One-r

10 Historic One-Take Shots in Cinema

The craft of deep focus

A still from A Touch of Evil Universal Pictures

Movies Referenced: Touch of Evil, The Player, Hard Boiled, Old Boy, Children of Men, Goodfellas, Gravity, Atonement, Panic Room, The Mirror

The opening shot in Touch of Evil has no cuts and left an indelible mark on filmmaking. Directors and cinematographers have tried replicating its technical and narrative achievements with their own “one-r” — a continuous, uninterrupted long take.

Pulling off a long take requires careful planning and elaborate coordination with the crew. It’s a technical and creative challenge. It’s also an opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their prowess and innovation to show off a little bit.

Here are ten of the most memorable long one-take shots in cinema history.

1. TOUCH OF EVIL

The opening scene of Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil may be the most famous long take. After a close-up of a bomb placed in the trunk of a car, the camera pulls back and begins an extended tracking shot that lasts more than three minutes.

During this shot, the camera follows the car through a gritty and corrupt border town on the U.S.-Mexico border. Welles skillfully incorporates elements such as traffic, pedestrians, and even a few goats to highlight the technical complexity of the shot. Although it may appear ostentatious, the shot effectively immerses the audience in the world and narrative of the film.

This opening sequence is considered one of cinema’s most influential shots. Its impact is so significant that it is even referenced in our next entry.

2. THE PLAYER

The Player, a 1992 satirical film about the Hollywood Film industry directed by Robert Altman, begins with an eight-minute-long shot that cleverly introduces several characters on a Hollywood studio lot.

From the beginning, the film establishes its self-reflective nature, as one of the characters expresses dissatisfaction with the modern MTV style of “cut, cut, cut, cut” and compares it to the opening shot of Touch of Evil. During the shot, we gain insights into the industry’s mindset, witnessing various characters pitching television shows. Notably, Buck Henry, the screenwriter of The Graduate, pitches its sequel to studio executive Griffin Mills, portrayed by Tim Robbins.

While The Player offers a scathing critique of the Hollywood film industry, it cleverly succeeds as a commercially appealing film, blending elements of black comedy and thriller genres.

3. HARD BOILED

The long gunfight in the 1992 Hong Kong action film Hard Boiled, directed by John Woo, is an impressive action sequence. Inspector Tequila Yuen, portrayed by Chow Yun-fat, and Alan, an undercover cop played by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, are the main characters in this film.

John Woo’s distinctive “gun-fu” style, characterized by slow motion and highly choreographed action, has profoundly influenced action films worldwide, including the immensely popular John Wick series.

This graceful and balletic sequence occurs in a hospital where Tequila and Alan are trapped in a battle between the police and a criminal syndicate. Hey, how did they do the elevator shot?

4. OLDBOY

One of the most memorable scenes in the South Korean film Oldboy (2003), directed by Park Chan-wook, is a long-take fight. The protagonist, Oh Dae-su (played by Choi Min-sik), is determined to uncover the mystery behind his 15-year imprisonment. In a narrow, dimly lit corridor, he faces a group of henchmen sent to stop him.

Oh uses improvised weapons and fists to fight off the baddies in an intense and choreographed battle. Halfway through, the character is motionless on the ground. A character asks if he is dead, but the answer is a resounding no. Oh jumps to his feet — a knife sticking out from his back — and continues his onslaught until he defeats them all.

The lack of cuts adds to the realism and the sense of danger and helps to show his unwavering obstinance.

5. CHILDREN OF MEN

Alfonso Cuarón and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki created a remarkable piece of cinema in Children of Men with a continuous shot demonstrating their creativity. The film is set in a future where human infertility has pushed society to the brink of collapse. In a pivotal scene, the action unfolds seamlessly within the confines of a car. It begins with some small talk and a game where two characters shoot a ping pong ball back and forth to each other’s mouth, showcasing the one-take approach’s audacity.

The tranquility is abruptly shattered when a flaming car hurtles down a hill toward the main characters, announcing the arrival of the menacing Zeds. They try to escape by driving backward. High-stakes action and chaos are captured in an unbroken shot that can only be achieved because Cuarón and Lubezki created a groundbreaking, innovative custom camera rig. They immerse the audience in the dystopian world and its violence.

6. GOODFELLAS

In Martin Scorsese’s 1990 crime film Goodfellas, a long take follows gangster Henry Hill from the street to inside the Copacabana Club. We see him walk through stairwells, hallways, a busy kitchen, and finally onto the club floor, all without noticeable cuts.

The scene sets the stage for Henry Hill’s wild and glamorous world in the mob. In the final moment of the shot, the club owner sets up a VIP table for Hill as the camera reveals — without a cut — Henny Youngman beginning his set on stage. This final touch shows Hill’s status in the community.

7. ATONEMENT

In the climax of the 2007 film Atonement, directed by Joe Wright, a remarkable five-and-a-half-minute tracking shot follows Robbie Turner (played by James McAvoy) as he wanders through the historical Dunkirk evacuation, where countless British and French soldiers were stranded on the beaches, awaiting rescue.

It may be the most expensive shot on this list. It involves intricate choreography, hundreds of extras, authentic historical props, horses, cars, trucks, and even a shipwrecked sailboat. The filmmakers meticulously rehearsed for two days before they shot it.

The shot reminds us of the separation of Robby and Cecilia while realistically depicting the desperation and chaos of the evacuation. Director Joe Wright said, “Filmmaking by nature is about montage, and in a way, there’s something quite rebellious about the long tracking shot. I just think they’re a wonderful challenge and a wonderful game.”

8. GRAVITY

Alfonso Cuarón’s 2013 film Gravity begins with an impressive 13-minute shot showcasing his collaboration with cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki. The shot seamlessly blends visual effects and cinematography to immerse the audience into outer space’s expansive and dangerous setting.

Starting with a tranquil view of Earth, the camera gradually reveals a space shuttle, the Space Shuttle Explorer, and two astronauts, Kowalski (George Clooney) and Stone (Sandra Bullock), on a spacewalk. Their casual banter is abruptly disrupted as mission control instructs Kowalski to abort the mission. As he warns Stone, a sudden, deadly debris hail hurtles. The shuttle’s arm breaks off, sending Stone tumbling into the void of space. She spins wildly, growing smaller and smaller in the distance, a lone figure adrift in the cosmic expanse.

9. PANIC ROOM

David Fincher’s Panic Room, released in 2002, features a long, uninterrupted shot that shows the house’s layout and introduces the villains. The camera drifts from the third to the first floor, revealing elegant furniture. Through the window, we see a van pull up and out steps the villains in silhouette.

From inside, the camera follows the villains’ attempts to break in via the keyhole, window, kitchen door, fire escape, and eventually, the skylight. Digital effects seamlessly connect elements of the shot, such as when the camera goes through walls and floors or into the keyhole.

There is no deep meaning or subtext to this shot. It’s merely an efficient and clever camera movement that relays the limited space, creates suspense, and builds dread.

10. MIRROR

In many of these examples, the impact of the one-shot is enhanced by action and spectacle. In this concluding illustration, a continuous shot in Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1975 non-linear narrative, Mirror, the technique engenders a moment of poetic introspection.

Tarkovsky is a film poet who uses film language unlike any other. He rejects the principles of classical narrative and imbues Mirror with its own dream-like logic. He combines dreams, memories, and flashbacks with varying cinematographic styles, leaving it up to the viewer to determine what they see.

In this scene, a character remembers when his family barn burnt down. The mixture of memory, dream, and maybe even flashback combine to create a beautiful, meditative moment without any cuts.