Sunday, December 9, 2007

Editing Style Review-kekexili



Kekexili is my favorite movie. I was totally shocked when first seeing it in high school. The desert, snow mountains, quicksand and sand storm brought me into a really natural world. I've never seen such a fabulous scene. Also, the slaughters of Tibeton antelope was another shocking point. I felt angry about the poachers and touched about the moutain patrol members. They contribute their youth, love and even lives to save those lovely creatures.

The fight between patrol members and poachers, between human beings and natures help this movie reach its top. I love this film, love feeling the heartquake.

The next few paras are reviews of its editing style required by Toula. Actually Kekexili is a film with simple editings as i think it doesnt need any stunning effects. Its nature is its beauty.

Kekexili (Mountain Patrol) is a Chinese film depicting the fight between a group of volunteer patrollers and poachers over the protection of Tibetan antelopes in the Chinese largest animal reserve-Kekexili. Large amounts of rare animals are living in this virgin place covered with desert. However, the slaughters of Tibetan antelopes break the peace of this land.

The film starts with one patrol member’s execution by poachers. Before execution, the member witnesses the death of an antelope. Scenes switch from the wide shot of poacher shooting the antelope to close-up of antelope struggling. There is no acrobatic editing here. Everything happens fast but naturally. The antelope’s unawareness of death and the poacher’s cruelty coherently express the severe situation of Kekexili- Tibetan antelopes are slaughtered every year. The moving scene to patrol member adheres to the principles of continuity, maintaining the looking direction to the antelope. Although the scene is close-up of member’s face. It can be figured out that his eyesight is kept on the struggling antelope. Despair and numbness is the messages delivered from his eyesight when he sees antelope being skinned.

The sudden killing of patrol member happens when a poacher is trying to release him. The spattering blood on beside poacher indirectly but obviously indicates his death. However, the scene remains at the wide shot of dead patrol member and beside poacher while other poachers are talking about skinning the antelope.

The simple editing style of Kekexili matches the movie theme. It is a natural place. There are no limitations of people’s behaviors, even killing. Antelopes there have total freedom but also high danger as they will face unexpected death every second.




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