Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
46 used & new from $10.00

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Tell a Friend
The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film
 
See larger image
 
Are You an Author or Publisher?
Find out how to publish your own Kindle Books
 
  

The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film (Hardcover)

by Michael Ondaatje (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  (17 customer reviews)

List Price: $35.00
Price: $25.55 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save: $9.45 (27%)
Special Offers Available
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 2 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Tuesday, July 22? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. See details

46 used & new available from $10.00
Also Available in: List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (Import) 2 used & new from $21.00
Paperback $19.95 $13.57 52 used & new from $8.55
 
   

Special Offers and Product Promotions
  • Save $10 when you spend $50 and pay with Bill Me Later. The fast and convenient way to buy without using your credit card. Offer limited to items purchased from Amazon.com between July 14, 2008 and July 21, 2008. One per customer account. Enter code BMLSAVES at checkout. Here's how (restrictions apply)

Best Value

Buy Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies and get The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film at an additional 5% off Amazon.com's everyday low price.

Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film Buy Together Today: $36.17


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

In the Blink of an Eye Revised 2nd Edition

In the Blink of an Eye Revised 2nd Edition by Walter Murch

4.5 out of 5 stars (36)  $11.16
The Cutting Edge - The Magic of Movie Editing

The Cutting Edge - The Magic of Movie Editing DVD ~ Kathy Bates

4.4 out of 5 stars (22)  $10.99
The Eye is Quicker: Film Editing: Making A Good Film Better

The Eye is Quicker: Film Editing: Making A Good Film Better by Richard D. Pepperman

4.4 out of 5 stars (15)  $18.45
Behind the Seen: How Walter Murch Edited Cold Mountain Using Apple's Final Cut Pro and What This Means for Cinema (VOICES)

Behind the Seen: How Walter Murch Edited Cold Mountain Using Apple's Final Cut Pro and What This Means for Cinema (VOICES) by Charles Koppelman

4.0 out of 5 stars (12)  $29.19
On Film Editing

On Film Editing by EDWARD DMYTRYK

4.9 out of 5 stars (8)  $32.26
Explore similar items : Books (43) Movies & TV (6)

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Ask most moviegoers, "Who is Walter Murch?" and they're likely to stare uncomprehendingly. Ondaatje (The English Patient) seeks to eradicate that ignorance by providing an expert analysis of Murch's consummate film editing skills, and pointing out along the way the monumental contributions editors make to motion pictures. Murch, a three time Oscar winner and integral collaborator on such cinematic milestones as The Godfather, Julia, The English Patient and American Graffiti, attended the University of Southern California with George Lucas and bonded early on with UCLA film student Francis Ford Coppola. A relative neophyte, he worked on Coppola's The Rain People and a low-budget sci-fi picture, THX 1138, which has since become a cult classic. Murch adhered to a rule of not watching other movies while concentrating on a project of his own, calling himself a "queen bee who gets impregnated once and can lay millions of eggs afterwards." Through his eyes, and Ondaatje's remarkably insightful questions and comments, readers see how intricate the process is, and understand Murch when he says, "The editor is the only one who has time to deal with the whole jigsaw. The director simply doesn't." He also offers insightful thoughts on Orson Welles, Marlon Brando and Fred Zinnemann. Although Murch claims the actors on his films rarely know who he is, this excellent, eye-opening book done in a question-and-answer format will make readers glad Ondaatje has shown them the significant role he plays behind the scenes. Photos.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Editing is an often invisible part of the filmmaking process; the audience tends not to be aware how the editor's eye has crafted a film. Ondaatje reveals some of its mystery through several conversations with Murch, the editor of The Conversation, The English Patient, and Apocalypse Now and Redux. In the late 1960s, Murch, along with Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas (who describes Murch as "strange like me"), helped form Zoetrope, the independent company where films like THX 1138 and The Godfather were born. Murch finds his own profession difficult to accurately describe, comparing quirks in actor dialogue to signs in the wilderness that only a hunter might detect. Ondaatje and Murch walk the reader through key scenes from several films, providing a glimpse into the editing process; the origins of his masterful re-edit of Orson Wells' Touch of Evil are particularly fascinating (especially for film buffs). These conversations allow readers a peek behind the curtain to reveal a man as mysterious as his art. Carlos Orellana
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details
  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Knopf (September 17, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0375413863
  • ISBN-13: 978-0375413865
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: