This scene apparently features a shot that according to folklore entered the Guinness Book of Records for the most amount of takes in any film. However, the reality is that the careful co-ordination of the sequence on the stairs, where the steadicam had to track the movement of the actors as well as follow the technical requirements of the shot, was a feat of no small complexity, and required a large number of takes before the shot was achieved. According to edior Gordon Stainforth, Kubrick often did not describe any shot with anything less than derison until at least the 14th take, and thereafter, did not see printable or usable takes until about the 20th take. Part of the reason he chose a large number of takes was so that the actors and technical crew could become completely conversant with the scene and the movements required, so that the choreography of the shot and the performance were technically and artistically perfect.
Another reason for the large number takes appears to be that of versimilitude - of achieving scenes that no longer resemble acting, as the actors were, by the end of the shoot exhausted and performing in extreme circumstances : the trauma shown on screen may not be just acting, but repetition of scenes until they became second nature coupled with genuine physical and mental discomfort : this may explain the natural feel of many scenes. On the other hand, it could just be that Kubrick pushed all the participants beyond their reasonable limits : after all, this was a Kubrick film with the attendant demands and high standards imposed upon - and by - Kubrick.
In the editing suite Kubrick would often choose takes that were described by editor Gordon Stainforth as
�...the most eccentric and over-the-top takes. Nicholson�s first take would be brilliant, and then go stale after about ten takes. Then you can see he�s almost marking time, so that he doesn�t get exhausted. And then he�s going over the top. There were plenty of times when Stanley and I were viewing the stuff where my private choice of performance wasn�t in, whilst the more eccentric was�.
Editing of the film continued up to, and beyond, the films premiere on 23 May 1980, as shown by Kubricks re-editing of the film following its US premiere, and further editing of the film for the European market.
