Cinematography technique · used in 1 film

Crime as Choreography

Staging a theft as a rehearsed routine of hands, timing and distraction. You enjoy the skill on screen even as you watch a crime.

Examples

Where you can see it

  1. Oliver Twist (2005) poster

    Oliver Twist

    Roman Polanski · 2005

    The pickpocketing was reportedly choreographed with the help of a stage pickpocket and a magician. The Dodger and Charley work the street like a routine, and you watch their hands before you think about the crime. Then it goes wrong for Oliver.

    Where to see it: Oliver's first outing: Dodger and Charley take Oliver out to teach him to pick pockets. It ends with Oliver falsely arrested for stealing from Mr Brownlow.

Questions

Quick answers

What is crime as choreography in film?
Staging a theft as a rehearsed routine of hands, timing and distraction. You enjoy the skill on screen even as you watch a crime.
Which films use crime as choreography?
Oliver Twist (2005).
What kind of technique is crime as choreography?
It is a cinematography technique. Related cinematography techniques include Institutional Architecture, Real Locations as Character, Handheld Cinema Vérité.

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