The notion of directing a film is the invention of critics - the whole eloquence of cinema is achieved in the editing room.
Interpretation
Directing is often overemphasized, while the true artistry of film lies in editing.
Walter Murch's quote emphasizes that the essence of filmmaking is not just in directing but primarily emerges during the editing process. He suggests that critics often give undue credit to directors, overlooking how editing crafts the narrative and emotional impact of a film. This reflects the collaborative nature of cinema, showcasing how various roles contribute to the storytelling experience.
In practice
In a film studies class discussing the importance of editing.
You can always make a film somehow. You can beg, borrow, steal the equipment, use credit cards, use your friends' goodwill, wheedle your way into this or that situation. The real problem is, how do you get people to see it once it is made?
Film editing is now something almost everyone can do at a simple level and enjoy it, but to take it to a higher level requires the same dedication and persistence that any art form does.
I believe that one of the secret engines that allows cinema to work, and have the marvelous power over us that it does, is the fact that for thousands of years we have spent eight hours every night in a 'cinematic' dream-state, and so are familiar with this version of reality.
There are many, many nouns for the act of looking - a glance, a glimpse, a peep - but there's no noun for the act of listening. In general, we don't think primarily about sound. So I have a different perspective on the world; I can construct soundscapes that have an effect on people, but they don't know why. It's a sort of subterfuge.
Film is really the one art form that can effectively use silence. Music and theater can play with silence, but they can't sustain silence without losing energy, whereas film can go into a silent mode and stay there for minutes at a time.
This applies to many film jobs, not just editing: half the job is doing the job, and the other half is finding ways to get along with people and tuning yourself in to the delicacy of the situation.
The actor has to develop his body. The actor has to work on his voice. But the most important thing the actor has to work on is his mind.
A poem I write is not just about me; it is about national identity, not just regional but national, the history of people in relation to other people. I reach for these outward stories to make sense of my own life, and how my story intersects with a larger public history.
For many artists and critics, beauty is a discredited idea. It denotes the saccharine sylvan scenes and cheesy melodies that appealed to Granny.
I'm not a lawyer, but I do know this: we need to protect our ability to tell controversial stories.
A composer is not only an architect but also an inventor, and he should not build houses in which he cannot live.
The writer must believe that what he is doing is the most important thing in the world. And he must hold to this illusion even when he knows it is not true.
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