Editing in Dark Knight & Salt

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Here are some excellent video essays (called "In The Cut") analyzing the action editing of The Dark Knight and Salt, for the website Press Play:

Part I -- The Dark Knight: http://blogs.indiewire.com/pressplay...topher_Nolan/#

Part II -- Salt: http://blogs.indiewire.com/pressplay...hillip_Noyce_/

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by J. J. Hunsecker

Here are some excellent video essays (called "In The Cut") analyzing the action editing of The Dark Knight and Salt, for the website Press Play:

Part I -- The Dark Knight: http://blogs.indiewire.com/pressplay...topher_Nolan/#

]

Nominated by American Cinema Editors, USA (you know, real film editors)for Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic) [Eddie]

Oscar nominated for Best Achievement in Film Editing

BAFTA nominated for Best Editing

Jim Emerson seems easily confused.

[Romulus]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Nominated by American Cinema Editors, USA (you know, real film editors)for Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic) [Eddie]

Oscar nominated for Best Achievement in Film Editing

BAFTA nominated for Best Editing

Jim Emerson seems easily confused.

While The Dark Knight was indeed nominated for all of those awards, it doesn't detract from how illogical the editing is in the action sequences. The editing when the semi-truck hits the police van and sends it into the water is impossible in the time and space field established by Nolan. That should be blatantly obvious.

Jim Emerson even states that some people probably don't even care, but it certainly doesn't take away from his point.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Nominated by American Cinema Editors, USA (you know, real film editors)for Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic) [Eddie]

Oscar nominated for Best Achievement in Film Editing

BAFTA nominated for Best Editing

Jim Emerson seems easily confused.

If Jim Emerson is easily confused, then so am I. I thought the editing in the Dark Knight was choppy and the action scenes were chaotic. I'm at a loss as to why the film would win so many awards for that. Contrast that with the scene from Salt. The action is never confusing in the latter movie.

Originally Posted by Romulus

While The Dark Knight was indeed nominated for all of those awards, it doesn't detract from how illogical the editing is in the action sequences. The editing when the semi-truck hits the police van and sends it into the water is impossible in the time and space field established by Nolan. That should be blatantly obvious.

Jim Emerson even states that some people probably don't even care, but it certainly doesn't take away from his point.

Excellent points.

[dr. wai]

Other than the truck going into the water in the Dark Knight without the editing was fantasic. It just seems like he is nitpicking at things that actually make complete sense.

[Kaiju]

Originally Posted by J. J. Hunsecker

Here are some excellent video essays (called "In The Cut") analyzing the action editing of The Dark Knight and Salt, for the website Press Play:

Part I -- The Dark Knight: http://blogs.indiewire.com/pressplay...topher_Nolan/#

Part II -- Salt: http://blogs.indiewire.com/pressplay...hillip_Noyce_/

I've actually always thought that car scene in The Dark Knight was very messy, this guy pretty much confirms it.

[JC_20010]

The part of the Dark knight that always bothered me is the opening bank robbery scene where the joker says "no I killed the bus driver" and then the bus comes through the wall to hit the crook but to me it looks so obvious that the bus never hits the guy, it just looked like bad editing to me. Check that scene out if you hadn't noticed it yet.

[skid_68]

Originally Posted by JC_20010

The part of the Dark knight that always bothered me is the opening bank robbery scene where the joker says "no I killed the bus driver" and then the bus comes through the wall to hit the crook but to me it looks so obvious that the bus never hits the guy, it just looked like bad editing to me. Check that scene out if you hadn't noticed it yet.

First of all, he says. "I kill the bus driver" and I do belive it's the Bank doors that hit the robber, not the bus it's self.

[RiseDarthVader]

Another flaw I find in the action scenes of The Dark Knight not related to the editing is during the bank robbery. When we see the bank manager get shot at by The Joker he doesn't have a single scratch on him or any indication of actually getting hit by the bullets and just falls to the ground. I know they didn't want the movie to have blood in it and such an increase the rating but they could still have some squibs going off to tear holes in the clothing without showing any blood.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Originally Posted by dr. wai

Other than the truck going into the water in the Dark Knight without the editing was fantasic. It just seems like he is nitpicking at things that actually make complete sense.

The action is fast enough in those scenes to understand the gist of what's going on: the Joker is shooting at the van with the prosecutor in it, and Batman comes to the rescue. However, the details and spatial relations in the scene are confusing -- it's hard to figure out which police cars are being driven by which drivers for instance, and the 180% rule is broken several times, leading to confusion as to where certain characters are in relation to others. It's not nitpicking to point out those problems with the editing.

Also, I have trouble making sense out of your first sentence. What, exactly, are you trying to say?

[Dotpattern]

Originally Posted by J. J. Hunsecker

The action is fast enough in those scenes to understand the gist of what's going on: the Joker is shooting at the van with the prosecutor in it, and Batman comes to the rescue. However, the details and spatial relations in the scene are confusing -- it's hard to figure out which police cars are being driven by which drivers for instance, and the 180% rule is broken several times, leading to confusion as to where certain characters are in relation to others. It's not nitpicking to point out those problems with the editing.

Also, I have trouble making sense out of your first sentence. What, exactly, are you trying to say?

180 degrees.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Originally Posted by Dotpattern

180 degrees.

Oops. Yeah, that's what I meant. Thanks.

[kristoffer]

Originally Posted by J. J. Hunsecker

The action is fast enough in those scenes to understand the gist of what's going on: the Joker is shooting at the van with the prosecutor in it, and Batman comes to the rescue. However, the details and spatial relations in the scene are confusing -- it's hard to figure out which police cars are being driven by which drivers for instance, and the 180% rule is broken several times, leading to confusion as to where certain characters are in relation to others. It's not nitpicking to point out those problems with the editing.

Also, I have trouble making sense out of your first sentence. What, exactly, are you trying to say?

Lars Von Trier breaks the 180 degree rule in allmost all of his films.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by RiseDarthVader

Another flaw I find in the action scenes of The Dark Knight not related to the editing is during the bank robbery. When we see the bank manager get shot at by The Joker he doesn't have a single scratch on him or any indication of actually getting hit by the bullets and just falls to the ground. I know they didn't want the movie to have blood in it and such an increase the rating but they could still have some squibs going off to tear holes in the clothing without showing any blood.

That was to insure it for a PG-13 rating. You can apparently hurt a lot of guys without showing blood, and still manage to get a low rating. But what has that got to do with the editing?

And honestly, I don't get the constant complaining about the editing of both The Dark Knight and Batman Begins. You're not always supposed to see everything absolutely clear. I find nothing confusing about The Dark Knight, editing wise.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Originally Posted by kristoffer

Lars Von Trier breaks the 180 degree rule in allmost all of his films.

I'm not familiar with his work, so I don't know what he is trying to create by breaking this rule. (Maybe he wants to intentionally create a feeling of chaos or disorientation during certain scenes?) There are exceptions to every rule, and a director can avoid confusion when they break the 180 degree rule if they cut in the middle of a specific action a character is performing, and have them complete it in the next shot.

[Hi Def Cow]

In reference to the bank manager getting shot, that always bugged me too, so I slowed it down one day and took a closer look. Check him out on a big screen, blu-ray, the whole bit that we all love, and when he's laying on the ground, you will actually notice a bit of blood and some holes. It's just hard to see sometimes due to the darkness of his suit against the crimson of his blood, but it is there.

The lack of blood that bugged me was when Batman's whuppin some Joker ass in the interrogation room aaaaaand... not a drop of blood. I needed at least a bit of blood from Joker's nose or a busted lip or something after getting bounced off the window. Sigh...

[RiseDarthVader]

Originally Posted by Hi Def Cow

In reference to the bank manager getting shot, that always bugged me too, so I slowed it down one day and took a closer look. Check him out on a big screen, blu-ray, the whole bit that we all love, and when he's laying on the ground, you will actually notice a bit of blood and some holes. It's just hard to see sometimes due to the darkness of his suit against the crimson of his blood, but it is there.

I'll double check that myself later. Also while still talking about flaws and the bank robbery scene another thing that bugs me is when "Grumpy" shoots the robber that cracks the safe you see the bullet casing come out of the pistol like its been shot but there isn't a muzzle flash.

[Dotpattern]

Originally Posted by RiseDarthVader

I'll double check that myself later. Also while still talking about flaws and the bank robbery scene another thing that bugs me is when "Grumpy" shoots the robber that cracks the safe you see the bullet casing come out of the pistol like its been shot but there isn't a muzzle flash.

That's not a "flaw." Muzzle flashes don't occur 100% of the time that a handgun is fired in real life.

[RocShemp]

Originally Posted by RiseDarthVader

Another flaw I find in the action scenes of The Dark Knight not related to the editing is during the bank robbery. When we see the bank manager get shot at by The Joker he doesn't have a single scratch on him or any indication of actually getting hit by the bullets and just falls to the ground. I know they didn't want the movie to have blood in it and such an increase the rating but they could still have some squibs going off to tear holes in the clothing without showing any blood.

Actually he does get hit. The squibs pop in his midsection. It's easy to miss given the harsh lighting of the scene.

[Kryptonic]

Movies have continuity issues. Shocking. That fella's videos are a joke.