I think by this time we are all acquainted with the praises that Birdman received and the achievement of the movie which is the whole movie playing out in one 2-hour long continuous take . However what exactly makes this technique unique ?
I mean it does a feel a bit gimmicky at first doesn't it and that it wouldn't really affect the movie as a whole even if it was shot like a normal movie, with edits. Though you will probably agree with me that if you have seen the movie you couldn't imagine it being played out otherwise. And I think this is why it doesn't feel so arbitrary, that the technique is woven in to the story in such a way that it has a unique pace and flow to it unlike a movie with cuts and edits. I think the director Alejandro G.Inarritu put it perfectly, that it stayed with the characters for 10 minutes non-stop because there is no 'Cut-To' or 'Fade To Black' in real-life. Everything remains in constant motion.
It is fairly noticeable that because of this long-take style the movie does become much more fluid in its approach in a way that it starts to mimic its very own subject matter, Theatre. When I was going through the Behind-the Scenes of the film I witnessed the meticulous preparation where each actor, camera operator and the sound guys were to know their exact positions. And since each take averaged about 10-15 minutes approx. a single mistake could brake those entire shot. Sounds very much like real theatre doesn't it. And if we go more deep into it, we could also assume that the 'high stakes' of the shooting process also mirrors the 'high-stakes' situation of the characters in the movie as well. In many ways it actually seams to take the best of both worlds with the cinematography and convenience of film-making but marrying it to the continuous performances and the fluid entries and exits found in theatre.
The one thing that defines Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography in Birdman is that it stays with the characters and is always positioned in such a way that it represents the perspective of another human looking into these characters lives and struggles. It does add a layer an add of tangibility to the film and the audience doesn't feel some kind of entity hovering about in space and does in fact feel as a human spectator watching and listening into people. In fact the whole thing of the super-long take works because it is such a character driven story so we are constantly shifting character perspectives and getting to know their angles in the story (because if you notice the situation itself does not change very much but they are constant developments within characters), and most of the time, the characters are the ones that drive the story.
As a conclusion, in my humble opinion, I think that this style of cinematography really has, emotion in it which in turn resonates with the audience because really for most of the time the camera is not trying to paint a beautiful picture or landscape, it appears to follow a very hands-on and gritty( to some extent) approach. Placing the audience right at the centre of everything that is happening. As a result it has managed to replicate a human experience of life. It is not the sheer length of these takes that makes it unique or innovative, nor necessarily the effort that went into it. However, the fact it blended with its subject matter and story so well that it was able to add to the immersion, made it unique.
P.s Here is a video that explains some of the techniques used in the film to make it look 'seamless'.
It is fairly noticeable that because of this long-take style the movie does become much more fluid in its approach in a way that it starts to mimic its very own subject matter, Theatre. When I was going through the Behind-the Scenes of the film I witnessed the meticulous preparation where each actor, camera operator and the sound guys were to know their exact positions. And since each take averaged about 10-15 minutes approx. a single mistake could brake those entire shot. Sounds very much like real theatre doesn't it. And if we go more deep into it, we could also assume that the 'high stakes' of the shooting process also mirrors the 'high-stakes' situation of the characters in the movie as well. In many ways it actually seams to take the best of both worlds with the cinematography and convenience of film-making but marrying it to the continuous performances and the fluid entries and exits found in theatre.
The one thing that defines Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography in Birdman is that it stays with the characters and is always positioned in such a way that it represents the perspective of another human looking into these characters lives and struggles. It does add a layer an add of tangibility to the film and the audience doesn't feel some kind of entity hovering about in space and does in fact feel as a human spectator watching and listening into people. In fact the whole thing of the super-long take works because it is such a character driven story so we are constantly shifting character perspectives and getting to know their angles in the story (because if you notice the situation itself does not change very much but they are constant developments within characters), and most of the time, the characters are the ones that drive the story.
As a conclusion, in my humble opinion, I think that this style of cinematography really has, emotion in it which in turn resonates with the audience because really for most of the time the camera is not trying to paint a beautiful picture or landscape, it appears to follow a very hands-on and gritty( to some extent) approach. Placing the audience right at the centre of everything that is happening. As a result it has managed to replicate a human experience of life. It is not the sheer length of these takes that makes it unique or innovative, nor necessarily the effort that went into it. However, the fact it blended with its subject matter and story so well that it was able to add to the immersion, made it unique.
P.s Here is a video that explains some of the techniques used in the film to make it look 'seamless'.
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