The Cutting Edge - The Magic of Movie Editing

Starring:Kathy Bates, Zach Staenberg, Jodie Foster, Michael Tronick, Anthony Minghella, Sean Penn, Walter Murch, Martin Scorsese, Rob Cohen, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Antony Gibbs, Mark Goldblatt, Sally Menke, Craig McKay, Richard Marks, Ridley Scott, Alexander Payne, Kevin Tent
Director: Wendy Apple
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

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"Editing is what makes film a film." That audacious statement is made at the beginning of this 2005 documentary about the art of film editing. After listening to many editors and directors, movie novices as well as cinephiles may agree. Kathy Bates narrates this whirlwind history of the art punctuated by dozens of scenes to illustrate the effect of film editing in heightening reality and making a visceral impact on the filmgoer. In fact, the profession seems to be run on "a gut feeling" whether it's clipping a few frames, or 20 minutes of the final act (which we learn happened with Lenny). James Cameron illustrates the importance of a frame as we see a scene from Terminator 2 with 1 frame out 24 missing (24 frames representing one second of film). Or as Quentin Tarantino states, "musicians have notes, editors have frames." It's fascinating to see how editing--the process of assembling the film after it's been shot--can save films, make performances better, and become the ultimate jigsaw puzzle. The last concept is demonstrated as we return time and again to the most well-known editor of the time, Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now, The English Patient), as he edits a few scenes from Cold Mountain in front of us. We see how he works with light, covers mistakes, and controls emotion. For those who wished for a sequel to the excellent documentary on cinematographers, Visions of Light (1993), here's the next step (although made by different folks including first-time director Wendy Apple). Now, anyone want to tackle art directors? --Doug Thomas

Description

Bullitt's dynamic editing, highlighted by its twisting, squealing, hill-leaping chase sequence that leaves viewers whooping and woozy, earned a 1968 Best Film Editing Oscar and helped make the film an action classic. How do film editors work this kind of magic? This fascinating program lets you in on the secrets. "What makes a movie a movie is the editing," says Zach Staenberg, Academy Award-winning* editor of the Matrix trilogy. Closeups, flashbacks, parallel action, slow motion, juxtaposition of images - these are just a few tools that make clips from Birth of a Nation to Pulp Fiction, The Battleship Potemkin to Gladiator indelible. Narrated by Kathy Bates and with interviews of a who's who of contemporary directors and editors, The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing is, shot for shot and frame after frame, reel magic.

Customer Reviews:

cutting edge dvd.......2007-05-09

As a Media teacher, this DVD is an excellent resource for my students - it outlines the history of narrative through montage, from its earliest days, through 'important' developments of such directors as Griffiths and Eisenstein. It also explores the function of a variety of styles and techniques that have become conventions in specific genres. Perhaps most valuably it has some of the 'greats' of directing and editing discussing the editing process. While it is Amero-centric in terms of its subject matter, it is entirely appropriate for my students.

Power of the Cut!.......2007-04-04

There is much you can say about this except Awesome! It is great to see some of the behind the scenes that is needed to understand what an editor does. I have to admit, I didn't have any idea as to what the editors job was and now I do. Wonderful story told the way it should. There are some foul mouth parts but the message that it gives is worth it. If you are a video production instructor, this is a MUST HAVE resource.

Better than expected.......2007-04-04

A surprisingly entertaining piece. Made editing more of an art than a technical undertaking.

great documentary.......2007-01-16

It's one of a kind doumentary about editing. It enhances the importance of the craft in the making of movies. It covers the history and different cutting styles, interviews and plenty of film clips. I was hungry for more, so far there is not another documentary on the subject.

A useful historic overview.......2006-11-05

Although I had hoped, judging from the title, that this movie would delve into the craft of editing, which it really doesn't, it does offer an interesting historic overview of the increasingly important role of the editor. The interviewed editors and directors are all leading Hollywood folks, and it's Hollywood's history all the way. One could spend lots of time reviewing the many clips from major films that are used as illustrations and learn a lot from them.
What I liked least, is the high percentage of violent and fast-cut film clips used. Towards the end, several editors speak about how today's youger generations can follow ad absorb the sensory overload, and "that's what they want." Well, that's Hollywood for you.

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