I'm a sucker for long takes. The amount
of things that need to go right that risk starting the take over
again all the way from the beginning. The most famous is arguably the
long tracking shot from Goodfellas which
lasts over three minutes. Long takes are a true test for a director
because of all the issues that need to be overcome that could
otherwise be dealt with in the editing room. Long takes also add a
level of realism that gets lost the more that cuts are used. We
experience every day as one long take, so seeing long takes in film
makes the film more real. Children of Men
uses numerous long takes, 62 of them are longer than 20 seconds, 6 of
which are longer than 90 seconds. It makes the film feel very gritty
and real which is important for science fiction movies as it make the
future seem more plausible. This is aspect tantamount to this film.
It's the realism that draws us in and makes this movie so powerful.
