Chinese filmmaker Bi Gan has quietly become cinema’s undisputed master of the long take, and his latest achievement might be his most audacious yet.
His new sci-fi film Resurrection features a breathtaking 30-minute tracking shot that was accomplished in a single, unbroken take.
While filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuarón, and Alejandro González Iñárritu have earned praise for their impressive continuous shots, Bi’s work operates on an entirely different level.
At just 36 years old, he’s already responsible for some of the longest uninterrupted shots in cinema history — and he’s making it look almost effortless.
The Ultimate Technical Achievement
The long take has long been considered one of filmmaking’s greatest technical challenges. A single mistake from any crew member or actor can ruin an entire shot, requiring everyone to start from scratch.
Famous examples include the casino scene in GoodFellas, action sequences in Children of Men, and the entirety of Birdman. Even Sam Mendes’ war film 1917 used multiple nine-minute segments stitched together to create the illusion of continuity.
But Bi’s Resurrection shot is genuinely uninterrupted — no hidden cuts, no digital trickery.
A Journey Through Time and Space
The 30-minute sequence in Resurrection takes viewers on a labyrinthine journey through 20th-century China. Starting at nighttime and continuing until daybreak, the camera follows characters from a violent gang fight on the docks through rainy alleyways to a raucous karaoke bar.
The sequence culminates back at the port, where romance between two leads takes an unexpected, monstrous turn at sea. The effect is simultaneously dazzling and destabilizing.
This Isn’t His First Rodeo
What makes Bi’s achievement even more remarkable is that this territory is familiar ground for him. His debut feature Kaili Blues culminated in a 41-minute continuous shot traversing rural mountain terrain.
His previous film, Long Day’s Journey into Night, ended with an absolutely staggering 59-minute long take shot in 3D.
For Bi, the long take isn’t just a gimmick or one-time technical flex. It’s become his signature, and he’s refined it into an art form.
Why the Long Take Matters
When asked about the effect long shots have on viewers, Bi explained his philosophical approach.
By using long takes, the audience will understand time much better. Because of the fact that when you are watching this in the long duration and because of the mise en scène, that might actually force you to stop thinking about using the kind of jump cuts or fragmented way of telling a story. Now, you are experiencing time in real time, along with the camera.
It doesn’t particularly matter to Bi whether audiences consciously notice they’re watching an unbroken shot. What matters is how they experience time.
Without jump cuts fragmenting the narrative, viewers move through time alongside the characters, creating a uniquely immersive experience.
Playing With Time Itself
Bi’s approach to long takes has evolved across his three features. In Kaili Blues, he incorporated three different tenses — past, present, and future — within a single continuous shot.
For Long Day’s Journey into Night, he used the 3D format within his long take to explore how memories feel fragmented yet somehow holistic.
Moving on to Resurrection, I just think that this is the best way to depict that one particular day, which is the last day of the 20th century, going into the 21st century, where two characters elope and then become vampires. One long take for that is because that is the best vehicle to tell that particular story.
From Novel to Screen
The 30-minute sequence in Resurrection actually originated as Bi’s novel titled UFO, about two lovers eloping. Translating written words into compelling visual language required finding the right cinematic approach.
Interestingly, Bi didn’t initially plan for the sequence to be a single take. That decision emerged during discussions with his director of photography, Dong Jingsong, and production designer Liu Qiang.
The breakthrough came from an unexpected source: a Mark Rothko painting featuring abstract red colors mixed with other hues. That visual inspiration sparked the idea of using one uninterrupted take.
We really take this type of film language in a very careful way. We didn’t want to just do it carelessly.
The Intensive Planning Process
Creating a 30-minute single-take sequence requires extraordinary coordination. Bi’s process involves constant collaboration between multiple departments:
- Location scouting: Finding the perfect space with railroads, docks, karaoke bars, and hospitals
- Script adjustments: Writing action-based scenes that can actually be filmed continuously
- Technical rehearsals: Identifying and solving logistical challenges before actors arrive
- Actor preparation: Teaching performers specialized skills like operating boats and singing karaoke
- Extra coordination: Giving background actors context and encouraging character development
From location scouting to final rehearsals, the entire process took one month. Rehearsals could only happen at night, while actors spent daylight hours practicing specialized skills.
Three Takes to Perfection
Perhaps most impressively, Bi and his team only needed three attempts to capture the perfect 30-minute take.
Just three. For 30 minutes of complex choreography involving multiple locations, dozens of extras, boat operations, and precise camera movements.
When asked if viewers were looking for hidden seams or stitched segments, Bi simply smiled and confirmed it was genuinely one uninterrupted take.
Not Bound by Rules or Expectations
Despite becoming synonymous with long takes, Bi doesn’t feel constrained by audience expectations. When asked if he worries that viewers will always anticipate a continuous shot in his films, his response was characteristically unbothered.
That’s okay, because, you know, I’m not really bound by any rules. You can tell from the films I make.
Unlike many filmmakers who might use long takes as homage to predecessors or to demonstrate technical prowess, Bi approaches them from a philosophical perspective. For him, continuous shots aren’t about showcasing skill — they’re about finding the best visual language to express particular stories and ideas.
A New Standard for Cinema
While the long take might seem like territory reserved for film enthusiasts, Bi Gan’s work transcends technical appreciation. His sequences don’t just impress — they fundamentally change how audiences experience time, memory, and narrative on screen.
Resurrection is currently playing in select theaters, offering viewers the rare opportunity to witness what may be the most ambitious and impressive long take of the year.
At 36, Bi has already redefined what’s possible with continuous cinematography. One can only imagine what he’ll accomplish next.