Widowsfeatures one of the great all-time tracking shots:Colin Farrell’ssuave politician, Jack Mulligan, enters his car from a rally—but instead of immediately cutting inside, the camera stays on the exterior of the limo as it travels from a derelict urban neighborhood to—in less than five minutes—a gentrified, posh suburb (where Mulligan lives). In this one, single take—filmmakerSteve McQueenhighlights the disparity between the Chicago communities, between the ‘one’ vs. ‘ninety-nine’ percent, between black and white. And yet despite these stark differences – all that really separates the classes is, well, just a five-minute car ride.
This shot revealsWidowstrue intent—far more than just a heist film, but a deeper exploration into the socio and political machinations that create ‘class’ and then thrive on their bitter divide. As the self-titled ‘Widows’ (Viola Davis,Elizabeth Debicki,Michelle Rodriguez,Cynthia Erivo) form to plan a heist, it becomes more than just getting one over and getting away with the loot. It becomes a symbol for how those from all different backgrounds, class, and race can come together in the face of ingrained division, proof that a corruptible system can be toppled with compassion and sisterhood.
In the following interview withWidowsproducerIain Canning, he discusses the origins of the limo one-shot, getting the rights for the original British series,Widows, and the difficulties (or lack thereof) in getting financing for the film version. For the full interview, watch above. For more onWidows,click hereto read Adam Chitwood’s review.
