Astoundingly choreographed opening scene from Touch of Evil by Orson Welles, featuring dollies, zoom-ins, zoom-outs, tracking shots, bird’s-eye views, low-level shots, and more — all in one fluid continuous take. Just imagine if you were the one in charge of getting the lighting guys, sound guys, and everyone else in their places at the right moments!
Oh, and by the way it shows how easy it always has been to cross the border from Mexico into the U.S. The still, below, is Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh at the border.
(3:44)
For the same scene, Michael Bay would’ve used about 70 cuts involving a camera on a tilt-a-whirl, a few car chases, speedboats, and a dozen CG explosions, interspersed with random gunfire.
On the other hand Ed Wood would have done it in one take.
Boom! Splash!
Eric Idle: “Pretty meaty stuff there from Sam (Sniff) Peckinpah.” [Cue card: Stop Sniffing!]