Gravity is a Film that is based in space, where as a result of mass debris formation the characters are in big trouble. The film starts off with a long opening scene take which is roughly 3.5 minutes long.

One would wonder, why we needed such a long take and 360 degree shots which at times can be confusing to the viewers regarding the spatial orientation of characters. One would argue that the precise reason for this take was to confuse the audience. The movie wants to convey to the audience how complex and difficult being in space can be. The camera is floating about space as if it is yet another character. The floating about in space can give the audience an experience of being in space and make them feel more in sync with the movie.
The other long take we see is the strike 2 scene. This scene cuts from a third person perspective to the eyeline match of Ryan Stone. Ryan Stone is spinning around in space and we cannot see anything or even comprehend anything. I believe this was done so that the audience see and understand Ryan’s perspective of how it feels dizzy and clueless being in space when you can barely see or understand anything around you.
This makes us wonder if this is the first time director Alfonso Cuaron has made use of this technique of long takes to make the audience feel confused. This has been done in a total of three of his films. Named
Y tu Mama Tambien, Children of Men, and Gravity. All these shots are used to create chaos and show uncertainity.
I believe Alfonso Cuaron has an expertise of 360 degree shots and has used them as a tool to create chaos on screen and make the audience feel more involved.