative I can think of is that it didn't do my vertigo any good at all. Wonderful stuff, it looks like miraculous camera work. Nowadays you'd probably use a drone, but back then, who knows! http://youtu.be/sYFXv6bDIY8
most famous long take is Citizen Kane; and they did that with old age equipment. At present, Mexican Oscar directors Cuaron & Inarritu are the standard
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I do love the opening to "Touch Of Evil", and there's that wonderful long shot in "Children of Men", where it ends with Julianne Moore having been shot. I remember loving the measured, well timed pacing of that scene. Very good!
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Now be truthful Michael, did you just love that scene because Julianne Moore was shot?
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Heheh, I can neither confirm nor deny that assessment, Geoff. :) But I loved watching Clive Owen's panicked, pressured reactions during that long shot.
Michael, Oh to get on the set and work to such an end, as to leave great images in a person's mind.
Great video essay. Thanks for sharing!