The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - Editing

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013 film)
Co-produced by and starring Ben Stiller
Written by Steve Conrad

I have been focusing on the use of edits and editing techniques recently, I think I may have a small grasp of, rhythmic, tonal and metric edits/cuts, but finding an intellectual one has been a little tricky. I could, of course, google something along the lines of "greatest intellect cutting" and found 100's of results, but I often find I'm not driven to write about things unless I have found or experienced them myself. So, as this seems to be the way I'm motivated, I decided to launch firmly into the viewing experience with, popcorn, crisps, and more calories than a long-distance runner would wave a stick at, while keeping an eagle eye out for something to catch my attention. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty did just that.

Matilda (1996)

Ok, quick story overview here, spoilers ahead. Walter Mitty is going on a journey from boring office worker to world traveler while trying to find a lost picture. If you'd like to learn more I'd highly advise you to watch this uplifting film about self-discovery.

It was one of those moments in film, where a small detail stuck in my mind for its seeming simplicity, but not in an obtrusive way, a way that made sense but was esthetically lovely, it obviously had a great deal of time and thought put into it. The scene I'm talking about is where Our main character is looking for a piece of photography film, then a close up of just the strip of physical film with 3 sections in it, the scene then cuts to the same character sitting outside the office beside a water feature that has been framed in such a way that it lines up almost perfectly to the 3 sections of film from the previous shot, so well in fact, that for a split second the film seems to morph and beautifully transitions into the water feature. For a few seconds, numbers, words, and the sprocket holes that were on the film fade, then dissolve away, to leave the water and Walter. Lovely use of intellectual editing.

The next use of editing I thoroughly enjoyed was mainly for the storytelling and the feeling of excitement from the way the montage of Walter going to travel was shown to us, especially the uplifting music. It starts off in an almost dreamlike fashion, as Walter who is looking at a picture of a person he looks up to suddenly starts to move, and beckon him to come and find him. Walter makes the decision to leave and the montage of him finally traveling and leaving his old life behind starts.

https://youtu.be/2ONCXOwIdx4
Link to the montage

If you missed it, there's a message being subtly and not so subtly shown to us, that is " Making a brave new man, to see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other, and to feel, that is the purpose of life." Adding onto this, the 2 main colors used in this fairly rhythmic montage are blue and red. Blue representing a calm, calculated and stable color full of though and one that definitely reflects Walter's life. Red is showing us his new direction, that along with red being a color associated with power, energy, and passion, something that Walter seemed to have had at one point in his youth, and is now rekindling. The music is fantastically uplifting, Step Out - José González, I don't think I need to explain this track, especially when the first actual line that is sung is "House on fire, leave it all behind you", it ties perfectly with Walters Job.
https://youtu.be/c7-4IZyNUtA  Step Out - José González - link.
 Even at the end of the montage as it comically stops in the quiet emptiness of the airport departure area, he goes to pick a car, red or blue. I think you know what he picks.

A film that took me utterly by surprise, but a most welcome one. If you ever need a "pick me up" film, or just fancy a lovely film that may give you a little inspiration, give it a shot.