when the director actually lets the tension build
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 พ.ย. 2022
- #TheGodfather #videoessay #inglouriousbasterds
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What makes films like The Godfather and Inglourious Basterds so great? Well for one, their pacing. They know when to slow things down and let the tension in a scene build. So let's take a look at what that looks like.
Written & Edited by Danny Boyd
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What’s a scene from a movie that you think does tension or pacing particularly well?
How to Train Your Dragon. Long-time favorite of mine, the use of two parallel storylines keeps you invested, and there isn't a moment wasted.
The x-man scene with young Magneto finding the Nazis in Brazil
Such an X-cellent scene.
Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels by Guy Ritchie (and also Snatch). Not tension in a scene the way you show here, but dramatic tension across the film as characters chase after a McGuffin and random things keep getting in the way.
Two of my favorite movies ever.
Reminds me of that Hitchcock quote about showing the audience a bomb under a table and suspense!
Totally! LFTS has a great video on this opening scene from IG where he directly references that quote, so I didn’t want to repeat what he already said better than I could. But I definitely recommend checking it out. (I think it was LFTS anyway).
@@CinemaStix your way of talking about it in terms of climax makes sense as well, suspense can be broken up into multiple stages it seems like to me
@@CinemaStix You reference that quote from Hitchcock directly, too, in talking about Knives Out. I really appreciate the approach to art that gives the audience time and space to experience the medium, and paces development to that experience. Every Frame A Painting's last major essay, that sublime one about editing, focuses on feeling the pace of a scene.
Man, yeah. What a beautiful essay that was. The examples with Empire and Ant-Man. Teaches you so much with so little.
chekov's gun
you've given more value in this 3 and half minute video than most people do in 20 minute video essays. short, sweet, and to the point, while still ... keeping its pauses and having a structure of its own. absolutely beautiful.
:) That’s very kind of you. Thank you. Really happy you liked it and took something positive away from it. That’s a huge success in my book.
-Danny
It's only 1 topic. But it's interesting
Very well put. I was gonna comment the same, but you summarized our thoughts nicely.
@@tesom🤓
The worst thing that could have happened to film critique was the video essay. Thousands of idiots just became enabled to blather on for half an hour about what is essentially, "This is why I like/dislike the movie" whilst pretending that it is any kind of real analysis.
Excellent choice of ending with that pause, really sold the point you were making!
Personally I can say it achieved a level of tension, so well played!
Haha, thank you :) I’m glad the choice is getting noticed. It was a last minute thing.
The cork popping .. 🤌🏻
Tarantino does the same, long drawn out dialogue. It was good in some movies but this scene was too long imo.
One of my mentors said something about this: storytelling is the art of knowing how to delay.
I love that way if putting it. It super is.
@@CinemaStix Yoda, are you being here?
@@ishankapoor Here, he is
My uncle taught me the same thing about sex before he went back to prison.
The Pie scene in which Hans basically interrogates Shosanna over the theater is so well done. Along with the underground bar scene. Inglourious Basterds is full of suspenseful scenes.
Yeah! Something that I’m not aware of until I watch this video. This is one of reasons why Bastard is a good movie
Tarantino is a master of suspense, period. Any one of his films is a collection of intriguing, suspenseful scenes pasted together with suspension tape.
Tension and pauses are so important to a scene and a film as a whole. It's really become an issue with big Hollywood films. One example is the Star Wars sequels and how awful their pacing is because of the constant cuts to the next shot and pushing snappy story beats instead of dwelling for any amount of time on something. My favorite GOOD example somewhat recently was Bladerunner 2049, my goodness do they let the tension build in that movie so fantastically.
My dude you should check Andor!
@@Zilmayjaink "No more than 12"
@@Spaceisprettybig exactly!!
@@Zilmayjaink what's with Andor?
@@JediKnight207 Well, not much. Just one hell of a piece of cinematography. Top tier writing coupled with deep visual storytelling. Actually caring in telling a compelling story instead of constant mindless action. Although actually rewarding the audience that keep up with the slow pace and pays attention, with marvelous set-up, build up and release. Morally complex characters and also top tier acting. A deeper look into the regular people of different social statuses in the SW universe that were involved in the rebellion, but also a raw, gritty and unapologetic insight of how an actual revolution is born. Man I could spit adjectives all day and wouldn't feel like I'm honouring such piece of media, the best would be if you check it out for yourself. Highly recommended. Unless you only like fast food-like entertainment. Wich I do enjoy also. Everything has its place. This one is a slow and rewarding burn.
My favorite part about that scene in The Godfather is that everything goes according to plan, and it's still incredibly intense. The only difference was actually in the "fast paced" edit, Michael was told to come out of the bathroom and shoot immediately.
I always thought that was so fascinating, too. It’s almost like a heist movie in miniature. You get an entire scene before hand explaining exactly how it’s going to go down. And ultimately it works out. But the execution is both different and suspenseful.
@@cthulhucrews6602 In the book Michael saw another man sitting next to the restroom keeping tabs on him as he moved around, and assumed he was extra muscle that would immediately gun him down at the first sign of trouble, Michael chose to sit back down to put that extra man at ease before making his move.
@@TheConjurersTower Did he shoot the other man?
@@georgeofhamilton No, the guy was so stunned that Mike killed both Sollozzo and McClusky he just froze in place so Mike let him live and walked out.
did you really build tension in the end between saying your name and “thank you for watching”? if it was intentional, it’s so cool
Haha, I mean. That was the idea. But whether or not I actually built any tension, only you could say. Still, glad someone picked up on that :)
-Danny
@@CinemaStix you definitely did haha!
@@CinemaStix I was expecting you to keep talking, and allowing the cork to accentuate the final word. Instead, your denouement had to wait for the "pop". Beautiful!
@@CinemaStix I thought i was the only one who thought of this. Glad other people saw it. Good job man.
@@veroniquedelafere7474 nice observation brother.
Quentin Taratino was explaining in an interview how, usually, the longer a scene last, the less efficient or interesting it gets. It starts feeling like a filer, or some joke with a punch that would not come. However, for the introduction of Hans Landa in Inglorious Bastard, it was actually the opposite. The longer the scene lasted, the more intense it would get, and it became a challenge of ''how far can I stretch this elastic before it snaps''.
Love how Tarintino perfects the standard formula so he never fails but he does it do bloody and high stakes with the movies settings it’s a guaranteed win. Takes his time to drag out everything.
Bro these short but clear and to the point vid essays helps my dumbass brain frfr
Just dropping in to say you're smarter than you think, amigo. Have a nice day.
@@alexsalter50 two goated comments. Love to see it
The scene in No Country For Old Men where Llewelyn encounters Anton is just brilliant buildup of tension. The whole movie really. But that scene you’re just anticipating what Anton will do from the other side of the door. You see his shadow stand there briefly; then he goes over and slowly turns off the lights. And then the audience gets this sudden audio of the door knob shooting off across the room. I just love that movie.
To me what most modern movies lack is decent pacing. And not just the overall tension building that you have explained but the utter lack of depth that simple distance in scenes,emotions,dialogues and tensions should convey within a proper well placed narrative. Instead everything is rushed,time and space in scenes is seemingly ignored and it creates a 2 dimensional view that is lackluster at best.
Please don't become one of those people. A lot of modern movies have good pacing and great stories, but there's just SO MUCH more out there/accessable now, you'd be hard pressed to find them since they're not all promoted the same way. But ok, even just take big budget studio movies--people seem to think all these "great" movies came out in a vacuum. They were released alongside completely forgettable fair just like today's films. It's not like Hollywood was making incredible movies and just decided to stop doing that; great movies are made by great artists in any generation.
I agree
I know anime isn’t for everyone but the scene in Attack on Titan where Eren is having a conversation in the basement under the apartment building and stage is one of the most incredible examples of this I have ever seen in any show or movie.
The whole of AoT was a lesson in tension building, crisis and climactic explosion titan style
@@lastmimzy2606 yeah, the author does a good job of keeping the tension even after the mystery of the titans is revealed so there’s always constant tension in the show.
@@evangelionl0vr857 Yes! Done exactly to prepare for a decent finale
The algorithm blessed me with this video today and I could not be happier, great stuff man
:) So glad you liked it! I’ve got something new out every Saturday.
One of my favorite parts of that Godfather scene is the fact that he sits down, Clemenza when instructing him tells him to come out of the bathroom and kill them right away, but Michael sits, not only building tension, but also showing his last moments of doubt and the exact point where he sets down on the path of becoming the Don. Great video!
So glad to catch an episode this early!
:) Hope you’re not on the west coast of the U.S. like me. Because that’d be VERY early (it’s 6:30am here, yawn).
-Danny
It's strange. I still can't tell you what Tarkovsky's "The Mirror" is about, but it uses space and tension so superbly, I can't help but find it thrilling. It's like walking through a lucid dream and somehow you feel embodied by the characters. Much of his work feels like that; and so the tension feels like it's building in you - that you *are* the character experiencing it. The Coen Bros. "No Country for Old Men" pulls off a very similar feat and would also make a fine example.
I cant express how grateful I am for your channel. This is exactly the type of analysis I crave. You're doing a fantastic job.
Modern filmmakers need to take this to heart. The Northman felt like the only movie in recent memory I’ve seen with good pacing.
i really like straight to the point breakdown of how a movie and its story works like this video, keep em coming
Bro your uploads are like clockwork and your videos are well-oiled af;
great video, you're a huge inspiration, keep at it ♥️
Thank you! The encouragement really helps. Not sure how long I can maintain the clockwork-ness of it all. But hope to at least keep the machine well-oiled :)
-Danny
I really like how this video is "directed" though, the use of words, the pace, and even the voice. That was informative and entertaining, thank you.
Thank YOU!
-Danny
Loved the bit of tension at the end of your video!
“Drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty.”
Thank you for this video its so helpful. I'm currently having to study Francis Ford Coppola and make my own short film from his influence. My narrative has suspense and tension and this video further helps understanding how to continue to build tension then deliver.
One of the best rising channels on the whole platform
:)
Thank you for your insight in cinematography, and the extensive time you put into your videos.
:)
Really glad I found this channel. Keep it up man, great work.
:)
Evangelion takes this to the extreme with the elevator scene and that other one
Dude, your videos/analysis are very good. Excellent channel 👍
:)
I really liked how you added that pause for the outro 😂
Hitchcock's bomb under the table.
Surprise is when two people are talking and suddenly "Boom".
Suspense is when the audience knows before it happens.
Nice touch at the end with the tension build
Haha, thank you. I’m glad people are catching that. Or else I think it’d just look like mistake.
:)
-Danny
That first scene with Hans Landa is one of the most tense scenes in a movie ever. You just know something bad is about to happen, but the delivery is so smooth
Your work is art. Love this.
:)
Thanks man. Thanks for your deep thinking.
Love that pause at the end 😂
That scene in the restaurant, where they are eating the strudel. That's another solid piece of acting and direction. The feeling of dread.
so well put
That opening scene in inglorious bastards is a masterclass on how to write villians
The Manchurian Candidate 1962 version. The red queen reveal scene. While the film is a masterpiece of tension, that one scene stands out for most.
the scene in children of men where they have to save the mother in a building full of soldiers, and then they all hear the baby cry and let them pass before brutally resuming is such a beautiful, tense af scene. the absence of cuts, music and any 'relief' for the viewer makes it very powerful. how the simple cry of an infant just stops everything to a crawl, including the movie. the tension makes me shake during the whole scene.
another one is the goddamn bear scene in annihilation. i had to stop the movie. i was feeling faint because i wasn't breathing.
these are the two examples I was going to use! Those and the car scene in Sicario
Quentin Tarantino is a master when it comes to character dialogue.
It builds anticipation between the audience and the art medium. Much like rubato in a piece of music.
DANNY, I'm binge watching your TH-cam TRAIN! Good Job MATE!
You’re amazing! Lots, lots more to come :)
@@CinemaStix I don't doubt that! Keep em comin'
The entire ending sequence in Seven. From the car ride out to the desert, to the moment Brad makes his mind up, you can cut the tension with a butter knife.
Haha well done showing us what you mean, by making an example with the blop at the end. 👌
:)
Last time I tried to make my Indian friend to watch Godfather, he died at just 20 minutes of the movie, majority of the population is indoctrinated with super fast pacing film (more than your average Marvel movie) and its hard to make them watch some classics.
Indian movies (especially bollywood) lack story, now when I say this I know some people will come at me to say, “no you are wrong they do have a story” but what I’m saying is, you can almost guess the ending of a bollywood movie just by watching half an hour of it. And many bollywood movies are kinda the same, only few movies aren’t like the same old action flick, and well they are good.
@@parzival2504 When it comes to Bollywood it's very true, 90% of the times it's the same old story in a newer packaging. Even the big budget south movies which are super popular now aren't much different.
Not all of em. you are missing the good ones
Jesus christ that is depressing to hear! Imagine that guy watching Tarkovsky or Malick
Vincent gang
Spectacularly great video very concise
:)
The inglorious bastards opening scene is super intense.. Hans Landa was charming, but he could change up quick and still be charming.. that scene set the tone
your content is fantastic
You’re fantastic.
I always told myself if Jules and Vincent. Just opened the door in the second scene and just starting to kill everyone. That would be complete boring and unoriginal! The fact is when Jules and Vincent went into the room and talked to them for a good 3 minutes until they delivered the final blow, you felt the tension and fear out of the characters for their lives!! 😱
A surprisingly good one that also involves an actress in the main seat (unfortunately we don't have many that are near the Hans Landa level) it's actually in a CBM. In the Dark Knight Rises Bruce finds out his mother pearls were stolen. The scene could have been better sure but the way Ann Hathaway transforms from skiddish waitress to master thief without any cutaways and a simply yet subtle lowering of her shoulders, ever so slight head tilt and lowering her voice a whole octave she became an entirely different person setting up the crisis and resolution nicely.
Great content mang
Thanks!
“Actually on the contrary you will be met with reward, and that reward will be your family will cease to be harassed for the remainder of our occupation of your country”
This is a good one. Thank you.
:)
I completely agree! This can also be in a boarder arc of the story. So many writers don't give time for the tention to build and immediately go for the shock/drama and action. It's been brought to my attention recently because of Andor. I loved the buildup and slower start to the series. But I've had so many people tell to me that they thought the start was too boring, that something more needed to happen. They are so used to be fed with action immediately that they didn't take time to think about what this slower buildup could mean to the bigger story. All the uncertainties and questions that they expertly let build, only for the climax to be so much more gratifying. (writing this when only 10 episoded have released). I know this videi is solely for movies and tention in relatively short scenes. But the same can also be applied to the bigger story, and i completely agree with this video
I think The Raid is all tension and momentum with little time to breathe.
quality stuff per usual
:)
I appreciate the suspense between him saying his name and thanks for watching
It's nice to see a video explaining something like this in the actual amount of time it takes to explain it. There are so many worthless 20+ minute essays on this site nowadays.
Frankly, I have no idea how this video only ended up being three minutes long. I always try my best to stay under 10 with my videos, but this one was simply a fluke. Wish I could do it every time.
I just remember that scene from the Godfather and the use of sound. How as the tension builds before the shooting and you see close ups of Michael Corleone’s face. There is a crescendo in the sound of the train on the railway. I don’t even think there was a railway line near the resturant. It didn’t matter cos it had the effect it intended. To increase the tension of the moment! FF Coppola the Genius!
Holy shit I didn't see the video length and I thought this vid would be like 10-20 mins long, 3 mins? This is really good
To be totally honest, I couldn’t believe it turned out to only be this long either. I pretty much always run into the issue of scripts ending up longer than planned. Something to be learned here. Just not sure what.
Thanks for watching :)
-Danny
That scene from Inglorious Bastards is a masterpiece!
Beautiful
extremely underrated channel
I love your videos so much you have no idea
:)
good work
:)
Inglorious Basterds was one of my best movie experiences 🔥
I remember the Godfather scene... it was so nerve wrecking, my heart was beating so fast
Thanks! Ever think of another wave of cinema coming in the future?
Subscribed this was great. For me uncut gems would also be a great example of tension. To me it might as well have ben called anxiety: the movie.
For real. Stress and chaos. It’s not really about those themes, but the video I published just today is about Uncut Gemma and some of the other work by the Safdie Brothers.
theres some quote similar to your point about music being the space between notes
How is this guy not getting more views?
You with the dramatic pause at the end with your name - yes, that's how you drive a point perfectly home. :)
I see what you did there at the end😏
:)
The phone call near the end of Arrival.
Sicario dinner table scene was insane!
If I were to give an example of good suspense it would have to be that 5 minute long train station scene in the untouchables.
In the most recent example, I would say Andor has master this in multiple occurrence
Does anyone ever binge new TH-cam channels you’ve discovered that are high quality like this one?
From the moment I've seen the video title I knew that godfather is going to bi discussed here :D because I don't know any other movie that delivers suspense and tension better than godfather. Scene by scene and the entire story about Michael killing those two are incredible
I agree to a certain point. Sometimes it just depends on who's watching some people don't like too much in between which can be alot less than what someone else might like. I have watched some movies that are considered great of all time and have fallen asleep
"It's the space between the notes that makes the music"
As a server who has had to open wine and Champaign at a table, goddamn is that shit nerve-wracking
that opening scene from inglorious basterds is the best, most terrifying scene in all of cinema. It's just as scary as most modern horror movies to be fair
A great tension building scene in a movie is the coin scene from the coen brothers film No Country for Old Men.
This whole dynamic goes for music as well. Radio friendly stuff usually goes straight to the point without any extra space to actually let the emotions build and release, leaving us with these soul-less 3 minute songs that convey nothing.
This is why November Rain is a goated song
That cut on the Godfather scene was an excellent way to demonstrate how pacing can mess up tension. Making Godfather an action movie ruins the character’s development and the audiences sense of looming threat. The dialog at the table was especially important as it conveyed two different and converging stories ending with one resolution.
I last watched Godfather for almost a decade and I can still remember the tension Michael made from sitting in the restaurant to killing those guys. I think the tension isn't implied on those pivotal moments, but rather the build up the movie has made that Michael can't be the Godfather he will become, just because he doesn't want it. We're made to believe that he's the opposite of his father, but the moment those gunshot are fired, that's the moment you truly know that Michael IS the Godfather, and that's the tension I felt and remember even after all these years of not seeing the movie.
I thought it was a good idea how Francis setup the scene in the bathroom with hidden the gun, especially, after watching The Offer and realizing that he knew it would mess with Al character not finding the gun (even though Francis hid the gun the way he did on purpose to add to tension of the scene for Al to freak out for a sec)
Almost died before the "thanks for watching"
Kudos
:)
The ending 🤌
Hehe :)
It was the delay between “I’m Danny Boyd…” and the *cork screw pop* for me. Hilariously genius lol point proven
:)
Nobody has mastered this craft better than QT.
I find tension is very rare to find in the majority of popular series and movies now within most genres. Especially with romance and drama where tension is crucial
This sums up my problem with Andor. The characters just push stuff around till it’s time for something to blow up. There’s no tension or urgency, it takes hours of real time to get to a moment where someone is making a decision. I could watch a whole Star Wars trilogy before something actually happens in Andor.
I would say the editors set the tone.