The idea of a Best Film Editing award is strange. While editing is an arduous task that certainly deserves to be rewarded, the concept of judging a film’s editing is counter intuitive. The success of an edit is determined by the editor’s ability to hide the fact that cuts are occurring. A seamless experience is what marks a good editing job.

How do you judge a film by its editing, then? Part of it is a rhythm, a pulse in the cuts that contribute to the overall effect of a scene. In the case of a film like La La Land, it is an edit that has musicality and adds energy to a musical number. Another part of it is the editor’s ability to create that seamless experience.

Best Film Editing

• Arrival
• Hacksaw Ridge
• La La Land
• Moonlight
• Silence

Will Win: La La Land

 

As previously mentioned, the editing in La La Land is an integral part to the experience, so you will certainly see it in this category. Hacksaw Ridge has some great editing exhibited during its lengthy war sequences. Moonlight uses its cuts for narrative purposes, and it works quite well.

The other film that could show up in this category is Jackie, even though the film features a lot of standard shot-reverse shot structures. But look for this to be a battle between La La Land and Hacksaw Ridge.

 

As always, thanks for reading!

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—Alex Brannan (@TheAlexBrannan)