Editing in Cinema: Why is it an important aspect in movies?

There was a time when people used to watch films and never complain about what they have seen. Especially in Indian cinema, mostly in Bollywood, we have seen films that comprise of some really disturbing sequences for any of the liberal minds. Fast forward to current day and age, the world has changed completely. Those who watch films on a regular basis demand for logics, they want something that makes sense rather than something that is meaningless to the core. People demand every aspect of film making to be looked upon in a very detailed manner. One of the aspects happen to be Editing in Cinema. Isn't this something that we all tend to let go more often than not and don't really understand the gist of it? Here are some of the points that will make you understand the importance of Editing in Cinema no matter if it is Bollywood or Hollywood or any other cinema out there. 

Nuance of the subject

On the ground level, you would find most of the Bollywood or Hollywood films to be the same if it belongs to the same genre. When you watch the trailer for a mission impossible or a John Wick, you would feel the cause is almost the same. The central character is driven to solving problems for a number of people but there might be a general difference in both the subjects. If the films are not edited properly, if the characters are not given the depth that they deserve according to the circumstances, you wouldn't be able to feel much of a difference. Sure, it depends on the writing of the subject. But the pace at which a film goes, what sequences have to come at what time and much more is decided through  Editing in Cinema. It plays a big part in selling what a director's ambition with the project is. If the film doesn't go on the same pitch as the creator of the film wants, it goes on to become a failure as well.

  Runtime

If you watch a film in a theatre no matter if it is a Bollywood or Hollywood one, you know how crucial runtime is in order to keep the public engaged. Now some of them believe the pace has to be fast so that the viewers do not get exhausted in the midway. But that's not true in all the cases. Sometimes, the pitch of the film demands it to be really slow-paced and methodical. Most of the war sequences are executed at a very slow pace so that people can get what a war situation looks like. It's not just firing for a couple of minutes and then everything gets done and dusted, it is much larger in terms of planning & organising. The most realistic films based on war, drama or even romance keeps it very slow so that the audience gets to understand every bit of it. There are other times when they just want to catch you with an adrenaline rush. Everything is in the hands of editing in Cinema and all the crew members involved in the process.

Chopping off the scenes

This is one of the most difficult tasks in film making and something a director can never do. Editing in Cinema is the only thing that can save the day so that it doesn't become too lengthy. It is easy to get in terms with the fact that a film is not produced for the exact time it airs. The runtime might just be 125 minutes while the movie might have been shot for even a 1000 minutes. It is important to have an adequate runtime and in order to reach there, you need to chop off the scenes. In Bollywood, editors do not get as much freedom and this is also a reason why some of the films with great storyline suffer from lengthy screenplay problems. In Hollywood however, the editing has been much smoother and crisper all these years. Even if it is the best scene of the film according to the director, it might require to be trimmed. This is how filmmaking works and it is a very complex piece of art which is not mastered by too many people. 

These are some of the points to understand how much editing in cinema matters but sadly, film editors are not provided with the recognition that they truly deserve. The general audience only know bits about actors and the director while other aspects are not highlighted at all. Editing happens to be one of the untouched aspects of cinema that needs to be lauded. If a film is not edited right, no matter how much of a hard work the director and the actor has put, it falls flat on its face.

What are your opinions regarding film editors? Do you feel editing in cinema deserves more recognition? Comment below your opinions!