One thing that struck me about the movie was how at certain times the rhythm and speaking speed were much quicker than at other times. This could be due to the fact that the original version of the movie was closer to four hours than the final cut of around two hours, however I think it comes from something more pertinent to the theme of the movie.
Scenes that involved the family and other, more simple, parts of the plot line, had “normal” rhythm. By saying this I mean that the people talked in a conversational tone at a relatively normal speed. However looking at more tense scenes, or scenes that begin to reveal parts of the truth, the speed of the speaking becomes quicker. One place where this was apparent was in the park in DC when Garrison is listening to the mysterious Mr. X. The more into the story Mr. X gets, the quicker he talks and the harder it was (at least for me) to follow him. I think that this may have something to do with how the truth is found out. Oliver may have had these scenes said in a rushed tone to portray that the truth is not always easy to follow, and finding the truth can sometimes be confusing. Or maybe he was just trying to fit as much of the movie into as little time as possible. Either way it is something to ponder.
I completely agree with you, I believe the rhythm of the film not only was pertinent to the theme of the vilm, but was also meant to evoke the similar emotions the characters were experiencing in particular scenes within the viewers. For instance, in the scene where Garrison is speaking with Mr. X, Mr. X’s speech does move faster and so does the sequence of shots. However, I believe that this occurs because Stone wants the viewers to feel the same anxiety and shock Garrison feels when listening to Mr. X. Perhaps with this change in rhythm Stone is trying to convey an emotion that occurs when the truth is revealed.
I agree as well, the rhythm of the film is fast and slow. I think it is meant to be cut this way because it helps the viewer have the experience of the characters emotion’s. For example, there are long drawn out scenes that bring terror and a startled state. While, others are quick paced getting right to the point and moving on it is a burst of anger or tension. It is an effective way to move through different scenes and make the film not feel like 3 hours. At first hearing the film was 200 minutes, I was worried if I could pay attention to it for that long. But his scenes and rhythm made every take and scene was intriguing. I did not want to look away from the screen. It was a unique way to shoot the film which kept the viewer watching.