The Editing Ride of Bullet Train

Sometimes you just really need pure🍿escapism. Bullet Train hits all the marks — fast-paced, non-stop action with a few fun surprise cameos. The film's editor, Elisabet Ronnaldsdótir, ACE, is an assassin in her own right (minus the actual, you know, murder part). She's worked on blockbuster action films, including Atomic Blonde, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings, John Wick, and Deadpool 2. 

She recently spoke to Art of the Cut about what it was like to team up once again with director David Leitch (one of Brad Pitt's former stunt doubles!), how she edits fight choreography, when to break the 180 rule, and more.

Top 10 Quotes

"I do think you have to have likability, but you still have to push. That's what filmmaking is all about. If I walk into a room and no one is going to push me, it's like having nothing to hold on to. Filmmaking is a collaborative art, so as a director, you have to be willing to be pushed as well."

Bullet Train, L-R, Actor Brian Tyree Henry (Lemon) and Brad Pitt (Ladybug)

"It's extremely important, but sometimes it's okay to break the 180 rule. It depends on the material, what's happening, what's being said, what's being done. You have to be aware that you are breaking this rule, and you have to be aware that it works. You don't do it if it doesn't work."

Bullet Train, Actor Andrew Koji (Kimura)

"The editing is always governed by the choreography and the shooting of it. You can’t do anything about the material you get. We had massive fun with all the fight choreography."

Bullet Train, Actor Zazie Beetz (The Hornet)

"That's one of the reasons why both David and Chad Stahelski do such amazing action movies because this is where they grew up. What amazes me about David is just how well-versed he is in film history. He burns for cinema. Cinema is everything. I love that. A lot of our time is just talking about characters, talking about the story."

Bullet Train, Actor Hiroyuki Sanada (The Elder)

"A lot of the time, you have previz that the stunt team use as a blueprint where they actually shoot the stunt, just the stunt men. What I then do when I get this is I piece it together, and then I just watch it 300 times. I would do it backward, and sometimes without sound, just to try to feel. For me, it's like carving layers at a time."

Bullet Train, L-R, Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Tangerine) and Brad Pitt (Ladybug)

"What gave us so much creative freedom is the film is set in a no man's land. It's set in Japan, on a train from Tokyo to Kyoto, but it's a no man's land. It has nothing to do with reality. The colors, the scenario, everything is like a parallel world. You have to believe to enjoy this movie." 

Avid timeline screenshot of the entire film. There are only a few audio tracks with no edits because these are the final audio tracks returned from the sound team.

"You have to think, who is this character? Would he do that? Would he say that? Be critical the whole way, try to understand that character and get closer to him, and then it's performances. It's a lot of work, but it's so rewarding."

Bullet Train, Actor Bad Bunny (Wolf)

"I sometimes feel like at least 70% of my work is talking. This is a creative process."

Bullet Train, L-R, Actor Brad Pitt (Ladybug) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Tangerine)

"I have such a respect for firsts because they basically run the ship, and it's a huge ship. There are so many balls in the air and you need very specific skill sets for it."

Bullet Train, L-R, Actor Brad Pitt (Ladybug) and Brian Tyree Henry (Lemon)

"You have to trust your instincts."

Want more? Read the full AOTC interview and listen to the full pod.