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. Continue reading →