Asian Cinema, Action Scenes & The Long Take
In the current cinematic landscape, action movies tend to abide by the “faster is better” way of doing things.
Just look at “The Bourne Identity” series, including “The Bourne Supremacy” and recently “The Bourne Ultimatum.” The action is frantic, quickly-cut, filmed from many angles. The shaky camera movements are designed to make the viewer feel as if they’re right there in the middle of the scene. For many viewers this ratchets up the tension and makes for a truly visceral experience.
But some of the best action scenes of recent years fly in the face of this conventional wisdom. Instead of the constant cutting seen in the “Bourne” pictures, movies like “Oldboy” have wowed audiences with something called the “long take.” In this style, a fight scene is filmed with one continuous, unbroken shot which may last up to several minutes in length.
Here’s an example from “Oldboy” (2003). Please note, a few short takes precede the long take:
Most filmmakers shy away from this for obvious reasons. A single take lasting several minutes requires more choreography, rehearsal, and trial and failure than several shorter takes pieced together.
However, the advantages are numerous. The fighting feels more “real” in a long take because there are no edits– just like in real life. What you see was filmed in real time, lasting exactly as long as the shot does. Time has not been compressed or altered for effect, so the shot stands on its own merits.
Here’s an even better example to top “Oldboy.” Taken from “The Protector” (2005), this shot is a real tour de force:
Whereas “Oldboy” used a tracking shot to move the camera horizontally from left to right, “The Protector” employs the more versatile “Steadicam.” This allows the camera to really penetrate the film space. It is attached to a camera operator who can move the camera up stairs, around corners, or anywhere a person can go.
Notice what a sense of spacial geography this technique imparts to the viewer. After watching “The Protector” clip, you can describe the hotel lobby where it takes place as if it’s somewhere you had been personally. The “Bourne” films, with their quick cuts, never achieve that same sense of space.
The “long take” is often a mark of a great director, or film. Orson Welles, Brian De Palma, and Max Ophuls have all applied the technique, but not in fight scenes. It’s good to see some of Asia’s up and coming directors have adapted the “long take” for action movies. It really stands apart from the “Bourne” style which has become all too common.
Is “The Bourne Identity” style the best way to film an action scene? Seen any good “long takes” lately?
Post Your thoughts.
