8 Brilliant Uses Of The Long Take In Movies & TV Shows

This list would not be complete without having mentioned Orson Welles, and it is in Touch of Evil that he delivers one of his – and cinema’s – most iconic long takes. Like Hitchcock, Welles was a pioneer of cinematic techniques, making bold strides with perspective, framing and mise en scène (the visual arrangement of a scene) in general – and, again like Hitchcock, Welles is frequently bequeathed the modest honour of titles like ‘the greatest director of all time’ for his efforts.

Needless to say, the opening sequence of Touch of Evil not only sets the bar on what the long take is capable of but breaks the mould in doing so. While this film features several long takes, including one which is even longer than this – an apartment interrogation scene staged not unlike a hard-boiled piece of theatre – it is the opening sequence that strikes the lengthiest chord.

Tracking a time bomb that is planted in the boot of a saloon car, the take charts the intertwining courses of newlywed protagonists Miguel and Susie (Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh, respectively) and the doomed couple driving the car, as they cross the Mexican border into the USA. Dramatic irony sets the tone of the scene, and the tension builds to breaking point as the car weaves around people, pauses for conversation and passes the guard station, leading to a fiery climax that ignites the rest of the film.