Deeper analysis into editing and its meaning - "Don't Look Now"

Yesterday, we looked at the opening to "Don't Look Now." For our exam we have to look at all four aspect, not just editing, but for this lesson Adam thought it was necessary to look into editing deeply as it is possibly the hardest one. This was much easier as I could just pick out the different editing techniques rather than having to remember all 4 sections.

When watching the sequence we treat it like the exam in terms of, the first time we watch it we are not allowed to write anything down. On the second time you start to write stuff down but still watch however, on the third and fourth time you should have stopped watching and being drawn in by it and instead write notes and just quickly look up to notice another editing technique.
The sequence opened with an establishing shot of the pond, this could symbolise that the pond is very important as it is held for a long time. Then there is an edit to a dark window with glistening light, this is a very ambiguous shot which could represent the ambiguity of the opening sequence. Another establishing shot is shown with the girl playing with a wheel barrow and the white horse in the background which suggests purity as it is white, but the establishing shot produces as understanding that the children are happy playing outside. There is an edit from a close up of the pond to the fire which could suggest the contrast of both and that there is a contrast of something in the play. The cut from outside to inside and the fire inside is symbolic of danger... the danger that is going on outside. There are many match cuts in this piece for example when the girl throws the ball into the water and the dad throws the cigarette packet to the mum. This almost suggests a connection between the father and daughter as they are doing the same actions at the same time. Another match cut is when the father dives into the river and the mother throws the symbolic picture onto the sofa. This photograph has a huge meaning in the opening sequence which is ambiguous throughout. However there are man cuts to and from this image the father was studying to the little girl. When the ink starts to spread and the girl starts to drown the cuts from her being held in her dads arms in a specific

shape, to the ink spreading in this shape. This represents a connection between the two. The positioning of shots represent the danger the girl is going to encounter. For example when she is walking along the bank and her reflection is in the water, which technically shows her underwater and this is foreshadowing her death. The reason I have mentioned camera a lot is because it is very closely connected with editing and so it is hard to avoid.