Tarantino Names Surprising Film as Cinema's Greatest Long Take
The acclaimed director bypasses technical masterpieces like Russian Ark to champion an emotional two-minute scene from a 1973 father-daughter drama that showcases raw vulnerability.
Long takes are experiencing a renaissance in modern filmmaking. Recent projects like Netflix's haunting series Adolescence have demonstrated the power of single-shot episodes to intensify dramatic moments. However, this cinematic technique has deep roots that stretch back decades, something Quentin Tarantino knows intimately.
Technical Marvels vs. Emotional Truth
From a purely technical perspective, few films can match the ambition of Russian Ark, Alexander Sokurov's 2002 masterpiece. This 96-minute Russian production unfolds as one continuous Steadicam sequence filmed entirely within St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum. The production required four years of preparation and coordination with 2,000 actors, all of whom had to execute their performances flawlessly across 33 museum rooms.
The filmmakers took an enormous gamble, booking the prestigious location for just one day on December 23, 2001. After three unsuccessful attempts, they finally captured this dreamlike journey through Russian history in a single take. The result was a groundbreaking achievement that pushed the boundaries of what seemed possible in cinema.
The Kill Bill Director's Unexpected Choice
Despite acknowledging such technical achievements, Tarantino believes the finest example of this art form comes from an entirely different source: the 1973 film Paper Moon. This Depression-era story features real-life father and daughter Ryan and Tatum O'Neal as con artists Moses Pray and Addie Loggins working their schemes across 1930s Kansas.
In his analysis, Tarantino first acknowledged other notable examples from his contemporaries: "And for all the cinematic virtuousness of some of the other seventies movie brats, especially when compared to Bogdanovich, the single greatest long take of their cinematic collective isn't any of DePalma's over hill and under dale Steadicam and crane combinations, or even Scorsese's magnificent and witty tour through the Copacabana leading up to Henny Youngman in Goodfellas (though that's pretty spectacular, as is the crane that ends up behind the bucket of blood in Carrie)."
Raw Emotion in Motion
Tarantino's top pick focuses on authentic human drama rather than technical showmanship. He explained: "For me, it's the car mount single take two-shot of Ryan O'Neal's driving Moses Pray and overall-wearing, shotgun-riding tyke Tatum O'Neal's Addie Loggins, as they bicker, fight, break up and then, finally, get back together ('I guess we'll just hafta' keep on veerin')."
The sequence captures the father-daughter duo arguing about their ill-gotten gains while driving through barren countryside. The unbroken shot allows their genuine emotions to build and resolve naturally. As tensions escalate, the young girl maintains remarkable composure while her father's frustration boils over. "You got an excuse for everything!" O'Neal's character snaps at his daughter, who fires back, "Because you blame me for everything!"
Their heated exchange accelerates into a furious verbal sparring match before eventually circling back to practical planning. Director Peter Bogdanovich manages to create an emotional rollercoaster in just two minutes that other filmmakers might need an entire movie to achieve.