I have always held a great appreciation for editing in film and television and believe it to be one of the most underrated aspects of a film or episode. The only thing I have edited in the last year have been Film 3 exercises and although they are relatively simple, they have reignited my love of actually editing, as opposed to merely appreciating it from afar. David Fincher’s films have always been some of my favourites (except Alien 3, Alien 3 sucks). His films resonate with me not so much on their subject matter or scripts, which don’t get me wrong, are excellent (except Alien 3), but more so in terms of how his films are so expertly constructed. His films flow as a cohesive piece better than any director I’ve been exposed to, with a clear, well executed vision made obvious by the final product. The cinematography is crisp yet vibrant and engaging, while the editing is seamless and devoid of superfluousness.

Fincher’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is my favorite David Fincher film and one of my all time favourites from any filmmaker. I feel this is predominately due to the editing, of course the other aspects of the film are great but I feel the editing shines through. The pacing of the film is perfect and to somebody who doesn’t obsess over cinematography and editing (like I do) it isn’t even noticeable, which is what I believe good editing should be. I see the role of film editing as allowing the cinematography, script and actor’s performances to really come out in the final product. In other words, the editing should rarely take prominence or attention away from what’s occurring, but should be there to facilitate everything else to excel.
However, film editing plays a major role in shaping these aspects. For example, during a conversation between two characters, the pauses between their responses to one another could be accentuated or shortened through editing. This has a major affect on how the scene would be interpreted by viewers, the same words would be spoken, the same information transferred or revealed, on paper the scene is identical no matter how it is edited. The scene, in which Lisbeth is introduced, centred on a discussion between her and her employers, utilises this editing concept with great success. Lisbeth’s responses are very delayed in relation to the speed of her employers; she takes much deliberation to provide her responses, showing her lack of interest in the discussion, and in terms of her character, social interaction as a whole. This scene is incredibly important, as it is the first look at one of the films main protagonists. The representation of Lisbeth in this scene impacts how her actions and dialogue are perceived throughout the entirety of the film, a representation that is greatly founded upon editing.

Only upon writing this have I become aware that the editors Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter were awarded ‘Best Achievement in Film Editing’ at the 2011 Academy Awards for their work on the film. The pair also won the same award the previous year for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, another Fincher film.