Sixth Stop: Editing Analysis

For this assignment, I chose to analyze a scene from the movie "No Country for Old Men" directed by the Coen brothers, where the Sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) returns to the crime scene. This scene is a good example of the significance of editing to the general atmosphere and feel of the film that surrounds a cat-and-mouse game between the characters. The editing in it creates tension and enhances the gloomy and dark vibe of the story. The editing techniques here are used to create the illusion that the killer, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), is inside the motel room, waiting for the Sheriff. However, near the end of the scene, we find out that it is not so. The tension starts building up in the beginning of the scene, when we see a shot of the motel and of the Sheriff sitting in his car right after it. He is shot in MCU, which emphasizes the worried state that he's in. From the next shot on, we feel anxious and we assume something unexpected is about to happen. The Sheriff is shot moving slowly towards the motel room door and we can sense his fear. As he arrives at the door, we notice the use of the editing techniques: even though the scene is composed of shots cutting from the Sheriff to the lock and to the killer, we get the feeling that all of these shots are connected and continuous. This sense is created by continuity rules such as eye line match (between the Sheriff's eyes and the lock and other objects in the room) and shot-reverse-shot (between the Sheriff and Anton). From the way this scene is edited, as if the two characters are separated by the motel room door, and the lighting (Anton is lit by the light we believe is coming from the outside of the room), we think that Anton is standing behind the door the Sheriff is about to open. When the Sheriff enters the room we find out the truth – the room is empty. The tension is still felt, as there is use of shadows and darkness. The length of the shots is medium (longer when shooting the Sheriff and Anton, shorter when cutting to the objects in the room) and is crucial to the dark and mysterious vibe of the scene. The shots are presented in a chronological order that bring us to the climax of the scene when the Sheriff finds out that Anton isn't there. The cuts are seamless and create a continuous sense of obscurity and fear throughout the scene. The main purpose of this scene is to create the illusion that the killer is in the room - and it is achieved with a very precise editing. Just click on the link and see for yourselves: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO9kcTeRFG0&feature=related