Insinuating with Match Cuts: SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN

Snow White and the Huntsman uses match cuts to demonstrate the deadly, creepy connection between Finn (Sam Spruell) and Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron).

Finn and his soldiers have tracked down Eric the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), Snow White (Kristen Stewart), and the eight dwarfs. Finn and the Huntsman fight; at a crucial moment the scene begins to match cut to Queen Ravena and back again.

Match Whats?

Match Cuts edit between images of different-but-visually-similar items.

As the title suggests, such a cut ‘matches’ objects and/or characters across different scenes, with the effect of smoothing transition with visual continuity, creating a joke, linking themes, looking clever, some or all of the above.

Eye Motivators

We’ve talked about how to use eyes to motivate important insert shots.

Here the Huntsman’s look motivates a cut to a gnarly upended tree stump, showing us what he sees right before he rushes Finn to impale him on the wooden spikes — his eyes show us his train of thought right before he puts the train in motion.

Drawing Connections

Some match cuts would cut on the moment of impact to avoid violence and gore — such avoidance may be the original plan, or perhaps it’s a choice after filming the stunt doesn’t come out quite right, or it’s a last-minute fix after the nebulous ratings board insists frames be trimmed.

Here we do get the full impact of Finn’s body into the tree, and a moment of Finn reacting in shock before the match cut ties Finn and the Queen together starting with the Queen’s hand knocking the inkwell, which spills ink which looks like blood.

The film’s rating likely limits blood to a bare minimum, so the burbling black ink suggests it with an added tinge of magic grossness, while the idea of blood also reminds us how Finn and the Queen are connected through royal bloodline.

The shots go back and forth, getting closer and closer to the Queen writhing and supernaturally-ageing as Finn dies. When the Huntsman pushes the tree-spears deeper into Finn, it cuts to the Queen reacting, clearly feeling Finn’s death throes.

Implications

Snow White and the Huntsman suggested fairy-tale-apropos incest in Finn and the Queen’s introduction, but the edit here — including how they call out for each other in his death and her, er, little death — makes it crystal clear, and the match cuts are a huge part of that.

Match Details

While some match cuts may want to contrast items or characters, Snow White and the Huntsman uses similar visual elements to tie them together.

The lighting and colours are similar in both scenes, the foley (sound effects) of Finn going into the tree and the ink spilling are both crunchy and slurpy, I especially love the forest-y writhing gold vines detailing on the Queen’s dress.

Little details in costume, props, and set design further invite the audience to make connections.

Takeaways

When you want to connect characters who don’t share a scene, consider how directly your transition from one scene to the other will invite connection; everything from the shots themselves to the props and set dressing, wardrobe, and actor’s performance can enhance the effect, but how the shots themselves fit together is one of the biggest arrows in your director’s quiver.

(Okay I’ll stop with the Huntsman tie-ins now. Only because this is the end.)