Quentin Tarantino Reveals His Pick for Cinema’s Best Long Take
Quentin Tarantino hails a powerful two-minute car scene in Paper Moon as the greatest long take ever filmed, spotlighting its raw emotional depth between a father and daughter.
Long takes are making a comeback in modern filmmaking, with recent projects like Netflix ’s chilling drama Adolescence using single, uninterrupted shots to heighten suspense and immerse viewers in the story. While the technique has been around for decades, few directors appreciate its impact as much as Quentin Tarantino. He’s no stranger to the art of the one-shot, but his choice for the most impressive long take in movie history might surprise you.
Legendary One-Shots and Technical Feats
Some of the most ambitious long takes ever attempted have left a lasting mark on cinema. The 2002 Russian film Russian Ark, directed by Alexander Sokurov, stands out for its technical mastery. The entire 96-minute movie unfolds in a single, continuous Steadicam shot, filmed inside the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. With 2,000 actors and just one day to get it right, the production team pulled off a near-miraculous feat, capturing centuries of Russian history in one seamless journey through 33 ornate rooms. The film’s dreamlike quality and immersive storytelling set a new standard for what’s possible with the long take.
Despite the acclaim for such technical achievements, Tarantino looks elsewhere for the pinnacle of the form. He’s quick to acknowledge the virtuosity of his peers, referencing the elaborate Steadicam and crane shots of directors like Brian De Palma and Martin Scorsese.
“And for all the cinematic virtuousness of some of the other seventies movie brats, especially when compared to Bogdanovich, the single greatest long take of their cinematic collective isn’t any of DePalma’s over hill and under dale Steadicam and crane combinations, or even Scorsese’s magnificent and witty tour through the Copacabana leading up to Henny Youngman in Goodfellas ( though that’s pretty spectacular, as is the crane that ends up behind the bucket of blood in Carrie ).”
Tarantino’s Top Choice: Emotional Power Over Technical Brilliance
For Tarantino, the true magic of the long take lies not in technical showmanship, but in its ability to capture raw, unfiltered emotion. His favorite example comes from the 1973 film Paper Moon, which stars real-life father and daughter Ryan and Tatum O’Neal as a pair of Depression-era con artists. The scene in question is a two-minute, uninterrupted shot inside a car, where the characters Moses Pray and Addie Loggins argue, reconcile, and reveal their vulnerabilities.
In his review, Tarantino singles out this moment as the ultimate long take:
“For me, it’s the car mount single take two-shot of Ryan O’Neal’s driving Moses Pray and overall-wearing, shotgun-riding tyke Tatum O’Neal’s Addie Loggins, as they bicker, fight, break up and then, finally, get back together (‘I guess we’ll just hafta’ keep on veerin’).”
The scene’s power comes from its authenticity. As the father and daughter debate what to do with their ill-gotten gains, their emotions spill over in real time. The father’s frustration is palpable, and his daughter’s stoic resolve only intensifies the exchange. Their heated back-and-forth builds to a crescendo before settling into a moment of understanding, all within the span of a single, unbroken shot.
Capturing Real Emotion in a Single Take
The brilliance of this scene lies in its simplicity. There are no flashy camera moves or elaborate choreography—just two actors, a car, and a raw, honest conversation. The dialogue is sharp and fast-paced, with each character pushing the other’s buttons.
“You got an excuse for everything!”
Moses snaps, only for Addie to fire back,
“Because you blame me for everything!”
The tension is real, but so is the affection that ultimately brings them back together. Director Peter Bogdanovich manages to convey a whirlwind of emotion in just two minutes, something that might take other filmmakers an entire feature to achieve.