A really great piece by Mike D’Angelo at the A.V. Club about the importance of editing, and how it works in the iconic dance scene in Saturday Night Fever. One choice excerpt, but definitely read the whole thing and then watch the clip provided over there to see for yourself:
The most electrifying moment in Travolta’s dance, to my mind, occurs on the cut from shot seven to shot eight. Shot seven pulls Tony the length of the dance floor, watches him do his little box shuffle (the same steps performed in the four compass directions), then shifts to the classic hip-and-point move that defines disco dancing more than any other. Badham then cuts, right in the middle of an established right-left-right pointing bit (it goes R-L-R, R-L-R, R-cut-L-R), to a low-angle, dead-center shot of the dance floor. Tony is at the center of the frame in both shots, but this sudden shift in angle has a galvanizing effect that moving the camera in real time from the first position to the second couldn’t possibly achieve. It’s a medium-defining moment—if I were trying to demonstrate what cinema is to someone with no knowledge of it whatsoever, that cut is one of the examples I’d use.
It’s funny that you posted this, as I read the article when it was first posted, and my thought was “wonder if this would interest Sheila?” I’m sure you’ve already read this but just in case http://www.avclub.com/article/our-week-ebert-favorites-begins-classic-poverty-ro-206310 See, we think of you even outside of Supernatural!
:)
Ahhh, Detour. Such a FABULOUS movie.
And I really think Mike D’Angelo describes perfectly what editing (in that collage way) can do – it was so fun to go and watch the whole scene after he walked us through it.
I’ll be getting back to SPN! Later this week! I can’t stay away.