Papathanasiou, Konstantinos
(2024)
Spielberg and Kahn: film editing and narrative control through creative collaboration.
PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
Abstract
The editor and the director form one of the most intimate collaborations in the film industry. From Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) to the present, Michael Kahn has edited virtually every film Steven Spielberg has directed. To date, Spielberg Studies has generated very little knowledge and understanding of how editing creates meaning in Spielberg's films, and of how Kahn and Spielberg work together to structure their narratives. Through close textual analysis, comparative study, editing theories, and calculations of the films' average shot length, this research examines how Spielberg and Kahn control the films' complex narratives through editing techniques and reveals aspects of their collaboration.
The itemised films in this research are the subject of extended case study chapters. From Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) to West Side Story (2021), this close analytical study discloses that numerous films follow similar or identical patterns that Spielberg and Kahn, cultivated and perfected over the years. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spielberg trusts that Kahn can assemble his few selected shots and bring his vision to life, while Kahn relies on and trusts that Spielberg will apply the principles of editing, during the 'tight' storyboarding. In The Color Purple (1985), a non-storyboarded film, using certain editing techniques to establish character development, Spielberg and Kahn, purely visually, transfer the spirit of the original source to the big screen. In Jurassic Park (1993), Spielberg trusts that Kahn will apply the principles of editing to control the pace and rhythm of the numerous shots like he would have wanted, in order to astonish and build up suspense. Due to his personal association with Schindler's List (1993), Spielberg relies on Kahn's disassociation to create emotion through these shots as well as generate the full impact. In A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) and Minority Report (2002), Spielberg and Kahn provide an answer as to how a chase sequence should be structured in order to evoke the intended emotions; thrill the audience before exciting them. Respectively, structuring the dialogues of Lincoln (2012) the way they have, they provide an answer to the long lasting question, when does one cut from the addresser to the addressee? Lastly, in West Side Story, Spielberg and Kahn's editing provides an answer as to how a musical sequence should be structured and edited, to particularly emphasise what matters the most; the performance.
Be it drama, science fiction, adventure or horror, these patterns in structure have been ever-evolving and have shaped what has become widely known as 'a Spielberg film'. The findings of this research shed light on the collaboration between Spielberg and Kahn, something that has yet to be addressed and is missing from the literature. These findings showcase how and why Spielberg's films have such an impact on the audience, the scholars and the critics, and the way they have shaped Contemporary Hollywood.
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