Editing technique · used in 5 films

Near-Miss Tracking Structure

Building tension from scenes where 2 characters, or a character and the answer they want, come close and never meet. The dread comes from how near they get.

Examples

5 films that use it

  1. Heat (1995) poster

    Heat

    Michael Mann · 1995

    Mann follows Hanna and McCauley side by side for nearly 3 hours. The detective is always a step behind and the thief is always a step ahead. The only time they choose to meet is the diner scene, where both admit they are bound to collide. Every sequence before it is about the distance between them. It keeps shrinking, and neither man is able to stop it.

    Where to see it: The parallel surveillance sequences. Hanna watches McCauley's crew and McCauley watches Hanna's team. Each man knows the other is watching him.

  2. No Country for Old Men (2007) poster

    No Country for Old Men

    Joel Coen, Ethan Coen · 2007

    Moss and Chigurh spend most of the film in the same motels, the same towns and the same roads. Chigurh always arrives just after Moss has left. The film is built as a series of near-misses. They train you to expect a confrontation that, in a crucial sense, never arrives.

    Where to see it: Chigurh following the tracking device to Moss's motel in Del Rio. Moss has already left.

  3. American Gangster (2007) poster

    American Gangster

    Ridley Scott · 2007

    Frank and Richie do not meet until about 20 minutes before the end. Scott cut between them to keep both stories moving, with Frank's deals and family on one side and Richie's task force and divorce on the other. The tension comes from how close their paths get without crossing.

    Where to see it: The Fight of the Century: Frank attends with his wife Eva, and Richie notices Frank has better seats than the Italian mobsters and starts investigating him.

  4. Prisoners (2013) poster

    Prisoners

    Denis Villeneuve · 2013

    Loki comes close to the solution several times. He questions Alex, the priest and Bob Taylor, and each lead stops just short of the truth. Villeneuve builds the whole film as a chain of near-misses. Even though the ending is a rescue, you understand how close it came to tragedy.

    Where to see it: Loki's arrival at Holly Jones's house. He finds her drugging Anna and rescues her after a shootout. It's almost unwatchable because the rescue comes so close to failing.

  5. Uncut Gems (2019) poster

    Uncut Gems

    Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie · 2019

    Howard almost gets the opal back. He almost wins enough to clear the debt, and he almost gets the bet placed in time. The Safdies build every possible way out as a near-miss. Howard's hand closes on what he needs and something takes it away. You live in the gap between what could fix things and what actually happens. That gap closes only in the final scene.

    Where to see it: The repeated times Howard nearly gets the opal back. Each time he almost has it, another hand takes it or another deadline moves. The run of near-misses becomes a kind of drawn-out torture.

Questions

Quick answers

What is near-miss tracking structure in film?
Building tension from scenes where 2 characters, or a character and the answer they want, come close and never meet. The dread comes from how near they get.
Which films use near-miss tracking structure?
Heat (1995), No Country for Old Men (2007), American Gangster (2007), Prisoners (2013), Uncut Gems (2019).
What kind of technique is near-miss tracking structure?
It is a editing technique. Related editing techniques include others listed on the CineCode techniques page.

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