Best Film Editing: Ranking Every Oscar Nominee
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Last year’s winner: Ford v. Ferrari.
Film editing is the kind of cinematic element that is often taken for granted, as I always say. The best editing is impossible to ignore, except it’s actually very easy to ignore. A well edited film is seamlessly pieced together, so a series of countless images now becomes one fluid experience. How do you reward films that have done their job in this department, then? Well, there are editors that go above and beyond, as they are able to piece shots together both fundamentally and dynamically; maybe creating some incredible moments of montage, or allowing for the perfect amount of breath within scenes. These five nominees are actually all strong, and this has been the hardest ranking to do so far. Even still, I had to do the dirty work of selecting the winning film. Here are your nominees.
Biggest Snub: The White Tiger
Even though I think all five candidates are incredible, something just feels missing when The White Tiger isn’t nominated here. So many quick cuts that last exactly as long as they should make for a flurry of poignant images. The film has longer shots exactly when needed, to create ebbs and flows of a cinematic language. When The White Tiger wants you to feel something through its editing, it goes all out. When it wants other parts of the film to take the lead, it backs off. It really is such a well composed feature, and I’m sad that it isn’t featured in this category.
5. The Father
Yorgos Lamprinos
I cannot begin to tell you how much I hate that this is in last place. The Father is beyond even competently edited. Its judgement of reaction images, establishing shots, and other visual signifiers is on point. It feels effortless in its splicing and cutting. I can’t even try and pick out something bad to justify that this is in last place, because there’s the ability to juggle what we’ve seen before and the fictional so well. I hate that this is last. I really do. I may feel very different even tomorrow, so don’t take these rankings too seriously.
4. Sound of Metal
Mikkel E. G. Nielsen
Sound of Metal explores the importance of scenes that have tons of breathing room, and allows for an almost melodic use of longer takes. I won’t lie and pretend that its more dynamically edited moments are rhythmic or anything, but Sound of Metal knows exactly when to bounce around. Why I have this higher than The Father is because of the moments where Sound of Metal flickers between subjects and the occasional extra component, like in this scene where a speech-to-text software is implemented. Sound of Metal hops between focal points so well, and knows how to not butcher a sublime, minimalist experience otherwise. This is the understanding of an editor who doesn’t just know how to compile images, but one who is certain of the duration of moments, too.
3. Promising Young Woman
Frédéric Thoraval
I’m not sure what to say about Promising Young Woman that is too different: its editing is made with the awareness of the relationships between subjects and subject matters. It gets a slight edge because of its brilliant uses of facial reactions as the punctuations of moments, which sounds rudimentary, but you’d have to see Promising Young Woman to know what I mean. You see exactly the expressions you need at just the right time. For the most part, Promising Young Woman makes its editing style known, as to make for a more on-edge experience. Then, there’s the usage of unbroken scenes (particularly the climax) that — because they are juxtaposed with quick cuts before and after — purposefully feel like eternities. The editing here is phenomenal.
2. Nomadland
Chloé Zhao
On paper, the editing of Nomadland is just as good as the previous three candidates, if not maybe worse. However, Nomadland has the extra edge in one department: the assembly of these specific images in such a way that evokes a whole new sensation. The other additional advantage is that director and writer Chloé Zhao edited this film herself, and knew exactly what visual story she wanted to tell. The film is made up of so many establishing shots, perfectly orchestrated by Zhao. You feel like you are living these moments, like a series of memories or the coursing through a photo album. The overlooked element of editing is knowing which footages to use, and Zhao absolutely nails it with Nomadland: a film that is really well edited, but even better in its piecing together of visual poetry.
1. The Trial of the Chicago 7
Alan Baumgarten
I feel like I haven’t been fair on The Trial of the Chicago 7, but this is the category where I think it shines the most. I won’t be including Aaron Sorkin as a snub for the Best Director category, because I feel like he writes better than he directs. However, the saving grace of Chicago 7 as a visual story is how the editing keeps up with his snappy writing and consistent use of flashbacks. Chicago 7 sprints between timelines and ideas so efficiently. You never forget what events you’re watching at the same time. Even the bare basics are well done: perfect reaction shots, establishing images, and more. Chicago 7 just gets everything right.
Our Review of The Trial of the Chicago 7
Who I want to win: I honestly don’t care. Any of these films could win, and I’d be thrilled. Every editor here is beyond worthy of being recognized. If I had my druthers, this category could be the major deciding factor between which film wins Best Picture, so for that reason alone, I’m going Nomadland.
Who I think will win: Realistically, this is going to be The Trial of the Chicago 7’s win, and so far the current events of the award season are pointing in this direction (many predictions state this too).
Tune in tomorrow for our next Academy Award category! We’re reviewing every single nominee.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.