Comparing films from decade to decade, there is a trend where the rapidity of cuts/edits increase overtime. It’s as if a single shot wasn’t even worthy of our gaze, but rather, a glimpse.
The effect of quick edits produces a pace in which the film seems to be speeding by, a pace which is supposed to grab our attention and hold it. But at the cost of keeping our attention, the visuals fly by without giving us a chance to digest them–to sink ourselves into that world. Even though we might get the gist of what’s going on, the quick edits don’t allow us to appreciate the artistry of the image, lighting, cinematography, etc.
There’s a balance that has to be made with regard to holding a shot and cutting to another one. If the edits are too quick, the scene seems like a blur, but when they’re too long, the scene wears out our patience.
As aforementioned, the rapidity of edits has increased overtime (i.e. compare the films of the 1990s to now). The bombardment of noise in conjunction with the edits just overwhelms the senses, making the spectacle outweigh the story or the emotion of the scene. I’ve noticed this more and more with action films or big budget films, where so much is going on that it’s hard to process the chaos. It’s barely coherent, though the rush of the chaos might be exciting in itself.
But amidst the chaos and mayhem, I find it’s hard to appreciate the filmmaking and artistry of the film itself. The scenes just become noise and rollercoaster rides (perhaps that’s the intention) rather that allowing us to take in what’s happening or appreciate the work that went into it (that’s often relegated to the behind the scenes featurettes on Blu-Ray or DVDs).
Filmmakers stand out not only because of the great stories they tell, but because of how they tell them. A film is essentially a series of shots. Each shot is a frame that can be broken down into composition and lighting and staging, not to mention set design, costuming, acting, etc. All of these components embody the shot–and when it’s cut short by an edit–even for less than a second, it’s as if it weren’t worthy of our attention. What was the point of the shot then?
Fallton Havenstonne 