MovieChat Forums > The Good Thief (2003) Discussion > Freeze Frames

Freeze Frames

posted 18 years ago by Jimborasso
19 replies | jump to latest

I've just seen this movie on TV and I'm wondering why there are freeze frames at the end of many scenes? Or if that was by accident and I was watching a bad version on TV?
Was quite annoying but still a good movie.

OK I've just seen another thread about that topic. I don't think it's a very good stylistic device to put freeze frames at the end of scenes, especially not in the way they did it here (just one or two frames, which makes it look like a mistake). Also I don't see any stylistic similarities to Wong Kar Wai/Christopher Doyle like someone else said in this other thread....

[–] iconians 18 years ago

its just what he did, its annoying at 1st, but then you get used to it

[–] aminbaumann 18 years ago

There must be more to this.

[–] iconians 18 years ago

no

its his style

simple:)

[–] joegranby 18 years ago

Yes it can be annoying a little. Especially if you had bought the dvd and watching it for the first time, you'd think it was freezing for a second. But after watching it, you can see that Jordan was just going for a different style of cutting to the next scene. Overall I enjoyed the film very much and didn't realise till reading these boards that it was a loose re-make or re-working as it stands up on it's own, even if Nolte is hard to hear sometimes.

Don't read the book, go see the film.

[–] neil_mc 18 years ago

It was a poor effort from Jordan, a good director shouldn't be using ridiculous and heavy handed techniques like that when it serves absolutely no purpose other than to distract you and remind you that the editor is just trying to make a name for himself.

"We're making a film here, not a movie."

[–] Bussssss69 15 years ago

I think a director or who ever cut the movie can do anything. Hell its his movie. Blue boy ( and not the porno LoL) was painted by Thomas Gainsborough no one liked it because that time the major complaint was.... None one use BLUE!!!! as a primary color of a painting. Silly huh.. well you all bitchin about the freeze frame sounds bizare to me, but hey... to each their on said the woman who kissed the cow!

[–] el1sdf 17 years ago

so Scorsese can use it but Neil Jordan cannot?

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] el1sdf 17 years ago

Goodfellas and Casino

[–] mgurbada909 16 years ago

Also, in The Departed, during the big shoot-out at the warehouse.

[–] graypianosflying 16 years ago

"most of the time the freeze frames are reaction shots."

I'm not so sure about this. I just watched this on DVD and the freeze effect seemed to happen between every major scene/setting transition.

The effect was so unnatural and jarring that I thought there was a flaw in the digital encoding of the film, or that my player was malfunctioning. The freeze was too brief to be artistically valuable, in my opinion. It just seemed like there was a DVD layer transition going on every 10 minutes. Annoying.

[–] mylundon 16 years ago

this movie is a remake of a film that some believe started the french new wave.
the french new wave films employed many tricks like this is there films so in a way its a nod them.

Action is the enemy of thought

[–] wvmcl 16 years ago

It was a stylistic device, but it has an unfortunate effect on DVD since we are used to seeing exactly the same kind of freeze up at the point where double layered disks switch layers, or in some cases just because of defective or dirty disks.

Since a huge percentage of the people who will eventually see small independent films like this will see them on DVD, I suspect directors will avoid this technique in the future.

[–] little_wing 15 years ago

I hated the 'freeze frame' effect in this otherwise excellent film. I saw it on IFC so I knew it wasn't a DVD problem. I thought it was because it was digitally filmed. I looked it up and it was filmed on 35mm, so came to realize it was, as wvmcl stated, a stylistic device.

Have a better one...

[–] mlspaur 15 years ago

"so Scorsese can use it but Neil Jordan cannot?"

I wasn't wondering if I had enough in my savings account to buy a new DVD player while watching "Casino."

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Falconeer 13 years ago

that's funny; I just came here to complain that my dvd was defective! I am surprised to hear the freeze frame effect was intentional. still, a great movie..
"I just like people..."

[–] barbfrmsf 11 years ago

you are right. I though it was a Netflix mistake. It was a little jarring. It wasn't a bad movie. have a great day