Editing in thrillers

Another key part in the creation of films, especially in thrillers, is the editing. Editing helps, determine the pace of the film, what the viewer associates certain events with and can place emphasis on certain objects, chracters or settings. Below, is the christening scene in the Godfather which is an example of great use of editing to convey multiple messages.

In the Godfather, parallel editing is used to convey to the audience Michael's character. It is used to show that despite his apparent decency with the christening, he is ultimately still evil due to his association the with the murders that occur. The juxtaposition between the scenes at the church and the preparation and occurrences of the murders is used to emphasise Michael's immorality, as he stays entirely calm renouncing evil while fully aware of the killings he ordered. This is empahsised even further by the use of binary opposition such as black and white, birth and death, to represent and somewhat reflect Michael's character.

Another note to make on the editing is the pace of the shots. At the beginning, the shot duration is quite lengthy but it begins to shorten and shorten as tension gets higher and higher, as it builds up towards the murders, increasing the pace. This has the effect of building suspense among viewers and increases their awareness of Michael's involvement with the murders.