tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post708955759416082840..comments2024-03-28T06:14:54.076-04:00Comments on And So It Begins...: Breaking Down Steven Soderbergh’s Three-Shot RuleAlex Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-80339806025614236852018-04-19T11:53:39.352-04:002018-04-19T11:53:39.352-04:00I completely agree with your assessment of both fi...I completely agree with your assessment of both films. And Soderbergh has often acknowledged that as well. And believe me, Solaris was panned here, at least with audiences. Soderbergh had just won an Oscar for Traffic, and then delivered a massive hit with Ocean's Eleven, so to follow that up with a quiet, patient film like Solaris... that did not sit well with people at all. But I have always adored it.<br /><br />I need to rewatch Enemy now, and Fincher's work!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-49125564275948739772018-04-17T18:40:56.664-04:002018-04-17T18:40:56.664-04:00Never thought about this, much more about openings...Never thought about this, much more about openings in an overall sense... but recently I saw Enemy on TV and I remember it starts with an image of the city and then another thing and the pregnant wife, I think Soderbergh would like that. Now I'm wondering what Fincher does with this... as he seems to overanalyze every shot. <br /><br />My favorites are Out of Sight, Che Part I and Magic Mike. And the Solaris one is not too bad I kinda feel like that shot of the bed makes you feel like someone should be lying on that bed next to him. I'm so glad to read what you've said about Solaris. I went to see that film on cinema with my mother and I remember that despite there was a lot of criticism towards it (at least in Spain) we both loved it. Those Dylan Thomas quotes and the Cliff Martinez soundtrack still gives me chills. A few years ago I watched the Tarkovsky one : masterpiece, but I still love the Soderbergh one because it's a different interpretation of the same thing... And I'm just talking a lot about it because I'm reading the novel at the moment, for the first time, and reading it just makes me more convinced that both films are totally valid. Tarkovsky captured the imagery and the otherwordly and surreal part and Soderbergh the intimate part. To anyone reading the novel I'd recommend both films as a combined vision of the novel. <br /><br />Really interesting post as always! María Val. https://www.blogger.com/profile/17702353414253463871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-19182269527316709712018-04-15T10:25:59.707-04:002018-04-15T10:25:59.707-04:00Thanks so much! I agree, Soderbergh, Fincher, Scor...Thanks so much! I agree, Soderbergh, Fincher, Scorsese (I'll add Michael Mann and Ridley Scott), are some of my favorite cinema speakers. When they do director's commentaries, I always learn so much from them. <br /><br />And holy shit, I had no idea about being able to submit questions to him! Never even heard about that, but I'm so happy that film is being rereleased.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-14116263227165425362018-04-13T19:51:14.819-04:002018-04-13T19:51:14.819-04:00Great post, Alex. Very informative as to how an ar...Great post, Alex. Very informative as to how an artist hooks an audience, and also how he evolves. <br /><br />Soderbergh is one of those filmmakers who I can just listen to talk about film and filmmaking for hours. Scorsese and Fincher are up there too. You always walk away from an interview with so much insight, the feeling that, yes, maybe I can do this.<br /><br />By curiosity, have you heard about the Q&A he did with Criterion for the sex,lies, and videotape release? I wanted to submit a question, but I felt a little intimidated. Did you submit a question for him?Nick9000https://www.blogger.com/profile/04850668284839130387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-10542627546064086062018-04-13T10:40:17.664-04:002018-04-13T10:40:17.664-04:00Thank you! I do love Mr. Soderbergh, indeed. Just ...Thank you! I do love Mr. Soderbergh, indeed. Just making this list, I knew I was in for a month-long Soderbergh binge. Rarely did I stop watching these movies after their first three shots; gotta let them play all the way through!<br /><br />Thank you so much for reading and commenting!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-77843166624538561922018-04-13T10:38:21.728-04:002018-04-13T10:38:21.728-04:00Thanks so much! It definitely took a while but hol...Thanks so much! It definitely took a while but holy shit, what fun. And you bring up an interesting point - is it fair for someone to judge someone else, given that they don't hold themselves to the same standard? (I suppose that's the basis of American politics, but that's another story.) So, to be fair, I've never heard Soderbergh call out another filmmaker for the three-shot rule, only himself. He started bringing it up recently in interviews, both in times where he thinks he succeeded, and failed. What an interesting guy.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-27695289144658670752018-04-10T10:44:14.279-04:002018-04-10T10:44:14.279-04:00No wonder you like Soderbergh so much, he's di...No wonder you like Soderbergh so much, he's directed so many films that you respect! Seeing them listed this way, he has had quite a career! <br /><br />I'm glad you wrote some personal history with Logan Lucky, as by that time, I started wondering when did Soderbergh make it known that he has such a philosophy, as that is something, once you say it aloud, people are going to look back and see how much you follow the concept. <br /><br />Another excellent essay, thank you! <br /><br />I really need to watch more of his films. JackalsIIIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14354017921443889442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-53425939760815539802018-04-06T10:46:00.087-04:002018-04-06T10:46:00.087-04:00Oh wow this is amazing! You must have worked so lo...Oh wow this is amazing! You must have worked so long on this post. Out of Sight opening composition of shots is so memorable and that freeze frame definitely catches the eye and sets the tone for the film. I also really like how Ocean's 12 begins. Solaris has great beginning too in terms of showing what the film is about. It's an interesting rule but Soderbergh clearly himself is not always following it, in terms of how effective and representative these shots are, so it'd be silly for him to judge other films based on it. s.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13987831438787776712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-29711277174101192582018-04-06T09:37:21.063-04:002018-04-06T09:37:21.063-04:00Dude! You're the man. Thanks so much for this ...Dude! You're the man. Thanks so much for this comment. I'm so happy you dug the post!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-38845128952280376262018-04-06T09:24:37.920-04:002018-04-06T09:24:37.920-04:00Alex! I love this! This is fantastic! This is why ...Alex! I love this! This is fantastic! This is why movie blogging exists! I had no idea about this. What a breakdown. I will never look at the first three shots of a movie the same way again...Nick Priggehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17895803287589438170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-14254115346771544152018-04-05T16:04:04.131-04:002018-04-05T16:04:04.131-04:00Thanks so much! It's so cool to examine movies...Thanks so much! It's so cool to examine movies this way. How much does the start of a film suggest what we're about to see?<br /><br />Sex, Lies is a good one. Very different from the kind of stuff he makes today. Solaris is one of my all-time favorite films, but it is slow, so be warned haha. <br /><br />And honestly, Contagion, Haywire, Magic Mike and Side Effects are four of the most deliberately entertaining, compulsively rewatchable films from any director I've ever seen. I can watch any or all of them any time, any day.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-10765641854421452292018-04-05T16:01:11.447-04:002018-04-05T16:01:11.447-04:00Thanks Dell! I think Soderbergh honed this "r...Thanks Dell! I think Soderbergh honed this "rule" as his career evolved. I do not think he started his career with the three-shot rule in mind, but as he kept making more films (and seeing what worked and what didn't) he realized that the first, second, and third shot of his movies are absolutely essential. <br /><br />So, I don't think it was on accident; that he put a name to it after the fact. I think he realized it around Out of Sight and The Limey, and by Ocean's Eleven he said, "Yeah, I have to begin every film as strong as possible."<br /><br />From Contagion on, he hasn't made a massive studio film, or a "Steven Soderbergh Experience" film, which seems deliberate. Basically, I think since Contagion, he's gained full and complete control of his films, and that's why his openers have been so strong since.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-74741793534927394352018-04-05T15:54:17.243-04:002018-04-05T15:54:17.243-04:00I always love your comments. This is all so true. ...I always love your comments. This is all so true. First off, his three-shot rule <i>has</i> been an evolution. It's very clear that he didn't start off thinking that way, but he honed it with experience. It's also been fun to go back through my own work and dissect the opening three shots of my stuff. Kind of scary, actually. But you can be goddamn sure that the next time I make something, I'm putting more thought than I normally would into those opening shots.<br /><br />I also absolutely love that intro to Breaking the Waves. I still remember that first time I saw it too. It was so new and alive.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-90298600932683161662018-04-05T08:06:49.594-04:002018-04-05T08:06:49.594-04:00Great post! I've never even considered paying ...Great post! I've never even considered paying attention to this until before. I'm glad he seems to have gotten better at it too.<br /><br />Sex, Lies, and Videotape is my Blind Spot for this month ,but I need to see Solaris too. Now I just want to watch Side Effects again. Brittani Burnhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07975067259283007280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-84020953534031953132018-04-04T23:22:45.089-04:002018-04-04T23:22:45.089-04:00This was fascinating stuff! I have a question, tho...This was fascinating stuff! I have a question, though. Since he seems to get better at applying the rule as he's gone on (as you note, from Contagion on), could it be that the rule is just something he put a name to after the fact, as in after he noticed how much emphasis he himself was putting on those opening shots? In any event, this was a very informative read. Great job!Dellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05634519605152190304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-16637239374035185092018-04-04T17:53:37.110-04:002018-04-04T17:53:37.110-04:00Wow, the evolution of the three-shot rule accordin...Wow, the evolution of the three-shot rule according to Steven Soderbergh. This is something every aspiring filmmaker needs to learn. Yet, I often go to <i>Breaking the Waves</i> as an idea to introduce a film's protagonist as the way Lars opened the film was something that felt new when I first saw the film when I was 19/20 when I saw it on IFC. <br /><br />This is a lesson that needs to be honed as it is definitely a device that filmmakers need. thevoid99https://www.blogger.com/profile/03055459287396592446noreply@blogger.com