There’s a great deal to admire in Derek Ciafrance‘s sprawling family epic The Place Beyond the Pines and one of the most remarkable sections occurs in the very opening. We begin with Luke (Ryan Gosling) in his trailer and then in a single, unbroken shot, we see him traverse through his workplace (a carnival), experiencing his sights and sounds on a daily basis, then enter a circus tent, where he proceeds to an intensely calculated motorcycle stunt. The scene has now made its way online (save for the last minute or so) and we’ve also got commentary from the director himself.
Inspired by films such as Touch of Evil, The Player and 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, he walks us through the production of the shot, featuring “Handsome Luke and the Heartthrobs.” He also discusses an insane story in which their DP, Sean Bobbitt, was nearly killed in the process, and how they had to switch Gosling out (considering it takes two years to train to do the stunt). Check out both videos below via Bleeding Cool and NY Times and read our interviews with Cianfrance, Gosling, Eva Mendes, Dane DeHaan and Emory Cohen here.
The Place Beyond the Pines continues to expand this weekend.