Episode 46: 1917 and Birdman

Continuous shot films. Sarah Watt, William Chen and Jeremy Downing discuss two films that use a continuous shot throughout most of their films: 1917 (2019) and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014). We begin by discussing the way each film utilises the continuous shot affect. We compare the two films to other films that explore long takes, including Gravity (2013), Dunkirk (2017), The Adventures of Tintin (2011), Searching (2018), Children of Men (2006), and Roma (2018). Roger Deakins' work is celebrated in 1917, as we marvel the photography and how it works within the real world realities of filming this film. We compare the way the two films balance their leads with their supporting characters and how that plays out with the continuous shot structure. 1917 is compared to a range of better films, including The Revenant (2015), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Apocalypse Now (1979). We unpack and marvel the choreography in both films, which help make the continuous shot dynamic work. We talk about the satire of Birdman that has sadly come to pass in 2020, with our overuse of cellphones, reliance on social media, over saturation of super hero films and obsession over realism. The conversation shifts into a discussion around the upcoming Academy Awards and how both films are represented in their respected awards seasons. We talk about Thomas Newman's score in 1917 and Antonio Sanchez' score in Birdman, both of which are brilliant.