![\"A](\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/LI-Gengxi_TAI-Zhaomei-copyright-HE-RUIQIONG.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
<\/a><\/p>\nCourtesy of Janus Films<\/p>\n
Did you know you wanted one of the film\u2019s vignettes to be a long take when you were writing the script, or did you figure that out later?<\/p>\n
This particular chapter came first because it\u2019s actually an adaptation of one of my novels titled UFO, which is about two lovers eloping. I do think that when you translate from a written novel to a film, then you need to find the best film language for it.<\/p>\n
At first, I was still trying to figure out what would be the best way to sort of make those words come alive in a visual way. It is not until during the shooting process that I had a discussion with my [director of photography] Dong Jingsong and with [production designer] Liu Qiang that we asked, How are we going to do this?<\/p>\n
Dong showed me this particular painting by Mark Rothko, an abstract painting with the red colors, with a little bit of other colors. And somehow, the kind of combination of particular colors inspired me to start thinking about using one long, uninterrupted take as a way to tell a story.<\/p>\n
We really take this type of film language in a very careful way. We didn\u2019t want to just do it carelessly.<\/p>\n
Do you worry that whenever anyone sees one of your films in the future, they\u2019ll expect a long take?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s okay, because, you know, I\u2019m not really bound by any rules. You can tell from the films I make.<\/p>\n
This movie is in conversation with so much film history. Staying on the long take, are there other filmmakers who do it that you are influenced by?<\/p>\n
In terms of this idea of this is very much about a film about films, it\u2019s just on the surface. That is the way that I enter the subject matter of what happened in the 20th century in China.<\/p>\n
In terms of the influence from other filmmakers or other films about long takes, I don\u2019t really think that I was informed by them that much. For me, starting with Kaili Blues, the reason why I choose to use a long take was very much on a philosophical level. That was the best way to somehow present, philosophically, what I want to express in that particular film. As a rule, I tend to try to subvert a lot of preconceived notions or concepts about films. So I don\u2019t really see myself as either paying homage or being informed or influenced by other filmmakers\u2019 long takes.<\/p>\n
When you start planning out a long take and you\u2019re blocking it, like, what does that even look like? How do you do it? <\/p>\n
In terms of the script itself, it\u2019s very much action-based because that\u2019s the only way that you can actually pull this off. One of the biggest challenges for us is to find the right location and space for this story to happen. That\u2019s the start. I was discussing with the art directors how to scout a space that would be the best setting to tell this type of story. We were lucky enough with the team of directors and assistant directors that they looked around and finally found this particular ideal location with railroads, docks, and ports, and then the karaoke bar and the hospital.<\/p>\n
Then it\u2019s a constant interaction and collaboration between the teams focusing on the scripts, and then the teams focusing on the sets, and then the teams focusing on technical rehearsals. They have to constantly be working together and evolve in such a way to actually finally make this happen and make it a reality.<\/p>\n The DP and the cinematographer involve the art directors and how we somehow have to work closely and make a lot of adjustments. If during the technical rehearsals, I notice a certain type of technical difficulty that needs to be overcome, then we discuss the possibility of changing or adjusting the script. And then we do another technical rehearsal, and then, finally, finding out that that is the best way to bring everything together.<\/p>\n And then we\u2019ll bring the actors down and do actual rehearsals.<\/p>\n How long is the rehearsal period?<\/p>\n From the moment that art directors are finding space to the actual rehearsals, it took a month.<\/p>\n We could only rehearse at night, and then during the day, the actors and actresses would do some other practices, such as learning to operate a boat and how to sing karaoke.<\/p>\n Are they actually driving the boat?<\/p>\n We also have a lot of extras involved for this particular long take. So as a director, I will give them some context \u2014 that this is the last night of 1999, and then they will be operating in certain spaces, such as barber shops or karaoke bars. And then based on that, I will ask them to really do character development themselves to think about, \u201cWho you are at this moment of time, in the space, and how would you serve the role as an extra for this particular take?\u201d<\/p>\n In Resurrection, is it all one take or is it stitched together?<\/p>\n In terms of stitching it together, as long as you feel that it is one take, it\u2019s a good thing. And there\u2019s nothing wrong with it. But for my case, for this particular take, it is actually one uninterrupted take.<\/p>\n I was looking for the seams but I couldn\u2019t find anything.<\/p>\n How many times did you have to film it?<\/p>\n Just three? That\u2019s impressive.<\/p>\n Resurrection is in select theaters now.<\/p>\n Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Kevin NguyenClose Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All by Kevin Nguyen<\/a><\/p>\n EntertainmentCloseEntertainment<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nKevin Nguyen<\/p>\n