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zander_cz's review against another edition
4.0
Very thought provoking discussions on the craft of film and art more broadly. Murch preaches the importance of a diverse knowledge outside of cinema.
collinhotchkiss's review against another edition
4.0
If you're at all interested in filmmaking as an art or a craft, read this book. Murch is one of the few contemporary film theorists with a platform, and you'd be hard-pressed to find an editor who hasn't been influenced by his work. Film editing may be "cutting out the bad bits", but it takes a lot of thinking to know which bits are bad. Murch has certainly done a lot of thinking about the subject, and his thoughts are worth your time.
pantsuitparty's review against another edition
4.0
This book is an essential for any film or video editor who wants a peek into the workflow of one of the most seasoned, knowledgeable, and articulate professionals alive today. Inspiring, and good if you want to get some ideas for sequences that just aren't working for you.
Great read.
Great read.
sujuv's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating conversation between two creative individuals with wide-ranging interests and tastes. While there are passages that could be construed as "advice" to a filmmaker, it's much more of a free form dialogue with worthwhile insights along the way, as well as some behind-the-scenes tidbits about the making of "The Conversation," "The English Patient," "Apocalypse Now," and "The Godfather" movies.
ivostarr's review against another edition
5.0
This was an amazing book. Granted, you do need to be a little bit of a film geek--and maybe a literature geek--to enjoy it to some extent. But, as someone who has been really intrigued by the art of editing film, this book provides incredible insight into the philosophy and practices of the remarkable Walter Murch.
Murch has edited the Godfather series, The Conversation, Apocalypse Now redux, The English Patient, The Talented Mister Ripley, and many others. This book offers some color on how a particular scene came together in a film to how Murch, who also acted as sound designer on many of these films, recorded the perfect wind in a desert to create a sound effect. And, there is another interesting level to the conversations transcribed in this book because Michael Ondaatje, the author of The English Patient, guides the discussion. There are wonderful moments where Murch and Ondaatje trade their secrets on how they approach their art.
After finishing this book, I do tend to think that Walter Murch is a rare breed of editor these days. He's a Renaissance man with a wide variety of interests that help inform how he cuts a film. He conducts a lot of his own research about a film project to figure out what his take on things will be. For example, he goes into magnificent detail on how he came to help shape a pivotal scene in The English Patient through his reading of the characteristics of Nazi soldiers and through his use of removing sound. I'm already teetering on the edge of giving too much away for those who might not have seen this movie, but my point is that film audiences benefit immensely from Walter Murch's inquisitive mind.
What is interesting is that in the book Murch often comments on the fact that the one area that he hasn't studied much is film history. To be honest, I think that this has contributed to his success in many ways. The way he infuses his other interests results in a unique creativity and also has encouraged him to try methods to arrive at a certain result that others thought would never work.
Murch has edited the Godfather series, The Conversation, Apocalypse Now redux, The English Patient, The Talented Mister Ripley, and many others. This book offers some color on how a particular scene came together in a film to how Murch, who also acted as sound designer on many of these films, recorded the perfect wind in a desert to create a sound effect. And, there is another interesting level to the conversations transcribed in this book because Michael Ondaatje, the author of The English Patient, guides the discussion. There are wonderful moments where Murch and Ondaatje trade their secrets on how they approach their art.
After finishing this book, I do tend to think that Walter Murch is a rare breed of editor these days. He's a Renaissance man with a wide variety of interests that help inform how he cuts a film. He conducts a lot of his own research about a film project to figure out what his take on things will be. For example, he goes into magnificent detail on how he came to help shape a pivotal scene in The English Patient through his reading of the characteristics of Nazi soldiers and through his use of removing sound. I'm already teetering on the edge of giving too much away for those who might not have seen this movie, but my point is that film audiences benefit immensely from Walter Murch's inquisitive mind.
What is interesting is that in the book Murch often comments on the fact that the one area that he hasn't studied much is film history. To be honest, I think that this has contributed to his success in many ways. The way he infuses his other interests results in a unique creativity and also has encouraged him to try methods to arrive at a certain result that others thought would never work.
andrepinza's review against another edition
4.0
Faccio la montatrice video da anni, ho letto il libro probabilmente importante di Murch, In un batter d'occhi, eppure queste conversazioni le ho trovate illuminanti. Il modo in cui ogni taglio di un'immagine assume un significato diverso, a seconda del respiro, della pausa o della virgola nel dialogo pronunciato, del battito della palpebre, ti fa riflettere su quanto ogni elemento di un film sia imprescindibile dal resto. Tutto si muove in sinergia, come in una perfetta sinfonia. E questo libro non è interessante solo per chi, come me, svolge questa professione ma soprattutto per chi ama il cinema e la sua filosofia. Un testo ricco di aneddoti, spunti, dietro le quinte dei film più importanti e famosi della storia del cinema.
timdams007's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting read, but a bit chaotic in terms of tangents from time to time.
thereaderintherye's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
kjboldon's review against another edition
5.0
This book is full of so much wisdom and information. I recommend watching, Godfather, The Conversation, Godfather II, Apocalypse Now, and The Talented Mr. Ripley then read this book to find out why they're as amazing as they are.