In Praise of Long Takes

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There are so many different elements that contribute to the creation of a film. Whether it’s mise en scene, costumes or a film’s score, every decision a filmmaker makes is usually very deliberate. Here I wanted to compare the stylistic approach of two contemporary masters in Christopher Nolan & Bi Gan. Both filmmakers are vastly different and are from opposite sides of the world, but I think it is very interesting to look at the difference in how they shoot & edit their films, and how this contributes to their overall film form.
There are no chapters in this video, so please enjoy my long take talking about long takes haha. I had a blast making this one, so I really hope you enjoy it ☺️
What do you think of long takes/slow cinema ? Do you prefer it ? Do you dislike it? I’m always curious to hear other opinions and expand my own knowledge !
Joe
Sources :
Dark Knight IMAX www.comingsoon.net/movies/fea...
Nolan talking about Physical Media • Christopher Nolan et C...
Nolan average shot length vashivisuals.com/category/one...
Average shot length in film www.wired.com/2014/09/cinema-...
Wong Kar Wai average shot length unspokencinema.blogspot.com/2...
Kubrick average shot length nofilmschool.com/kubrick-shot...
Tarkovsky average shot length for final three films. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_b....
Long Day’s Journey Into Night 59 Minute Take www.indiewire.com/features/cr...
#videoessay #film #oppenheimer

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Опубликовано:

13 янв 2024

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Комментарии : 82

@davidunderwood1773 6 месяцев назад

I think a thing no one talks about is that a long take doesn’t necessary have to be slow or flashy. There are directors like Spielberg and Kurosawa who have, in some of their faster paced movies, shots that are a minute or longer. However, because of how quick the blocking is and how much the main subject of the shot changes. On first viewing you have no idea that so much time has gone by without a cut.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

You’re completely right ! That’s one of the reasons I mentioned Wong Kar-Wai. Even though his films capture the frenetic and fast energy of Hong Kong, his takes are still longer and at no times feel slow. Kurosawa is a great shout as well ! He uses movement to keep the audience engaged even during longer takes. Thank you for watching and your comment ❤️

@jalmarilaine4405 6 месяцев назад

Yeah. Spielberg's films are full of scenes that will have e.g. 2 "different" stationary shots but instead of cutting to that, he has the characters walk to the other side of the room inside that 1 shot. It feels like a cut and you really have to pay attention to see that it's not.

@jn-xw3cq 6 месяцев назад

I really expecting you to mention Emmanuel Lubezki/El Chivo's cinematography. The man has become known and loved for his oners/long takes. One can literally watch his gradual growth into creating longer and longer takes in his shots all the way until he shot Birdman which was shot and edited to appear as one take a few years before 1917 and Deakins attempted to such.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

His cinematography is outstanding and I was considering mentioning him but I think he’d deserve a entire video all on his own haha. I wanted to focus on directors here as well and compare them. One day I will correct this wrong and make a cinematography video of some sort. Thank you for watching 😂❤️

@jn-xw3cq 6 месяцев назад

@@AuteurCinema Oh, gotcha! No worries, all good man. Directors are much relatable to people in general so that makes sense. Yeah, of course, solid vid, man!

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

@@jn-xw3cq Appreciate it my friend thank you ! ❤️

@rouhan9304 6 месяцев назад

Long takes are very usefull to enhance the immersive nature of a scene. My favourite long take is from the very first scene of 'The sacrifice (1986)' which lasts about 9 mins if I am not wrong.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

They’re so versatile and can be used for so many purposes, but you’re absolutely right they have a unique immersive property to them. Tarkovsky is the master of long takes so I definitely respect that pick. I couldn’t pick a favourite personally as there are too many 😂 Thank you for watching ! ❤️

@TheProdef Месяц назад

My recent most liked slow cinema auteur is Ryusuke Hamaguchi. Especially in his 2023 "Evil does not exist" it excels.

@AuteurCinema Месяц назад

I adore Hamaguchi ! I am yet to see Evil does not exist (hopefully it gets a physical release of some sort) but have seen Drive My Car, Wheel of fortune and fantasy and Happy Hour and I loved them all ! His style is one I’d like to study more, as I can’t quite pinpoint what makes him so wonderful.

@bronxbomber2150 6 месяцев назад

Watching a film composed of longer takes is refreshing compared to the quick cutting of today. Some of my favorite directors of the long take are Orson Welles and Michelangelo Antonioni.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

Some great picks there ! Thank you so much for watching ❤️

@bergman864 6 месяцев назад

I'd say Bela Tarr and Tsai Ming-ling are the masters of slow cinema.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

Great picks ! Both are fantastic ❤️

@ArcherGreen 6 месяцев назад

Nice video, keep it up!

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

Haha thanks for stopping by Archer and congrats on all of your success man it is well deserved ❤️

@clemklem 6 месяцев назад

I really love how you take one of the world's biggest directors right now, that could be easily reduced to a no brainer guy that makes shitty movies by some rude elitists, for you to criticize without any haughty look on mainstream cinema his work and take your audience to some other, author foreign movies. Great video ! Keep it up !

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

Thank you so much my friend ! ❤️

@imposter6952 6 месяцев назад

Cinephiles and their hate towards Nolan never tends to suprise me. Nolan's movies are shitty just coz the average shot length is low??

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

@@imposter6952 Nolan is great and I only have praise for the man. Please watch the video and you will see ! I have and never will criticise any films or directors on this channel and I love film in all of its forms. I think there has been a misunderstanding here 🥲

@imposter6952 6 месяцев назад

@@AuteurCinema Ik, i am talking about the guy who commented. Your video was great, but people are making something wrong out of it. You never said anything about Nolan but still this guy thinks Nolan is a no brainer guy that makes shitty movies. I've seen this trend where cinephiles kind of downplay on Nolan's movies just coz they are globally famous. I think they can't accept the fact that a commercial filmmaker can also be artistic. A lot of people say his characters don't have depth but the fact is they can't see past the spectacle.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

@@imposter6952 OP wasn’t talking about himself, he was talking about “rude elitists” who criticise and hold that opinion about Nolan. OP is in favour of Nolan too ! But you’re right, there are some people who definitely don’t like Nolan (which is fine as this comes down to preference) However to dismiss Nolan’s artistry/ability is a non-sensical argument. It makes me incredibly happy that Nolan is so commercially successful, as without individuals like Nolan, there would be even less opportunities for the creation of independent films in this current landscape. As a community we should all just come together and celebrate our love for cinema and try not to continually divide one another ❤️

@afoolfromnowhere 6 месяцев назад

Beautiful said and shown, enjoyed every second of this video... And yes can't wait for future Bi Gan movies

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

Thank you so much for watching again my friend and your kind words ❤️

@bobbsaunders 2 месяца назад

Have just seen the Bi Gan film. Woah! Such a compellingly strange film. From the opening scene it was clear we were in the hands of a master and it was necessary to sit back and be taken on a journey. I recognised Tang Wei immediately from Lust Caution and it took ages to also recall her as the enigmatic lead in Decision to Leave. Such a great evening’s viewing.

@AuteurCinema 2 месяца назад

So glad you managed to check it out Bob. It’s a fascinating film and I honestly can’t wait for Bi Gan’s next project ! Tang Wei is always fantastic (Lust Caution has been on my watch list for a while.) I hope you’re keeping well ❤️

@bobbsaunders 2 месяца назад

@@AuteurCinema yes, all well thanks Joe. I will watch out, but absolutely expect a clip from you after seeing Lust Caution. For me it was a film that was difficult to gauge the line between style and eroticism - though perhaps style is partially erotic in the first place. Tony Leung was also brilliant. Am continuing to enjoy your work, thanks a lot.

@AuteurCinema 2 месяца назад

@@bobbsaunders Glad to hear it Bob ! I shall definitely get round to watching it and thank you as always for your support ☺️

@guerillahag 6 месяцев назад

I watched Toni Erdmann for the first time just last night, and it was such a study in how long takes can help increase both the cringe and the exhilarating payoff; a genre like comedy is not usually famous for camerawork but this is a big counter-argument for that

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

I haven’t seen that one, but see that Sandra Huller is in it ! Might have to check it out after I see Anatomy of a fall. The long take is so incredibly versatile ! How did you like the film ? Would you recommend it ?

@guerillahag 6 месяцев назад

@@AuteurCinema totally recommend it! my first five star of the year haha

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

@@guerillahag Haha that’s great ! I have added it to my watchlist ❤️

@slothsarecool 6 месяцев назад

Agreed, I thought Oppenheimer was really poorly edited personally. I could imagine them gradually decreasing the shot length to increase anxiety, but the entire movie is just hectic and feels completely devoid of any thought, there’s no time to marinate in decisions or feelings.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

I can completely understand why Nolan chose to edit the film the way he did and for the majority of viewers I believe it was the right choice. It all comes down to preference, but yes I would have preferred for longer cuts to be deployed as well. I still think the film is great though. Thank you for watching and your comment ❤️

@bobbsaunders 2 месяца назад

You’ve nailed it, slothsarecool, ‘marinating in decisions’ is the perfect description for many slow films and/or long takes. Love the language, thanks.

@Basel-iv7zu 6 месяцев назад

Have you watched a city of sadness, the average shot length is 48 seconds

@rouhan9304 6 месяцев назад

Also 'The sacrifice' with an average shot length of 72 seconds and 'The turin horse' by Béla Tarr with an average shot duration of 300 seconds.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

I unfortunately haven’t yet 🥲 I have been waiting for the recent 4K restoration to become available for it, however I am a fan of Hou Hsiao-Hsien and loved Millennium Mambo. He’s a filmmaker I want to explore in more depth. Taiwan has some pretty great slow cinema, especially Edward Yang who I absolutely adore ! Thank you so much for watching ❤️

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

Hu Bo who I mentioned in this video was actually the apprentice of Bela Tarr. Another absolute master of slow cinema and a director I need to explore more of !

@MOART 6 месяцев назад

didn't really have something to say but that was a cool essay, and your channel will blow brother.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

Haha I am so glad you enjoyed it my friend ! Thank you for watching and your comment ❤️

@thestarwarskid123 6 месяцев назад

I would recommend checking out the film “Russian Ark” if you like long takes… the entire film is one take! The BTS is very interesting on the time crunch they had to film it and how they did it!

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

Thank you so much ! I had never heard of that film before and it looks fascinating ! I have added it to my watchlist ❤️

@reptongeek 6 месяцев назад

I have said this before but is Russian Ark - the version that we are able to watch - one take. I have seen the BTS and I do know that one complete take was captured, however the movie has three picture editors credited. You wouldn't need these if the movie was that one complete take So I do wonder whether it uses some of the first three takes in the final version

@MultiFribourg 6 месяцев назад

A clip from a scene at the sea by takeshi kitano with the ost by joe hisashi would have been enough without needing any over intellectual explanation.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

If only that worked with RU-vid’s copyright ID haha 😆 Thank you for watching ❤️

@imposter6952 6 месяцев назад

Average shot length being low or high depends on the type and length of a story. It being less or high doesn't automatically mean anything. Less or high, it has to work with the story coz an unnecessary long take could feel stretched and break immersion just like unnecessary cuts. Nolan's movies are written in a way that low shot length works pretty well with it and the movie wouldn't work if it was increased.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

You’re completely right ! I conclude this video by saying “ In conclusion, shot length has a huge impact on the viewer's experience. Every cut that is made or isn’t made creates a different effect. I believe a shot has no fixed or optimum length and should be what it needs to be and this will vary drastically depending on the genre of the film, its tone and its overall direction.” Thanks for watching ❤️

@redi7398 6 месяцев назад

Shot lengths are cool and all but it's a lot easier to just google Tang Wei and oogle all over her for 10 hours instead of a measly 59 minutes where I only see her for a portion of that time.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

😂😂😂

@hakonbrre804 6 месяцев назад

Too bad you haven't heard about Bela Tarr. I think the average shot lenght in his film Satantango is 145 seconds, a movie which is over 7 hours long

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

I know Bela Tarr well ! Hu Bo who I mentioned here was actually the apprentice of Bela Tarr. The reason I mentioned Tarkovsky instead was because of the similarity to Bi Gan, and I mentioned An Elephant Sitting Still because it’s a Chinese film like a Long Days Journey Into Night, so both of these suited the narrative much better. However I shall definitely make a video on Bela Tarr at some point to make up for this haha ! Thanks for watching ❤️

@bobbsaunders 5 месяцев назад

You might find Russian Ark interesting, if on no other level than the technical challenge of shooting an entire 87 minute long film in one take. Not too demanding if the setting is simple and contained?? No Alexander Sokurov did it with a cast of two thousand, moving through 33 rooms of the Hermitage Winter Palace in St Petersburg !!! A separate hard drive on wheels followed the camera as it was shot in 2001 when digital compression was in its early days. It got 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and and average of 7.9, so not too bad for all that effort. That's not to say long shots are just to impress us technically - as you say, it is the stylistic impact a long shot can make that is most important. I just saw 'The Eight Mountains', a delightfully slow film by Felix von Groeningen which has many lovely, long, sloooow shots. P.S. RU-vid cuts your 9:16 clip here at 5:50 to insert an advert - and we wonder why people have short attention spans !

@AuteurCinema 5 месяцев назад

They really put an advert there ?! 😂 sorry about that, I’ll see if I can do anything on my end. Someone else recommended Russian Ark and it’s definitely a film I want to check out (it sounds even more impressive with that context.) I’ll have to check out The Eight Mountains at some point too. I’ve seen a fair few films but it feels like I’ve barely even scratched the surface. Cinema is the gift that keeps on giving ☺️

@bobbsaunders 5 месяцев назад

Theres nothing you can do to stop RU-vid inserting ads. Its the price you pay for success. If they see clips running through to the end and lots of views they say, ‘Aha, there’s a buck to be made here’. But they provide you with a free platform, and us viewers a free wealth of interest, so I guess we cant complain@@AuteurCinema

@pabloiranzo3371 6 месяцев назад

If your composition and performances are strong, there´s no need to cut or even move the camera. Just ask Denis Villeneuve.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

He’s an absolute master ! I’m curious what is your favourite film that he has directed ? I adore his sci-fi work, but I’d probably have to go for Prisoners or Incendies. Can’t wait for Dune 2 !

@pabloiranzo3371 6 месяцев назад

Prisoners, Sicario and Arrival are my 3 favorites. Specially Sicario@@AuteurCinema

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

@@pabloiranzo3371 Great picks ! I need to revisit Sicario for sure, it’s been a while !

@TricameralPerspective 6 месяцев назад

agreed he is a genius.

@BrokenTreeProd 6 месяцев назад

For future reference - it's not R E D Camera it's just Red Camera

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

My apologies ! I would of thought with the capitalisation it would be R E D but thank you for pointing this out to me !

@milanxlewis 6 месяцев назад

Great vid.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

Thank you so much ! It means a lot to me that you would say that ❤️ Sending virtual hugs your way 🫂 haha 😂

@milanxlewis 6 месяцев назад

Ha, no problem. Thanks! Keep it up! @@AuteurCinema

@zurrizurzur 6 месяцев назад

from the looks of it, u enjoy slow cinema (just good films, but anyway) im guessing u want to watch SATANTANGO but never got there cuz of the length, i suggest u to watch THE TURIN HORSE before it. its much shorter, and in my eyes conveys a much stronger message, keep up the great work mate, also it would make a great video, not many good videos have been made on that film

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

It has been on my list for a long time haha 😆 I shall explore Bela Tarr this year for sure ! Especially after the recent criterion announcement of Werckmeister Harmonies ! Hu Bo was actually the apprentice of Bela Tarr so I really can’t wait ! Thank you so much for your recommendations and kind words ❤️

@antonolandersson5019 6 месяцев назад

Oh I must add that "SATANTANGO" is one of cinema's most important masterpieces. The long shot-length is combined with a strict tango-like narrative structure. The subject matter with the false promises of communism are still very important. The visual structure together with the symbolic narrative blows me away!

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

@@antonolandersson5019 Can’t think of any higher praise than that ! I shall absolutely explore Bela Tarr’s work this year !

@pauldarrigo4395 4 месяца назад

Zack Snyder wins the award for most OVERUSED Slo-mo in cinema with Justice League (and annoying women tribal groans for WW) Second to Only God Forgives

@harryom3497 6 месяцев назад

Should have focused more on the story than the long ass take. Sounds like long takes are obsession nowadays.

@AuteurCinema 6 месяцев назад

Are you talking about A Long Day’s Journey Into Night ? The long take was used to capture the feeling of a dream. Time moves differently in dreams, so it’s a perfectly justifiable creative decision. While there is still a plot, it all depends on what the director is trying to achieve. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being more experimental and non linear with films, however I can appreciate that they’re not for everyone. Thank you for watching ❤️

@harryom3497 6 месяцев назад

@@AuteurCinema that's called pretentious filmmaking and it's also boring for the majority of the people. Still I respect the efforts 😉

@filip1261 6 месяцев назад

The average shot length in cinema is approaching 2 seconds, in the 60s it was 9 seconds. Long shots are certainly not an obsession "nowadays"

@filip1261 6 месяцев назад

@@harryom3497 Art movies aren't meant to be enjoyed by the majority of people, they're made for people interested in the artistic side of cinema. Nothing wrong with being dumb bud but you're projecting

@harryom3497 6 месяцев назад

@@filip1261 it is for some filmmakers where the long take is so unnecessary.