’Requiem’ for an Editor

Bad editing is easy to spot, but “good” editing can be rather hard to define. Plenty of movies are considered to have “good” editing simply because the editor remains invisible: The film doesn’t feel edited, and therefore it maintains the illusion of cinema. But what about a film like Requiem for a Dream? It is widely considered to be an example of good editing, yet its editing style is unconventional and even overwhelming at times. For heaven’s sake, editor Jay Rabinowitz even breaks the 180-degree rule! So why is Requiem for a Dream an example of good editing? I can almost guarantee that, if you’ve seen it, mentioning the movie recalls those breakneck montages full of fast cutting and exaggerated sound effects—these montages, which director Darren Aronofsky coined “hip-hop montages,” are surely notable, but they aren’t the only unique aspect of the movie’s editing. This video breaks down a scene from Requiem for a Dream to get to the heart of why its editing is so effective…and affective. Hint: it also ha