# Films that are \*not\* in real time--but pretty darn close **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 18, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169 "2013-09-18T19:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/21 "2013-09-19T03:17:17Z")
> [@MovieMogul](#): > > Except that _Rope_ clearly _is_ presented in real time, so doesn’t (note thread title). Okay, I misunderstood the OP. I thought you were asking for movies that were within a 2:1 ratio of real time (so that a 1:1 ratio would qualify). But you’re looking for movies that are close to real time but not quite there, correct? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/22 "2013-09-19T03:20:06Z")
Here’s one: _[The Raid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raid:_Redemption)_. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/23 "2013-09-19T03:26:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Okay, I misunderstood the OP. I thought you were asking for movies that were within a 2:1 ratio of real time (so that a 1:1 ratio would qualify). But you’re looking for movies that are close to real time but not quite there, correct? Maybe he is looking for movies that are near real time just by happenstance, as opposed to those that try for true real time, which sometimes comes across as gimmicky. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/24 "2013-09-19T17:06:25Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > An analysis of **Rope** indicated the film in 80 minutes long, but shows 100 minutes of action, so it’s not actually in real time. Curious, since the film is intended to represent one long continuous, uninterrupted take, so it’d be interesting to see where the film conflates time in that way. Is this based on clocks on the wall or other references to time in the story? If so, then it definitely does qualify (apologies) but may be unique for a film that at once emulates “real time” but also denies it. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/25 "2013-09-19T17:08:58Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Maybe he is looking for movies that are near real time just by happenstance, as opposed to those that try for true real time, which sometimes comes across as gimmicky. Yes, exactly. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/26 "2013-09-19T17:24:55Z")
Die Hard? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/27 "2013-09-19T17:29:50Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > If I understand the question correctly, **[Rope](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rope_(film))** easily qualifies. Am I the only person who thinks Brandon and Philip are a gay couple? (I almost typed that as “Terrance and Philip” :D) “Death and the Maiden” was in real time, I’m pretty sure. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/28 "2013-09-19T17:33:04Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Here’s one: _[The Raid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raid:_Redemption)_. That’s the one I was thinking of. Good movie, extremely violent. It’s pretty much in real time except for some bits at the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/29 "2013-09-19T19:05:00Z")
88 Minutes? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/30 "2013-09-19T19:36:02Z")
Would Airplane! qualify? LA to Chicago is about a 4 hour flight, and the movie starts maybe 1 hour before takeoff, am I right on that? ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/31 "2013-09-19T19:56:45Z")
Die Hard? I think that ones pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/32 "2013-09-20T01:54:36Z")
**Dr. Strangelove** is 94 minutes long and covers about 2 hours (from what I’ve been able to find the bombers are maintained in the air 2 hours from their targets). \*\*Fail-Safe \*\*probably has a similar time frame. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/33 "2013-09-20T02:30:22Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > That’s the one I was thinking of. Good movie, extremely violent. It’s pretty much in real time except for some bits at the beginning. I think _Dredd_ would qualify too: if the action didn’t take place over a couple of hours, it wasn’t much longer. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/34 "2013-09-20T03:22:27Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > That’s the one I was thinking of. Good movie, extremely violent. It’s pretty much in real time except for some bits at the beginning. No, I think even in the raid part there was an element of time compression. They showed the “exciting” parts of the raid, like the chases and the fighting but cut out the routine stuff like regular movement. Sort of like if you took a football game and cut out all the parts when the clock was stopped. So we saw what would have been a three hour battle compressed down to around ninety minutes of viewing. My impression anyway. I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/35 "2013-09-20T12:31:56Z")
_The Anniversary Party,_ maybe? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/36 "2013-09-20T12:39:22Z")
_ **It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_Tightlips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@Joey\_Tightlips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_Tightlips)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/37 "2013-09-20T12:45:19Z")
I don’t know if it fits the OP’s outline perfectly, but I never pass up an opportunity to sing the praises of “11:14”. The movie is told as a series of 5 individual scenes that all unfold more or less in real time around a specific time on a given night (11:14pm). It’s not until you see the last scene that all the individual stories weave together. I don’t know why it didn’t get more praise, it was a highly enjoyable and unique little flick. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/38 "2013-09-20T13:25:25Z")
> [@Chicken\_Fingers](#): > > _The Anniversary Party,_ maybe? Speaking of parties, there was the old Peter Sellers movie, _The Party_, which unfolded essentially in real time during an evening party at a Hollywood producer’s house. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/39 "2013-09-20T14:50:51Z")
I’ll tentatively throw in _Night on Earth_, which covers the same roughly twenty-minute period in five different locations. The events in each segment are pretty close to real time but not precisely. At the end of each segment we see the set of clocks showing the time in each location going back. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169/40 "2013-09-21T01:21:45Z")
Obviously not real-time, but the Steve McQueen flick _Bullitt_ take place over a fairly clearly defined weekend. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-that-are-not-in-real-time-but-pretty-darn-close/669169.md?page=3)