Film Editing: The Art of the Expressive

by Valerie Orpen

Film Editing provides an introduction to the craft of editing in the non-silent film. In clear and accessible language, Valerie Orpen considers editing as an expressive strategy rather than a mere technique. She reveals that editing can be approached and studied in a similar way to other aspects of film. Traditionally, studies on editing or montage tend to focus on silent cinema, yet this book claims that an examination of editing should also consider the role of the soundtrack. The aim of Film Editing is to examine the way in which editing can make meaning. The book addresses editing as part of a wider context and as a crucial element of the overarching design and vision of a film. Consequently, this book incorporates other parameters, such as mise-en-scène, framing, sound, genre, history, and performance. By examining a number of mainstream and art films, such as Godard's A bout de souffle , Hitchcock's Rear Window , and Scorsese's Raging Bull, Film Editing seeks to dispel the notion that editing is necessarily polarized as continuity versus discontinuity.

Genres: Film

144 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2003

Reviews

[Jacca · Rating 2 out of 5]

“This book has demonstrated that a discussion of editing is not only possible, but also essential to a greater understanding of the ways in which films make meaning.”

Yes. It has demonstrated that we need a discussion that this book doesn’t really provide. Orpen opens the book on a question of whether editing “really exists” and whether we can isolate it from mise-en-scene. They then go on to focus the majority of their analysis on the mise-en-scene in their case study films! Highly frustrating.
I feel there is loads to be discussed as to the art of editing (and how to define it) and Orpen occasionally seems to brush against these topics, like the use of rhythm, cutting between different shots with continuous sound, and when to begin or end a shot, to name a few, but never really seems to explore these topics at any length. Instead, Orpen relies far too much on cinematography analysis to really broach a proper understanding of how editing might stand by itself as a creative force.
James Buhler and David Neumeyer provide a more satisfying analysis of how editing is used creatively in their book on sound and music in film, and that’s only as part of a broader look at the overall topic of sound.
It’s a shame because I appreciate Orpen’s questions as a nuanced take on what editing means but I just feel like they get so lost in the approach they’ve taken that the questions are never properly explored or answered.
“The truth is that editing and mise-en-scene cannot and should not be separated,” is, I feel, a lazy cop out to what feels to me a lack of a real attempt to focus solely on editing as a practice.

[Jakub Adamčík · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Massive waste of time and won't teach you as many things as one would hope.
Most because it's very much a theoretical analysis and not a book from an editor to editors.

Good start, then the author gets stuck on french new wave which I rather can't stand and then goes on analysis roles of stardom in expressive eroding with which I disagreed .

In the blink of an eye is much better read for editors.