The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Directed by: Wendy Apple

Narrated by: Kathy Bates

From: A.C.E./BBC/NHK Enterprises/TCEP Inc.

Here is something a little interesting from me. It’s a documentary-I’m a dork, so that’s naturally of interest to me-that can be found on, among other places, the Blu-Ray disc of the classic Steve McQueen flick Bullitt*; the only tie the two have is that Bullitt won an Oscar for Best Film Editing for 1968. It’s a feature-length take on the history of film editing in motion pictures, all the way from when the technique began in 1903. It explained how things were back then and how it involved into what it is today.

• That’s a movie you should really see. It’s most famous for its epic car chase scene, still one of the best of all-time, but that’s not the only thing of note from the movie.

You get to see clips of interviews from highly regarded film editors, along with the directors who often work with them (directors and editors seem to enjoy working together often). Those directors are a who’s who of greats, such as Tarantino, Scorsese, Spielberg, Lucas, Cameron, etc. All of them praise the role of editors in motion pictures. You also get to see many film clips from many films, and they’re used to show how important a film editor is. It can be a huge factor in determining how great-or not so great-a movie is. In any case, the editor determines the mood of a film and to the best of their ability crafts the moments where the audience is supposed to produce an expected reaction, whether it be laughter, sadness, or any other mood. You even get to see legendary editor Walter Murch in action in editing together some stuff for the renowned movie Cold Mountain. For example, Walter covers up an error with a change in cameras with skillful editing. That was a great example.

So, if you're a dork like me and wish to learn more about an always underappreciated topic, you should check this out.

I'll be back this Monday with at least one new review. I'll be happy to have this week over with and have some free time, believe me.