Touch of Evil Opening Shot

Posted on November 1, 2007 8 COMMENTS

Anne Thompson highlights the justly famous opening tracking shot of Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil. And it’s worth reposting. When Touch of Evil was made in 1958, this was the longest tracking shot ever created, a record which stood for a long time; I believe Robert Altman’s The Player broke it, but Touch of Evil‘s is better for my money. And can I just say, in this current era when most movies have an average shot length of about two and a half seconds, how refreshing it is to watch a shot that lasts for three minutes and fifteen seconds?

Categories: Film
Tags: Touch of Evil, video

Tineke

I haven’t seen Touch of Evil. I love that opening shot. I think that shot was able to create far more building tension than a bunch of 2.5 second shots could have.
Tineke

I haven’t seen Touch of Evil. I love that opening shot. I think that shot was able to create far more building tension than a bunch of 2.5 second shots could have.
http://www.the-frame.com/blog Jandy

You should see the whole thing; you’d like it. The opening shot is the best part, but it’s all good. And you’re totally right about the tension–for some reason filmmakers nowadays seem to think that fast editing is the only way to create tension. It can do that, but long shots can be almost unbearably tense, because we unconsciously wait for the cut, and when it doesn’t come…tension.
http://www.the-frame.com/blog Jandy

You should see the whole thing; you’d like it. The opening shot is the best part, but it’s all good. And you’re totally right about the tension–for some reason filmmakers nowadays seem to think that fast editing is the only way to create tension. It can do that, but long shots can be almost unbearably tense, because we unconsciously wait for the cut, and when it doesn’t come…tension.
Holly

What about the shot from What Lies Beneath? The one that follows her from the bathroom, into the bedroom, back out into the hall, and then into the bathroom again where there is writing on the mirror! Dun Dun Dun… I don’t remember how long it is, but I did a project on it in college and got an A (which I think is just because I noticed the length of shot, given that the class was a freshman requirement and we all know the average awareness of the college freshman.) That one didn’t meet or exceed any records?
Holly

What about the shot from What Lies Beneath? The one that follows her from the bathroom, into the bedroom, back out into the hall, and then into the bathroom again where there is writing on the mirror! Dun Dun Dun… I don’t remember how long it is, but I did a project on it in college and got an A (which I think is just because I noticed the length of shot, given that the class was a freshman requirement and we all know the average awareness of the college freshman.) That one didn’t meet or exceed any records?
http://www.the-frame.com/blog Jandy

I dunno. I remember the shot, but I don’t remember how long it is. I always think of Touch of Evil and The Player at the same time because their super-long tracking shots are also the opening shots.

One of my friends gives a movie analysis assignment in her first year composition course (well, most of my friends do, but I know her version of it the best), and she was demonstrating editing speed, use of filters, use of music, and I don’t know what all else to tell her students what to look for. I was so proud of her. I wish I could teach JUST THAT ASSIGNMENT in first year composition, without all the rest of the assignments. Hence, not teaching at all. Ah well. (This part of the comment seems unrelated, but it goes off the part of your comment where you talk about writing about it for a first year course.)
http://www.the-frame.com/blog Jandy

I dunno. I remember the shot, but I don’t remember how long it is. I always think of Touch of Evil and The Player at the same time because their super-long tracking shots are also the opening shots.

One of my friends gives a movie analysis assignment in her first year composition course (well, most of my friends do, but I know her version of it the best), and she was demonstrating editing speed, use of filters, use of music, and I don’t know what all else to tell her students what to look for. I was so proud of her. I wish I could teach JUST THAT ASSIGNMENT in first year composition, without all the rest of the assignments. Hence, not teaching at all. Ah well. (This part of the comment seems unrelated, but it goes off the part of your comment where you talk about writing about it for a first year course.)

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