Walter Murch

Walter Murch – Life, Career, and Memorable Insights

Walter Murch (born July 12, 1943) is a legendary American film editor, sound designer, and author. Explore his biography, career milestones, editing philosophy, and inspiring quotes.

Introduction

Walter Scott Murch (born July 12, 1943) is widely regarded as one of the greatest film editors and sound designers working in cinema. In the Blink of an Eye is considered a foundational text on film editing.

Though he rarely directs, his fingerprints are present in dozens of major films: Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, The English Patient, The Godfather series, among others.

This article will trace his life, his approach to editing and sound, his legacy, and some of his more memorable and thought-provoking quotes.

Early Life and Education

Walter Murch was born in New York City, U.S. Walter Tandy Murch, was a Canadian-born painter, known for still lifes combining machinery, organic forms, and abstraction.

As a child, Murch was fascinated by sound: he experimented with recording, layering sounds, and combining audio in imaginative ways. The Collegiate School in Manhattan from 1949 to 1961.

For higher education, Murch studied at Johns Hopkins University, graduating in arts (liberal arts) in around 1965. USC School of Cinematic Arts for graduate studies in film, where he was contemporaries with future film luminaries.

His upbringing and education gave him both artistic sensitivity (from his painter father) and technical curiosity (his early experiments with sound) — a combination that would define his career in post-production.

Career and Achievements

Early Film Work: Sound and Entry into ing

Murch’s first work in film was primarily in sound editing and mixing. He began collaborating with Francis Ford Coppola, working on The Rain People (1969) in sound.

He also joined projects such as THX 1138 and American Graffiti, contributing to their sound design.

His first major editing credit was on The Conversation, where he handled both picture editing and sound. For that project, he earned an Academy Award nomination (in sound) in 1974.

Later, his work on Apocalypse Now netted him his first Oscar (for sound) and further recognition in editing. In that film he was credited with sound designer, a credit that was relatively novel at the time. Apocalypse Now Redux.

Over decades, Murch worked on many iconic films: The Godfather series, The English Patient, Touch of Evil (restoration), Return to Oz (which he directed), The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and more.

Although Return to Oz (1985) was his only feature directing effort, it remains a notable entry, combining fantasy and darker imagery, co-written with Gill Dennis.

Beyond editing, he also engaged in film restoration and re-editing (e.g. Touch of Evil).

He is also the author of the influential text In the Blink of an Eye, which explores principles of editing, especially emphasizing emotion and the psychology of cuts over pure technical correctness.

In recognition of his contributions, Murch has received multiple awards and honors, and is often cited by peers and critics as among the most respected figures in film editing and sound design.

More recently, in 2024 he wrote Her Name Was Moviola, a documentary about the editing machine (Moviola) and its place in film history.

Philosophy & Approach to ing and Sound

Walter Murch’s approach is rich, layered, and often philosophical. Here are some recurring themes:

• Emotion over rules: Murch argues that editing should prioritize what feels emotionally right over strict technical rules.

• The “Rule of Six”: In In the Blink of an Eye, he outlines six criteria (emotion, story, rhythm, eye-trace, two-shot relation, and three-dimensional space) that guide decisions when cutting.

• or as invisible guide: Murch speaks of gently prodding the audience’s attention and guiding where the eyes go frame to frame.

• Silence as tool: He notes that film uniquely can sustain silence, something music or theater struggle to do.

• Microscopic empathy with actors: In The Conversation, Murch describes how he watched Gene Hackman’s every blink and gesture during editing, becoming intimately attuned to the performance.

• Balance of structure and serendipity: He often frames editing as the interplay between planned intention and the chance surprises that emerge in shooting.

• Tool consciousness: Murch acknowledges the power—and risk—of tools. Even as technology evolves (from flatbeds to digital systems), he insists editors must maintain foresight and restraint.

His metaphorical and reflective style makes his writings as inspiring as practical for aspiring filmmakers.

Legacy and Influence

Walter Murch’s legacy is multifaceted:

• He helped elevate film editing and sound design to intellectual and artistic disciplines, not just technical trades.

• His writing (In the Blink of an Eye) is still regarded as essential reading in film schools and among editors.

• Many editors and sound designers cite him as a mentor in spirit—someone whose philosophy reshaped how they think about pacing, silence, and emotional rhythm.

• His restorations and re-edits (e.g. Touch of Evil) have shaped the way filmmakers engage with legacy films, archival materials, and cinematic “authenticity.”

• Critics and peers (like Roger Ebert) have called him “the most respected film editor and sound designer in the modern cinema.”

• Through interviews, lectures, and conversations (e.g. Michael Ondaatje’s The Conversations), his ideas have reverberated beyond film editing—into philosophy, perception, attention, and art.

His influence goes beyond cinema: people in other arts, narrative media, and thinkers about perception often reference his ideas about attention, rhythm, and emotional logic.

Memorable Quotes by Walter Murch

Here are some of Walter Murch’s notable, reflective statements:

“As I’ve gone through life, I’ve found that your chances for happiness are increased if you wind up doing something that is a reflection of what you loved most when you were somewhere between nine and eleven years old.”

“When I’m actually assembling a scene, I assemble it as a silent movie. Even if it’s a dialog scene, I lip read what people are saying.”

“Every film is a puzzle really, from an editorial point of view.”

“Film editing is now something almost everyone can do at a simple level and enjoy it, but to take it to a higher level requires the same dedication and persistence that any art form does.”

“You can always make a film somehow. You can beg, borrow, steal the equipment ... The real problem is, how do you get people to see it once it is made?”

“The notion of directing a film is the invention of critics — the whole eloquence of cinema is achieved in the editing room.”

“The word processor is a better tool than a quill pen … but what you have to say and how you say it is the ultimate determination.”

These quotes give a window into how deeply he thinks about the craft—not just as technical work, but as storytelling, rhythm, and human attention.

Lessons from Walter Murch

• Master both constraints and freedom. Murch shows that even in the strict rules of editing, there is creative room: the editor’s sensitivity matters.

• Emotion first. Even the most “correct” cut should feel right emotionally.

• See editing and sound as one unified field. He rarely separated these, believing that they deeply influence each other.

• Be tool-aware but not tool-driven. A good editor uses tools without being enslaved by them.

• Cultivate microscopic empathy. Attention to small moments—blinks, pauses, breaths—can shape a film’s soul.

• Read and reflect. His literary, philosophical bent shows that technical mastery benefits from a broad intellectual life.

Conclusion

Walter Murch is not just a craftsman of cinema; he is a philosopher of rhythm, attention, and emotional architecture. His work demonstrates that behind every cut, sound cue, or pause lies a decision about how we feel, what we see, and how we are moved.