Editing technique · used in 4 films

Match Cut as Thematic Argument

Cutting between 2 images that look alike in order to connect what they mean. The match gives you an idea about how the 2 things relate, on top of a smooth transition.

Examples

4 films that use it

  1. Strangers on a Train (1951) poster

    Strangers on a Train

    Alfred Hitchcock · 1951

    Hitchcock cuts back and forth between Guy and Bruno so their actions line up. In the climax, Guy has to win a tennis match fast so he can get to Metcalf. At the same time, Bruno is straining to reach his dropped lighter down a storm drain. The 2 struggles are cut so tightly together that they feel like one race.

    Where to see it: The tennis match and the storm drain. The film keeps cutting between Guy rushing to finish at Forest Hills and Bruno stretching his fingers toward the lighter through the grate.

  2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) poster

    Lawrence of Arabia

    David Lean · 1962

    Lawrence blows out a match, and the film cuts straight to the desert sunrise. This is a match cut, a cut that joins 2 shots through a shared shape. Here, the link is the line of a horizon and the shift from dark to light. Nevertheless, the cut also makes a point: Lawrence can control this small flame, and he can't control the fire out there. The match goes out just as Lawrence himself is about to be lit.

    Where to see it: The match cut. The flame goes out and the desert sun rises. It's one of the most analyzed edits in cinema.

  3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) poster

    2001: A Space Odyssey

    Stanley Kubrick · 1968

    A prehistoric ape throws a bone into the air, and the film cuts to a nuclear weapon satellite orbiting Earth. This is a match cut, where 2 similar shapes are joined across an edit. It skips 4 million years. It argues that all human technology continues from that first weapon, the same urge at a bigger scale. As a matter of fact, no other film states its main idea in so little time.

    Where to see it: The bone to satellite cut. It takes 2 objects and 4 million years and joins them with a single edit.

  4. Stoker (2013) poster

    Stoker

    Park Chan-wook · 2013

    Editor Nicolas De Toth and Park cut between India and Charlie so their actions echo each other. The cuts join two people into one pattern. You see their connection before the story tells you.

    Where to see it: The shower scene. India relives the murder while she showers, and the cuts tie her body and mind to Charlie's act.

Questions

Quick answers

What is match cut as thematic argument in film?
Cutting between 2 images that look alike in order to connect what they mean. The match gives you an idea about how the 2 things relate, on top of a smooth transition.
Which films use match cut as thematic argument?
Strangers on a Train (1951), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Stoker (2013).
What kind of technique is match cut as thematic argument?
It is a editing technique. Related editing techniques include others listed on the CineCode techniques page.

Learn more

Guides that cover it

Keep exploring

Related techniques