Fu Manchu Films

Coincidently enough, this week the Boston Globe ran an Associated Press story about the new movie Atonement. The story discusses the implications of a 5.5 minute tracking shot that unfolds during the British Army’s retreat at the battle of Dunkirk.

The reactions highlighted are contradictory, namely the outrage from Ty Burr of the Boston Globe. His position on the matter is that director Joe Wright has not yet earned the right to take such a bold risk when it comes to shot selection, but Wright defends the shot as not so much choice as necessity. He claims the only way to finish the thousand-plus extra scene was to go with one long shot.

The article continues to turn the spotlight on many other notable long shots in cinema history, including the accomplishments of Welles, Antonioni, and Hitchcock.

To see the story, visit the Boston Globe Online here.