Film editing, a part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking, is key to good cinema, and is extremely powerful. Film editing is described as an art or skill, the only art that is unique to cinema, separating filmmaking from other art forms that preceded it. Since the 1920s, when film theorists began to realize what editing can achieve, it became the most widely recognized film technique.
Film editing is an art that can be used in several ways to portray a different meaning. It can create provocative montages; become a workshop for experimental cinema; highlight emotion in an actor’s performance; create a point of view on otherwise slow events; guide the telling and pace of a story; create an illusion of danger, give emphasis to otherwise unnoticed topics, and create a vital connection to the viewer, among many other possibilities. Editors can control the implication of a film.
This film includes several types of editing styles. There are mixtures of cheat cuts, shot-reverse-shot patterned cuts, jump cuts and nondiegetic inserts all creatively connected by director Ana Lilly Amirpour and film editor Alex O’Flinn. Firstly, the rhythm of the editing is quite slow throughout the film. The shots are long and movement is slow in order to capture the emotions of characters, and the dangerous quality of Bad City. These slow movements also correctly capture the lurking nature of the city’s vampire character, who preys on misogynistic men. Amirpour describes this vampire character as a serial killer, a historian, an addict and a romantic, all in one. Therefore, the editing in this film must take this into account. The editing must show long duration shots in order to give the audience time to understand and interpret this character, who has several layers. Amirpour describes this film as being “a story about battling loneliness”. Therefore, again, the editing, which has several long close ups of the vampire and her expressions and reactions, gives the audience time to figure this out.
The film explores several editing techniques. There are several nondiegetic inserts, where the story cuts from scenes to metaphorical or symbolic shots that add more significance towards the film. For example, on two occasions, the vampire is dreaming and pictures her love interest Arash, walking from a sharp light behind him, in her direction. There is also a particular moment, which cuts from the two in her bedroom, dancing and hugging, to a shot of a balloon flying in the air, which then dances with a woman from the Bad City. This symbolises the fragile relationship between the two main characters, and how it is very easy for the relationship not to work considering their differences. This can also be seen when she hides her fangs from him.
There is a certain scene which we will discuss further later in this presentation that portrays several editing techniques that are also shown throughout the film. This scene involves spatial and temporal discontinuity, cheat cuts, spatial manipulation, graphic and rhythmic similarity shots and several shot-reverse-shot pattern edits. The meaning behind a shot is crucial to create a good, believable story.
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17:12 A jump cut follows her walking down the street and she gets lost in the darkness of the Bad City, the shot lingers, showing the audience where a vampire is living. This is important as just before this sequence the audience is shown a medium length shot of him mistreating a woman. The vampire is onlooking this encounter which emphasizes her vampire qualities. The vampire is watching him be a misogynistic man who treated the woman poorly, and hence this justifies her reason to kill him. This is a long length shot of her walking to her apartment presents an insight to the life of the vampire to the audience, this allows the audience to have an insight into her mysterious life. The editors had to recognize that it is fitting to present the outside of this apartment from a long shot which doesn’t closely invite the audience into the apartment, but lets the audience be an onlooker – much like what the vampire is in this film.
In her room there is a long shot of her dancing. The camera has disordered movements which seems to mimick her movements. This effectively provides the audience with an insight into what she does in her own time. The shot focuses on her face whilst she is getting ready to meet with Hossien. Here she is preparing for her kill. A close up of her face is graphically matched with a close up of Hossiens face, making a stark connection to the two characters.
19:01 Upon walking past each other, the editors have radically switched between filming the two separately, in a shot-reverse-shot pattern, from behind and in front. As the two meet, the 180 degree film rule is enforced, showing both characters reactions to eachother. This is edited in such a way to get the audience involved in the conversation and to be able to compare the purposes of the characters meeting.
There is then a nondiegetic insert of the fish tank in his home, which shows scared life as he aggressively taps the window of the tank. This may represent his arrogance and gives the audience reason to dislike the character more. Therefore also reminding the audience of his previous actions in the car. Once in the house, the editor continuously switches between characters faces, which shows the juxtaposition between the two and the large evil which dominates the room. As Hossien is doing cocaine, the vampire is in the background, yet again as an onlooker. The editor has used this long shot to remind the reader of there first encounter with eachother and to show she has an ulterior motive. There is later a point of view shot of the audience watching Hossien through her eyes. This switches back and forth from him taking cocaine and then exercising. When he approaches the vampire the editor changes shots to her examining his body, which we understand is a purely murderous look. By switching back and forth from shots of him dancing to her watching him the audience understand he is extremely ignorant in this situation.
23 The vampire hits the drum for his attention, and when he approaches her there are shots around the axis of action, using the 180 degree rule. However, the editor keeps the camera focused on her when he puts his hands on her face. This represents the first place she attacks and therefore foreshadows what is to come, especially considering she still has a fatal look. The rhythm of shots slow down and when she shows her fangs it focuses on her fangs and his reaction. The rhythm of the shots becomes significantly quicker when the attack begins. The edits solely show her dangerous look with blood down her face and his reaction. There are some point of view shots in this sequence, which enables his fear to be very clear, and into the camera.
25:32 After the attack there is a sudden jump cut to Arash, who has come to retrieve his car. This is significant due to the relationship between the two which develops later in the film. This also gives an insight into both of the characters secrets, and the dangers of their lives, considering later in the film they both discuss vaguely that they have done bad things in their life. The editors clearly enjoy juxtaposing these personalities as he is trying to retrieve his car and she is killing a victim. The editors also switch between these two characters in an attempt to foreshadow a connection between the characters. Arash was included in this sequence for a purpose to involve him in the life of this vampire.
