In the film All That Heaven Allows (1955), the director makes very noteworthy and captivating decisions regarding the cinematic techniques he uses. However, the one that I found most noticeable due to how uncommon it is implemented in more modern films is his use of the dissolve shot. Even starting at the film’s very beginning, the fourth scene already uses a dissolve shot when transitioning from the upstairs of Cary’s house to downstairs. Then, the same seemingly old-fashioned shot is used again to transition from inside the house to outside the club and from outside the club to inside. From that point onward, I was hooked on this technique and began counting how often it was used. By the end of the film, my tally count had reached 18!
As I prepared and organized my notes before writing this blog, I analyzed and took note of how these shots are used and what their intended purposes may be. What I found was that they are able to intensify many of the central emotions and themes of the film, making it an overall more impactful watch.
The first way in which it is used is to highlight and emphasize Cary’s growing affection for Ron. This is because in portions of the film where she is joyous and falling in love, the dissolve shots help connect scenes of the two spending time together, making their relationship feel smoother and more continuous for the viewer. Secondly, dissolve shots are often used as Cary faces the stress and tension caused by her children and friends to conform to the norms of upper-class life. In particular, these shots are implemented during various moments when Cary is alone, reflecting on her love for Ron and desire for personal happiness. By using this technique, the shots create a visual narrative of Cary’s internal conflict as well as her personal growth because as the dissolve shots continue, the scenes they connect demonstrate her transition from a woman torn between societal expectations and happiness to one who is willing to challenge conformity. Continuing with this idea of class divide and social norms, dissolve shots are also used to contrast the attitudes of the high society with Ron’s humble, everyday life. For example, after Cary and Ron argue with the rich “snobs” at the upper-class party hosted in an extremely large and decorated house, the scene dissolves to a shot of Ron’s simple and ordinary home. By using this editing technique, the divides between social classes are emphasized even stronger, demonstrating further the differences between the lives of Cary and Ron.
After analyzing the usage of dissolve shots, I realized that this technique, along with editing as a whole, can be used to do much more than cutting between scenes, because in this film alone, it played an instrumental role in conveying the emotional, social, and physiological dimensions of life in the 1950s.