A) Consist of one continuous shot:

I know that Hitchcock tried this gimmick with "Rope," but could only film ~8 minutes at a time due to the technological restrictions of the time. So, he achieved the effect by zooming in on an actor's back every time he had to change film, and zooming out once filming resumed, in order to give the impression that the entire film consisted of one long shot. I'm wondering if any films have ever achieved this (I assume it would be extremely difficult to pull off), or if there are any other films that use tricks like Hitchcock's in order to give the achieve the effect that the film consists of just one continuous shot.

B) Movies that play out in real time:

Similarly, if there aren't any others that consist of one continuous shot...would you please list any movies that at least play out in real time (the story starts at 7:30 pm, and ends at 9:15 pm...and the movie has a runtime of an hour and forty-five minutes). A couple of Richard Linklater's films, Tape and Before Sunset, come to mind. These types of films have always fascinated me, so I'd like to check out some others that use similar storytelling gimmicks.

C) Movies with intense color-saturation:

This has been used a quite a fewmodern Asian films that I've seen...namely Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Dolls. You know, films that consist a few shots here and there that are beautifully bright, beyond the scope of realism...where the colors jump out at you more than they do in a regular film. A few more examples of films that use this: What Dreams May Come, and a couple Burton films, Edward Scissorhands and Big Fish. So, aside from what's listed here, do you know of any other movies that contain shots like this...with really intense, vibrant colors? Also, if you could include a screen capture or two, I'd be very grateful.

D) Anything else?

I made a thread requesting films with quirky direction a while back, and got the most varied list of recommendations ever. So, perhaps 'quirky' wasn't the best word of choice. I figure while I have this specific thread up (which all expanded from my curiosity about films with one continuous shot), I may as well allow for any other recommendations people have based on gimmicks and tricks used by the director and/or cinematographer.

So, I guess that's that...and thanks in advance.

-JP

B. Nick of Time

Running Time with Bruce Campbell looks like it was shot all in one take, but it wasn't for real.

Timecode was shot in real time for real, and so was Russian Ark. They were both shot on digital.

A. Russian Ark (2002)

C. O Brother Where Art Thou (2000)

A. the latter films of Bela Tarr employ long continuous shots for each scene lasting anywhere from 5 to 11 minutes. he's joked that the 11 minute limit of a roll of 35mm film is a form of censorship.

C. Lola (Fassbinder)


Millenium Mambo (Hou)


Three Colors: Blue, White, Red (Kieslowski)


Dreams (Kurosawa)


Morvern Callar (Ramsey)


Ratcatcher (Ramsey)

colors are more vivid in the actual film

Red Desert (Antonioni)

It's certainly not a great film, but Snake Eyes began with a long, 10 or 15 minute continuous shot of Cage making his way through the boxing auditorium. Honestly best part of the movie. They too used invisible cuts to make it work. Not the whole film but an impresssive sequence.

Obligatory Touch of Evil reply. Also The Player uses an impressive long continuous shot as the opening scene as well.

Check out David Gordon Green films for incredible cinematography.

So far, thanks to everybody.

I own all three, and believe it or not...I'd put Undertow into the player just before walking in here to check up on the forums. It's the only one that I haven't seen yet, so I'm excited.

-JP

I just wanted to add that if you watch Russian Ark you *have* to watch the making of doc. Given your interest in continuous take features it really is a must see - what they did is simply incredible.

High Noon plays out in real time, doesn't it?

Slashers, except for the intro, is one complete shot the whole movie (they used some lighting techniques to hide the cuts). If you like reality tv or horror movies it is definitely worth at least a rental. I guess it would also count as happening in real time.

A. Snake Eyes (not really one continuous shot, but like "Rope", designed to look that way)



Edit: I note someone already posted this above!

some more "real-time" flicks...

Cleo from 5 to 7
Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Two Girls and a Guy
Fail-Safe
What Happened Was...
12 Angry Men
My Dinner With Andre
Lola Rennt

better yet, check out the small but growing filmography of his dp's films -- Tim Orr

B) Movies that play out in real time:



My Dinner with Andre

C) Movies with intense color-saturation:



The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Long continuous shot: First scene in Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice
Color Saturation: Suzuki's Tokyo Drifter / Argento's Suspiria

I don't think 12 Angry Men would be considered filmed in real time. I mean I could be wrong but I got the impression they were delebrating for longer then an hour and a half.

Miracle Mile was real time if I remember right.

Snake Eyes was brought up twice as a movie with a long continuous shot, but doesn't it also run in real-time? I haven't seen the movie in a while but I think it does.

"Wavelength" by Avant Garde filmmaker Michael Snow is in real time and consists of one continuous take (well, almost...there is a "flashback" of some earlier imagery towards the end). I wouldn't recommend watching it, however, unless you're a film scholar or heavy into structuralism. Films don't get much more boring.

And, I'm surprised no one has mentioned the TV show "24" yet as a 'takes place in real time' selection. "The Set-Up" (1949) and Mario Bava's classic "Rabid Dogs" (1974) are two other good ones.

As for striking color, besides those already mentioned, try checking out some of the better Technicolor classics, especially the MGM ones (The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and the big budget musicals from the '40s and '50s).

Doesn't Panic Room have a really long continuous shot scene?

If you're looking for other gimmicky forms of direction/narrative, how about 'Movies That Take Place Entirely on One Single Set' like 12 Angry Men or Lifeboat?

C/D:

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, And Her Lover

(not sure about C, as the film does not consist of "bright" saturation)

Greenaway set each different room in the film to a certain color for symbolic use. And as a character or characters walk into a different room, their clothes change to represent the room in which they are in.

For example
-the dining room scenes are set in red
-the large bathroom is set in white
-the kitchen is green

D.

Luis Buñuel. All kinds of wonderful surrealist and absurdist touches permeate the director's filmography. See e.g. The Exterminating Angel and Phantom of Liberty.

Also, Gaspar Noé put subsonic frequencies used by French riot police on the soundtrack of Irreversible to cause discomfort in the audience. Sure worked for me when I saw it in a theater.

A. I know there was an X-Files episode that had only four cuts: one for each commercial break.

C. The Cell, Danger: Diabolik, Yellow Submarine. Just watched Danger: Diabolik last night, and I recommend it highly as a dumb but beautiful, funny, and exciting movie.

D. Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: instead of using lighting, the shadows were painted on.

Single set movies: My Dinner with Andre. I think I saw Sartre's No Exit adapted as a Night Gallery episode.

A. Halloween (the original) opening sequence, one blend when the mask is put on the camera and another.......shit I forgot, there both spaced very close to each other though.