The Art of the Long Take

Jim Emerson has collected a nifty package of some of the best long takes:

Deep Focus from Jim Emerson on Vimeo.

For this compilation, “Deep Focus,” I’ve chosen eight shots I treasure (the last two I regard as among the finest in all of cinema). They’re not all strictly “deep focus” shots, but they do emphasize three-dimensionality in their compositions. I’ve presented them with only minimal identifications so you can simply watch them and see what happens without distraction or interruption. Instead, I’ve decided to write about them below. Feel free to watch the clips and then re-watch (freeze-frame, rewind, replay) the clips to see what you can see. To say they repay re-viewing is an understatement.

He is deliberately leaving out the obvious ones everyone already knows, like Touch of Evil or Goodfellas. His list can be found here.