This week, I picked a movie scene and analyzed it’s video editing techniques.

I picked Batman interrogating the Joker from The Dark Knight (2008).

Without Sound

Without sound, the first scene where the lights turn on and Batman appears becomes very slow and not as startling as I remember. I chose this scene because I wanted to see the 180 degree rule in play. We see this begin when Batman stands opposite of the Joker sitting at the table. Batman’s sightline is to the right. The camera jumps to the viewing room where all the cops are and they are looking to the right (I’ll come back to this shortly). Now we’re back with the Joker and he’s looking left. Yay! They are following the 180-degree rule! Oh wait. What? Now Batman is looking to the left. While the camera did not show the movement in such an obvious way as the 180-degree Rule clip we saw (which you can view here), before the scene cuts to Batman again, the camera is slowing moving left behind Batman’s head. This helps the viewer orient themselves in the room–almost like we are circling the two.

I also noticed how still and in-frame Batman is in comparison to the Joker–at least in the beginning of the clip. Before Batman loses control, his stillness in the frame implies how much of a contrast the Joker is to Batman. The Joker is bouncing around in the frame.

When Batman holds the Joker up on the wall, we get to see them from the inside of the viewing room behind the people (they are looking straight/right) before we see the people’s faces in the room (looking right). This is also helpful for the viewer. Both sides of the interrogation room have mirrors, so without that view, how are we to know which side they are viewing Batman and the Joker from?

When Batman grabs a chair and puts it under the door, the camera returns to the viewing room. We are still seeing Batman from straight ahead. The camera pans in the next scene when Gordon runs through a door. The panning to the mirror to see Batman from the left helps orient the viewer AGAIN!

Finally, I want to point out how imposing Batman is in the scene when the Joker is on the floor. Like Roger Ebert says in his “How to Read a Movie” guide, the low angle makes Batman seem like a god. We see Batman from below, like the Joker. Even when the camera turns to look at the Joker, we are only seeing him from two feet off the ground and all you see are Batman’s hands.

Without video

I didn’t get much out of this one. This isn’t exactly a lively scene.

You hear the crash of the door, a light turning on, then something hitting the table. Then it’s mostly dialogue.

There is a bell sound in the background when Batman is talking with the Joker. It only disappears when Batman loses control.

Another thing I noticed was the drone sound that Christopher Nolan loves so much increases in volume as Batman loses control in the interrogation room.

Video & Sound

Finally the first scene makes a statement. You see Joker’s face as the door creaks and closes in the background. He’s in the dark. Then suddenly the light turns on and Batman is behind him and the Joker’s face is on the table.

To be honest, I didn’t really see much else from the editing techniques in this one. Maybe because this scene was mostly an interrogation scene?