Compare and Contrast Editing StylesThe English Patient (Minghella, 1996) and The Hurt Locker (Bigelow, 2008), are the two chosen films I have used for analytical comparison because of their contrasting editing styles. It is a very interesting comparison, as these two films are from two different genres. The English Patient is a romantic drama and The Hurt Locker is a war film. The two films are constructed with two very different editing languages. The war film is a lot faster paced and has more of a war documentary feel to the camera style. Where as the romantic drama, even though set against a backdrop of a war, is slower paced and the cinematography is far more considered and restrained. To keep some common elements to compare against I chose two scenes that deal with a similar event and have similar outcomes. By using different editing and cinematography styles they evoke two different emotional responses from their audience. The final outcome of both scenes eventuates with the death of a supporting character and the scenes themselves are set around the explosion that causes their death.
Being the opening scene of the film The Hurt Locker, it is constructed in a way that sets the pace of the film, but it also grabs the attention of the audience. This is impeccably achieved using some staple editing techniques. The filmic element that stands out the most in this scene is called “Smash Cut”(Sijll, 2005, p. 64). Here Smash Cut is referring to the shots in which wide-angle frames of the street are quickly and suddenly followed by extreme close up shots of the soldiers eyes or at other times close-up shots of running feet. “The purpose of the smash cut is to jar the audience with a sudden and unexpected change in image or sound.”(Sijll, 2005, p. 64) This creates a feeling of unease in the audience and builds tension. The cameras movements are sudden and erratic. The aim is to have audience anticipate the resolution of the scene while keeping them on edge throughout.
By comparison the chosen scene in The English Patient is much smoother in camera movement. There are no sudden moves or zooms of the camera. The cuts are barely noticeable as they are composed to show the event unfold in most simple way. The audience is able to easily watch the scene without any hint of what is to come. The conversation between two friends is light and happy. The camera cuts back to the interior shot of the truck and through the window we can see the jeep driving away in to the distance, as if to prove to the audience that exchange is over. But suddenly it cuts to an exterior shot and the camera is lingering on the jeep as it is driving away. This is where the audience is given a hint and is being prepared for what is about to happen. The initial reaction is a question of why we are watching the jeep leaving still? This question allows for the audience to have a moment to expect something, even if they dont know exactly what it is they are waiting
The dialogue in The English Patient is very interesting. A few people are given this “teapot talk” from the audience regarding the death of their friends or the disappearance of a vehicle. This is followed by a brief discussion of their disappearance. This “teapot” makes a clear case that their disappearance in fact happened before they were killed. This “teapot talk” is extremely common for audiences to engage with.
The audience are also given the opportunity to make a case that one part of a story should have a connection to another. This is why “the English Patient” is such an effective and interesting story, even if the audience are not given a lot of time to learn it, or even any of it. The audience are given to think for themselves and will get the meaning of a specific line. In other words, if they are given all of the information that they have, they will have an idea what the story is about, and it will be right with the audience which they have been told so that they will be able to see it. This will be extremely entertaining! The story becomes clear with no warning or distraction by the movie or the camera but is told with a very clear voice. This voice will be used to bring out emotions, to make up stories about events and even present an interesting story for the audience to follow to its fullest.
The dialogue in The English Patient is usually in a slightly tense, almost hypnotic tone. This has been a staple of the genre. It has been used many times in films as well as TV shows that show action sequences that are cut together in order to add momentum to a plot or event. In The English Patient, that same voice is used to bring out emotion by creating characters that look and sound that would be used to bring out reactions. This is the main difference between the characters. The audience is given these ideas for a story, with ideas that must be kept in mind for the stories to be successful and the ending is to be expected. When you have an idea like that with great energy, you can quickly add it and use it in a story that can be repeated at any time. This effect of an action sequence can be used to make a strong suspense story.
The American public is more susceptible to reading and listening when it comes to American dramas with great music. The American market is flooded with these great works to fill its ears and make them understand that the story they have been told is actually true and that all characters are real and there is nothing sinister or supernatural about them. Although this is difficult to do, it can be done. It can be done at a high level, as you watch and listen. If a good acting is required and a show is being acted on in multiple parts then even a good film can be done. The audience can be encouraged and encouraged to find something that is engaging, because the audience can easily think and understand something a little about what has been said. If a major scene is told as it is presented but if the dialogue is as it was presented, people do not trust the characters to write that well. Just because one character in a show tells all the lines of dialogue is not making much sense in its own right. They cannot possibly know all that is shown. That is one of the things that has brought so many good TV shows out of the box.
Another issue related to the English Patient is of course the fact that a great number of other great original films which have been released since then have had to get rejected so as to not make it into the English Premier League. It is important to keep in mind that all of those classic films have had a lot of critical acclaim and even more recent series have seen such films as The Martian, Star Trek and Avatar. In terms of the rating and