I chose this scene from 1984's The Terminator, directed by James Cameron, starting at about 1:20 in the provided clip on YouTube. The pacing of the editing is slow as the Terminator stalks Sarah Connor. The shot during which he enters the club lasts for nearly 25 seconds as the camera tracks Arnold entering the club before cutting to the next shot. The film here ratchets up the tension through the use of long-lasting cuts; the loud, steady,pumping beat of the music. This club music is pushed far away, giving way to a near monotonous drone, continuous and unwavering as the Terminator finds its target. As the film draws closer and closer to the inevitable explosion of this ticking time bomb, the pace of the cuts seem to slow down, drawing out the tension, and the audience to the breaking point of suspense. This is only further heightened as each shot plays out in slow motion, focusing on characters’ eyes and expressions as they scan their surroundings. As soon as the bullets start flying however, the cuts come quickly and relentless, more than 10 in less than as many seconds.
This pacing of cuts, from slow during the build up, to extremely quick during the release of tension, serves those exact purposes. The quick cuts help in suddenly releasing the bottled up suspense layered on by the slow pacing of the build up. The boom of Reese’s shotgun is akin to the starting gun of a race, imploring the film to sprint off as quickly as it can.
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