Parallel Editing and Cross Cutting Ryan Bushell

‘Parallel action is a narrative technique that involves intercutting between two or more separate areas of action (or scenes) in such a way that the viewer assumes the scenes are occurring simultaneously.’

A parallel edit is when we see a shot of the same thing happening but with different people. For example we could see somebody walking down the street being tracked whilst walking and then the camera cuts to show another person in the same location (doesn’t necessarily need to be in the same location) doing exactly the same thing. You will find that some adverts use this technique; Gillette had an advert showing different men using a razor in the same way, this was to show that each man gets the same result. A parallel edit can have a greater psychological meaning behind it, when we see two people doing exactly the same thing whether it be a man or a woman or two men, it shows that they have a very close relationship towards one another and are very similar to each other. This can also be found with a hero and a villain, both preparing to fight off against one another by arming themselves with guns. The meaning of a parallel edit is to tell 2 stories at the same time.

A great example of parallel editing is Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a train”. In the opening sequence we see 2 separate people walking into a train station and we know they are coming from different sides of the station due to the angling of the shots. We do not see any of the characters faces until we sit down, but we do know that these characters will somehow cross paths, a shot of train tracks crossing emphasizes this a lot.

Cross cutting in film is different to parallel editing. As we know parallel editing is filming two separate people doing the same as the other person. Cross cutting is switching between 2 different scenes in a different place and they are doing separate things; however, we know that it is in the same space of time because of the consistence cuts between the two of them. Cross cutting can also juxtapose each other, for example in the film ‘A corner in Wheat’ by DW Griffith the cross cutting is used to represent the differences between the rich and the poor and how the poor have to queue up for bread whilst the rich are partying and enjoying the luxury that is given to them.

Cross cutting can also be used to create tension, for example there is a scene in the godfather known famously as the baptism scene, this is where al Pacino takes the place as godfather for the small child. As we know a baptism consists of purism and religion and as this is going on one of the greatest sins known to man is going on simultaneously around the city. This is an example of the juxtaposition that I was talking about before; it can be used almost as irony.