As movies evolved, the way in which stories were told changed as well. That happened in various ways, like the positioning of the camera, the introduction of sound and color and the use of special effects. Movies were edited to suggest suspense or speed and during the eighties, influenced by the music videos on MTV those cuts kept getting faster. Long shots slowly got the image of being slow and boring.
Luckily that has changed during the last couple of years and more movies use long scenes made in one-take. Just think of movies like Children of Men of the opening shot of Spectre. But directors want to push that concept further. Of course Birdman is a well-known example, which manages to suggest it is all made in one shot (even though it is done through smart editing and hiding the cuts). Russian Ark from 2002 was the first movie which, thanks to developments on equipment which could film longer, could be made with one shot (and 2000 extras who all showed pieces of Russian history). That was a more artful movie, but Victoria is a “proper” film. It has one story and has been shot in one take in the streets of Berlin. The end result? A one take 138-minute movie.
Victoria (Laia Costa) is a young Spanish woman, who has moved to Berlin and has been working there for a short while. After she has visited a local club a group of men starts talking to her. They ask her lots of questions, try to impress her and ask her to join them in having a drink. She slowly gets to know the men, Sonne (Frederick Lau), Boxer (Franz Rogowski), Blinker (Burak Yigit) and Fuß (Max Mauff). Especially Sonne gives her lots of attention. As the night advances they get to know each other better and Sonne asks her something which could possibly change her life.
It’s best to see this movie knowing as little as possible about it, because it gives you a real sense of being part of this group of people experiencing an unpredictable night. The fact that the movie plays out in real time isn’t a gimmick, but gives it its strenght. Thanks to strong acting of this group you never get the sense you are looking at something which has been written an planned. The emotions and feelings are real and that realism makes you care when specific events unfold. It’s a movie you’ll keep thinking about for days.
The fact that it has all been shot in one take is impressive and it’s almost impossible to imagine how much planning has gone into realising it all. Because this isn’t a movie which is set in one location. The group walks through the streets, enters buildings, takes a car to other places and it all has to happen without error for two hours. During an interview the director, Sebastian Schipper, has said that it took them three tries to do it as close to perfect as possible. It still has an error in it, but unless you’ll read about it you’ll never notice. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, this is one of the first you should be checking out, it is a real must-see.
