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This paper will examine two scenes in relation to editing, sound, acting, and drama from the movie The Fifth Element. The first scene is just after the concert; in this scene, Corbin Dallas (Bruce Willis) negotiates with the Mangalores who have taken over the hotel. The second scene is at the end, when Corbin, Cornelius, Leeloo, Ruby, and David use the five elements to stop the “ultimate evil” from destroying the universe. For the purposes of this paper, the scenes will be referred to as “negotiations” and “the fifth element” respectively. In “negotiations,” the use of parallel editing is prevalent. Cuts come in a constant stream, which lends a sense of urgency to the scene, and speeds the flow along. The cuts themselves happen every time the focus shifts to someone else. Each cut moves the person who is the central figure, or essentially the person with a line, to the center of the frame. Each shot is a mid-close-up on the speaker and so the visual is one of the shoulders and head. This image is repeated in every shot, and that is what is seen after each cut. For example, at one point Corbin says, “We need to find the leader, Mangalores won’t fight without the leader.” the very next image we see is that of the Mangalore leader centered in the frame, holding Cornelius as hostage; the Mangalore then says “If you fire another shot, we will start killing hostages.” Then it cuts back to Corbin who remarks, “That’s the leader.” The timeline within the scene is linear but shortened to give the impression that not much time elapses during the negotiations.
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