Oscar Volley: Best Editing is Now Best Picture-lite
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 9:00PM Team Experience is discussing each Oscar category as we head into the precursors. Here's Ben and Abe to talk Film Editing...
The Trinity Explosion editing from Oppenheimer
BEN: Abe, it's time for another talk about one of the most confounding categories at the Oscars...Best Editing!
Last year, I talked about this category with Nick Taylor and we talked specifically about how non-Best Picture nominees don't show up in this category, no matter how special their editing might be. Last year, they went 5/5 again. They even went with a nominee (The Banshees of Inisherin) with relatively unremarkable editing.
Why do you think the Academy is so apprehensive to care about the craft of the actual editing process?...
ABE: It’s a shame, since we’ve gotten interesting nominees like Baby Driver and I, Tonya in the past but then missed out on possibilities like Knives Out which looked solid. In this age of an expanded Best Picture field, it’s getting harder to find any non-BP nominee across most of the technical categories. And I think that’s because it’s easiest to feel like a strong, coherent film had to be well-assembled.
For this year, I feel like two of the frontrunners should also contend for Most Editing. Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan have made long films in the past, but Killers of the Flower Moon and Oppenheimer both feel particularly epic. It’s hard to imagine either of those missing out. Maestro also seems like a solid bet. After that, however, is anyone’s guess. Lighter fare like The Holdovers and American Fiction doesn’t seem likely to be rewarded here, and I don’t see The Color Purple showing up either.
There are two films I think could get nominated but I’m not secure about either - Poor Things and Anatomy of a Fall. What do you make of their chances?
BEN: I don't see a world where Oppenheimer, KotFM, and Poor Things miss. All three are locked‐in Best Picture nominees and expect double-digit nominations with tech mentions across the board. That being said, Avatar: The Way of Water and All Quiet on the Western Front both missed this category last year. I am fully expecting the three nomination front-runners to show up here, but I also won't be surprised when one misses.
I like the inclusion of Anatomy of a Fall, as it feels like the "actually, this film has the best editing" film. I am a big fan of that film's editing, so you won't hear me complain. Past Lives also falls into that realm, but it certainly needs support elsewhere. I don't know how receptive the Academy would be to things like Barbie or Maestro in these categories.
That non-BP potential is interesting. Ferrari seems like the easiest inclusion, with Ford v. Ferrari actually winning in 2019 still being relatively fresh in their minds. It's not the same level of craft, but it seems like something they would do.
Conversely, where is your personal passion? What would you LOVE to see in this category?
ABE: I'm not sure about Ferrari's potential here since I don't think it will be as warmly received as Ford v. Ferrari and it has a bigger romance plot than the action that was most prominent in that 2019 film.I would be particularly excited to see Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse here since I saw it very late and was still very wowed. There's so much going on and it's all put together in a masterful way.
But no animated film has ever been nominated here, so I'm not sure it's likely.For the win, I think I'd be most passionate about Poor Things. It's a wild ride that takes you to so many different places, each more intoxicating, and never lets up. Its pacing is extraordinary and elevates it to something different from what the incredible Yorgos Lanthimos has done in the past. I do think Maestro is also very well-done and wouldn't mind that winning.What's your top choice?
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is probably wishful thinking for a nomination
LOVE LOVE LOVE your Spider-Verse feelings and couldn't agree more. It would be an awesome Hoop Dreams-like nomination. My fervent wish for this category is to branch out just a bit. Gone are they days of nominations for Top Gun, Die Hard, RoboCop, Se7en, and Crimson Tide. Frankly, making this category a bit more populist couldn't hurt.
Let's get down to the nitty-gritty. What are your predicted five, and give me a dark horse alternate.
ABE: I think I'll go with...
ANATOMY OF A FALL
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
MAESTRO
OPPENHEIMER
POOR THINGS
Dark horse is The Zone of Interest, which I think may show up in a big way across multiple categories. What about you?
BEN: OPPENHEIMER
POOR THINGS
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
ANATOMY OF A FALL
BARBIE
I love Past Lives as a dark horse, but it's probably wishful thinking.
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Reader Comments (4)
I just want the voters to nominate whatever they think is the best, instead of “here are the same five best picture nominees that we will nominate in every technical category”.
The 90’s had original nominees like Basic Instinct, Hoop Dreams, Crimson Tide, and Evita(?). Do I agree with them? Sometimes, sometimes not. But it’s night and day more honest voting than the 2000’s when they switched and said “let’s just nominate best pic nominees”. That’s what led to the mess of them basically backing themselves into a corner with Bohemian Rhapsody. And even 3 years ago with Sound of Metal; richly deserving of its Sound win…but to say that film that the best editing of ANY film of the entire year? I was baffled.
Fincher scored twice out of BP field with Se7en and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, so a nomination for The Killer would be well deserved.
I do wonder if the size of the editing branch, and the size of campaign budgets has something to do with the nominees. Most of the recent nominees (outside of Baby Driver) have been real across the board contenders with their studios mounting large campaigns. It also seems like studios are less willing to mount strong campaigns for a single category, even when their contenders are deserving.
I do think tick, tick...Boom was an inspired nomination. Though of course, Netflix made a pretty strong push to get that into picture.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a great call.
My top choice for Editing is “John Wick 4”.
The stairs sequence of climbing and falling is going to be used in film schools for years. One writer compared it to Buster Keaton, and his skillful genius at devising stunning set pieces. And the blind assassin sequences!
John Wick has set a new bar for action movies, where you can see what happens, and what happens makes sense. The visual clarity also extends to the supporting characters, where enough focus is spent on them so we understand them as distinct characters, and how they relate to the narrative (instead of cutting away from anyone who isn’t the star).
The John Wick editing also supports the rhythm and pace of this epic tragedy, with John as an iconic tragic hero. Like Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, this character will be remembered and cherished.
My second choice for Editing is Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon”.
You don’t have to be a military expert to understand the battle sequences. Supremely well organized and shot and edited!
And I admire Scott’s ruthlessness and decision in the rest of the scenes he chooses to include. He knows what he wants, the editor is with him all the way, and they make a very specific and individual film. Thank god, no waffling!
Then there are the movies where every element works. They are a unique and wonderful creation, and editing is one of the perfect elements.
“Past Lives”, “American Fiction”, “Barbie”.