What Is Parallel Editing in Film? — And Why Do Editors Use It?

There are countless ways to edit a movie. Sometimes the most direct, most linear method is best—one scene happens, then the next. But at other times, less common editing techniques can bring a sequence to life. Parallel editing is one such distinctive form: it can refine a film’s texture and heighten suspense through contrast. So what exactly is parallel editing in film, and how should it be used?

Definition of Parallel Editing in Film

If you’ve spent any time in post-production, you’ve probably heard the term “parallel editing.” It comes up frequently, but people aren’t always precise about what it actually means.

So what does parallel editing really refer to?

Parallel editing is an editing technique in which two or more different scenes are intercut to imply that they are happening at the same time. It can also mean intercutting two or more different actions within a single extended scene.

Parallel Editing vs. Cross-Cutting

Does that definition sound familiar? That’s because it’s very similar to cross-cutting, and many people use the terms interchangeably. In practice, though, there is a difference.

Cross-cutting refers to intercutting multiple scenes, but it does not necessarily mean that those scenes are happening simultaneously. The relationship between cross-cutting and parallel editing is like the relationship between rectangles and squares: all parallel editing is cross-cutting, but not all cross-cutting is parallel editing.

In Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Ethan Hunt and his team face an extremely complex mission. As they discuss how to infiltrate a heavily guarded facility, director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton use cross-cutting to present their plan:

This is cross-cutting rather than parallel editing, because the cross-cutting is not intended to suggest that the two sequences are happening at the same time. In fact, the sequence that lays out their plan never actually occurs.

Now let’s look at one of the most important scenes in film history: the Odessa Steps sequence in Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin.

Here, Eisenstein pioneered the use of parallel editing within a single scene. He interweaves the chaotic massacre of civilians by soldiers with a more intimate dramatic moment of a mother mourning her dead child. These two events are happening simultaneously, so this cross-cutting is also parallel editing.

The Odessa Steps sequence perfectly demonstrates the power of parallel editing. Let’s break down some of its uses.

Why Use Parallel Editing?

First and foremost, parallel editing emphasizes simultaneity. If you simply place two scenes back-to-back, it’s hard to convey that they are happening at the same time.

But beyond this primary purpose, parallel editing serves other functions.

Intercutting between different scenes can build suspense by stretching out the unfolding of events and increasing the audience’s sense of anticipation.

Take a sequence in The Battle of Algiers, where the camera cuts between three different female insurgents carrying bombs.

Here, the parallel narrative structure greatly heightens the scene’s suspense. We see each woman looking at a clock, underscoring the countdown to the explosions. Perhaps more importantly, we see them looking around, which lets us see the eventual victims.

By weaving these three scenes together, the film deepens its exploration of the themes of The Battle of Algiers: the tragedy of ordinary people caught up in war, the level of commitment required for guerrilla warfare, and the wealth and class divide between the French and the Algerians.

All the while, we’re holding our breath, waiting for the bombs to go off.

Although parallel editing can be used to build tension and slow down the pace, it can also speed things up. This is especially useful in action films, where cutting between multiple locations can intensify the impact of the action.

Christopher Nolan is a master at using parallel editing for this effect. He likes to weave different sequences together to create a tight, energetic rhythm. Perhaps the pinnacle of this approach can be found in Oppenheimer—a film driven largely by dialogue that nevertheless feels like an action movie, thanks to the near-constant use of cross-cutting and parallel editing.

Parallel editing is also ideal for juxtaposition and contrast. It forces the audience to compare and contrast the multiple scenes presented to them.

The baptism sequence in The Godfather is one of the most frequently cited examples of this use of parallel editing:

The juxtaposition here reveals Michael’s inner conflict and can also be read as a critique of the hypocrisy that can pervade organized religion.

Now that we understand what parallel editing can do, let’s look at some more striking examples.

Examples of Parallel Editing

Once you start looking for it, you’ll see parallel editing everywhere. Here are some films that use it for the reasons we’ve just discussed.

Jonathan Demme uses parallel editing brilliantly in the climactic finale of his groundbreaking thriller, creating tremendous suspense. At the same time, it sets up a surprising twist: we assume the heavily armed SWAT team is closing in on the serial killer, but it turns out to be Clarice.

Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper contains no shortage of harrowing scenes, but perhaps none is more nerve-racking than the opening. Eastwood uses parallel editing to frame Chris Kyle’s impossible moral dilemma and to set the tone for the brutality that runs through the rest of the film.

We’ve already mentioned Nolan’s fondness for this technique, but we have to highlight this sequence in Inception. It perfectly encapsulates Nolan’s approach to parallel editing. The intercut scenes are causally connected: every time the van moves, we tense up, because we know it makes the dream world more dangerous.