Chaotic Edit, Clear Outcome: DEATH RACE 2000
This chaotic sequence from Death Race 2000 (CW: car crash, copious over-the-top semi-absurdist gore) is effective and funny . . . but why? And how does it make itself clear amongst the chaos?
Let’s look piece by piece!
The Setup
The sequence starts with an establishing road shot of driver Joe "Machine Gun" Viterbo (Sylvester Stallone) and his navigator Myra (Louisa Moritz) driving to show the car’s speed and power, then a medium, sun-flaring shot of them discussing the race.
Joe and Myra’s quick conversation “why aren’t [people] down here on the road” reminds us what the film has established: winning the race ‘requires’ running down civilians to score points.
With that thought in mind, the next few shots make clear what’s coming.
Shots of the car traveling and tradies working move from mediums, closer and closer, including a shot looking dead into the ‘eyes’ of the car coming right at us, and a closeup of the central tradie paying close attention to his jackhammer (joke surely intentional).
Right before the hit comes, we see tradies fleeing the car, first as a duo who spot it, then the crowd around the Jackhammering Man — in a shot we’ve already seen, and to which the scene returns twice.
We also have a medium of the car framed ominously between Jackhammering Man’s legs, foreshadowing where the wicked-looking mounted knife — which we also get a hand medium shot of — will go.
The placid, ‘hmmm something maybe feels off? ah, well’ look on his face is objectively funny, stands in stark — thus, funny — contrast with what’s coming.
Payoff
If you look closely at the moment before impact you can see where the jeans have been cut to allow for the squibs (fake blood packets) to spurt as the car-sword comes through:
Here is where the real rapid-fire cutting begins, rapidly toggling through shots of things we’ve already seen in medium in-context shots.
Even amidst these closeup quick cuts we can clearly distinguish between car and Jackhammering Man — black and chrome versus blue jeans and hi-vis, now doused in a heavy coating of red-dyed corn syrup.
The cuts begin switching movement direction across screen, first the car moving L-R and then R-L. This sort of switching is often disorienting, and thus usually avoided both in stunt scenes and edits which switch quickly between shots; however, because we can quickly distinguish between car and man, we’re not confused, even as the switches can make us feel tumulted about like Jackhammering Man is.
The sequence holds the shots just (barely!) long enough for us to recognise what’s happening and then bam! moves on. A (not comprehensive) series:
Note the smattering of blood on the ground under the Goodyear tires — whether intentional or incidental set dressing, it works.
Then before we can catch our breath, amidst the AAAAAAAAAAAH screaming of Jackhammering Man, we hear “Aaaa—” the start of a J-cut into “—all right all right!”
Punch Line
Can’t add anything to the panache race announcer Junior Bruce (Don Steele, a hugely popular disc jockey) brings to this whiplash-inducing radio announcement.
Bang, we’re out.
Takeaway
If you’re going to make a chaotic, closeup, quick-edited sequence, three helpful things are 1. first establish the setting first in wider shots, and slowly ratchet up the speed of cuts even as you get closer 2. make it pretty clear what’s about to happen: oh here’s the dude about to get rammed by a murder car! 3. create strong visual differences in the elements which will be on screen.
Then don’t forget to have a blast!