For this discussion, you will compare and contrast the editing styles of sequences from two movies: The Wild One (Benedek, 1953), starring Marlon Brando, and If . . . (Anderson, 1969), starring Malcolm McDowell. You will watch the entire clip from The Wild One (3:46) and nine minutes (51:30-1:01:05) from If (watch from 51:30-1:01:05, do not be distracted by subtitles).
Each sequence revolves around a common premise: a man meets a woman. In each sequence, a man arrives at a cafe on a motorcycle and encounters a woman who works behind the counter. In each sequence, the man and woman are attracted to one another.
Begin by watching each sequence purely for enjoyment. Then go back and study the way each sequence is edited. Notice how each shot is joined to another.
In a posting of no fewer than 250 words, address these questions:
- Does the editing in each sequence follow the classical Hollywood pattern described in The Cutting Edge (from 1:02:50-1:06:00)? Watch these four minutes again to remind yourself of what the traditional style of Hollywood editing is, and to see what happened when French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard started to break these rules.
- Editing gives the viewer a sense of place, time, and point of view. Does the editing in each sequence let you know exactly where the characters are, how much time has passed, and who is seeing what?
- How does each clip follow, or not follow, the classical Hollywood model of editing?
