Editing Techniques: Classical Cutting and Montage
A clear explanation the primary aims and functions of editing in film is as follows.If cinematography defines the "look" of the image, editing determines the rhythm and pace of the film. Editing encompasses not just the process of stringing shots together to make up particular sequences, but involves the assemblage and sequencing of whole scenes or sections of the film, thus determining how the narrative unfolds...Importantly, the above quotation refers to the fact those editing and cutting techniques and more than just a sequential way of "stringing shots together". Cutting and editing techniques in film serve a number of essential purposes. These techniques not only give provide form and sequence but also determine the flow and the pace of the film. They also can be used to emphasize certain emotional moments in the film and can add to the artistic integrity and the narrative flow and meaning in the film.Classical editing techniques can be seen for example in the first scenes of the acclaimed film, The Godfather. The wedding scene provides a good example of classical cutting techniques in the way that music, dialogue and image are manipulated by the editor to produce a specific atmosphere and flow which
What these shifts achieve is not only a dramatic increase in the narrative development but also a comparison of the two generations. The music has been extremely well chosen so that it reflects the central conflict that is continually present in the Corleone family. The only sound that accompanies the dramatic significance of the scene is a barely heard but ominous background hum, which may be wind but serves to dramatically emphasize the importance of the occasion. This contrast is an important element that is enhanced by classic cutting techniques to produce a composite and insightful view of the inner machinations of the family. Parallel editing is used mainly to ". cut back and forth between scenes or narratives. For example, in the middle of the traditional and seemingly innocent Italian wedding celebration we cut to Michael telling Kay about the way that Johnny Fontane was helped by his father; which creates a contrast between the two seemingly opposing ways of life within the family. is essential to the central themes of the film. " (GodFather II) For example, Eisenstein's montage theory posits that ". a dialectical relationship exists between separate images or signifiers, and that the juxtaposition of shots in film generates new meanings that were absent from the original components. It also has the important effect of providing the viewer with a larger canvas over time and a deeper understanding of the inner psychological and social motivations of the Mafia family. Sometimes parallel action is used to depict events that occur simultaneously, other times to relate multiple narratives, cutting back and forth between them. In this scene the action is not predicated by intense music and only the sounds of the city and the restaurant act as background to the dramatic action. The differences and the depth of characters in the Corleone family are given shape by the changes between scenes and the way that these changes are related to one another.
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Acceptance Essays
