Editing technique · used in 2 films
Cutting back and forth between a sacred ceremony and acts of violence happening elsewhere. Putting the holy next to the brutal makes an ironic comment on both.
Examples
Francis Ford Coppola · 1972
Coppola cuts between Michael standing as godfather at his nephew's baptism, renouncing Satan, and the assassination of the heads of the other 4 New York families and Moe Greene in Las Vegas. The murders are carried out on his orders at the same moment. The church ritual and the killings share the same rhythm and pattern.
Where to see it: The baptism massacre sequence in Act 3. The 2 events play out together.
Francis Ford Coppola · 1990
Coppola cuts between the performance of Cavalleria rusticana in Palermo and the killings Michael has ordered. The music and the violence play at the same time. The effect is a call back to the first film's baptism sequence.
Where to see it: The opera in Palermo. Michael's son Anthony makes his operatic debut while revenge killings happen across the city, and Mosca's attempt on Michael kills Mary.
Questions
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