The allure of the single location movie December 17, 2009
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Top 10s , trackbackFilms set in a single location (or predominantly in a single location) have always fascinated me. Perhaps it’s their theatre roots, as many single-location films derive from the work of playwrights. The consequence of that is strong characterisation, an emphasis on good acting, and tight control of plot that usually takes place over a few hours.
Another reason I am a fan of single location (and indeed single day films or those set over a short prescribed period of time) derives from my distaste for the sprawling epic and biopic. “Lawrence of Arabia” is one of the best films ever made, and “Forrest Gump” is a 1990s masterpiece, but largely, films that stretch themselves thinly across years and decades don’t appeal to me. Conversely, the snippets of characters lives in various settings hung on a plot that lacks central focus is what single location films avoid. At least the good ones do.
I’m not totally adverse to a good three-hour jaunt but put me in room with ten average epics and ten passable single-location films and the rambling story would be cast out in favour of the tightly plotted. That’s not to say films based predominantly in a single place aren’t long, rambling or indeed thinly plotted as Andy Warhol managed several times, most convincingly in his 1963 film “Sleep”. But the best display the talents of their scribes, a keen eye for authentic dialogue that works to bolster depth of character and provide momentum to the story. They also show the best of their directors – an ability to maintain pace and drama with limited manoeuvrability (there’s no easy cut to a car chase to get the audience’s attention), to get the most powerful performance possible from their actors, and the use of constricted space. [Read More]
See the Top 10 Single Location Films HERE
Comments»
Those single location movies really do force the cast and crew to work their socks off, don’t they? When they’re well done the level of acting, and technical inventiveness from the directors really come to the fore.
That’s a nice list you’ve compiled, and it’s good to see Clue in there - a real guilty pleasure of mine. I always liked the way it combined the board game and Christie’s And Then There Were None.
And Lifeboat rarely gets mentioned despite the fact that it’s one of Hitchcock’s finest technical achievements IMO. Limiting the action to such a seriously confined space and holding the audience’s attention for the duration is no mean feat.