What is the Kuleshov Effect? Definition & Examples

Published: August 28, 2020 | Last Updated: October 1, 2024

The Kuleshov Effect is a film editing phenomenon that demonstrates how viewers derive more meaning from the interaction of two sequential shots than from a single shot in isolation. Named after Soviet filmmaker Lev Kuleshov, who explored this concept in the early 20th century, the effect highlights the critical role of editing in shaping a viewer’s perception and emotional response to a scene.

The original Kuleshov shot.

The video below is of the actual Kuleshov test footage. In the original camera test, Kuleshov uses a shot of Russian silent film star Ivan Mosjoukine, which he then juxtaposes with other images to imbue his neutral expression with new meaning.

See also What is Soviet Montage Theory?

Hitchcock took the explanation of the Kuleshov effect a step further

In the now-famous Definition of Happiness-interview where Hitchcock talks about editing to Fletcher Markle, Hitchcock explains the most important concept in editing: He looks, sees, and thinks.

In the first example, we first see Hitchcock himself squinting, and then we cut to a woman with a baby. We then cut back to a smiling Hitchcock.

This particular sequence gives the impression that Hitchcock is a smiling granddad who looks at his daughter and grandchild. Or, in his words, a kind old man.

In the second example, we cut to a bikini-clad lady instead of the woman and child. This gives the impression that he is a dirty old man.

Did Kuleshov discover the effect?

While it’s safe to say that Kuleshov discursively constructed this type of editing (just a fancy way of saying he made it famous), Kuleshov did not discover it.

As Dr. Karen Pearlman from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, explains in the interview below, women played an essential role in film editing. They used this effect long before Kuleshov made it famous:

It’s time for some Kuleshov effect in some of your favorite movies.

Here are a few cinematic classics and newer favorites demonstrating the Kuleshov effect in action! 

The Graduate (1967)

I had to. It’s one of the most iconic shots in cinema history, let alone a great example of the Kuleshov effect. There is no need to show the reverse… this shot (almost) says it all. Besides the famous leg shot, there are some other great Kuleshov moments in Mike Nichol’s classic film The Graduate that don’t immediately come to mind, like this one contrasting Dustin Hoffman’s character Benjamin staring at a fish in his aquarium, then staring out the window at the people below. 

The Kuleshov effect at work in The Graduate (1967). United Artists.
Source: Film-Grab.com

The pool behind them and the glass between them create a similar contrast, which causes us to draw a connection between both images, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Here’s another one that’s slightly more obvious but works in tandem to continue the feeling from the shots above—the scene where Benjamin dons his scuba suit and goes out into the pool party.

The Kuleshov effect at work in The Graduate (1967). United Artists. Source: Film-Grab.com

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) 

Wes Anderson is a “fantastical” director, creating an elevated visual style that is as iconic and recognizable as any other. But the best example of his use of the Kuleshov effect is in his wonderful little animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox.

By using wide close-ups on the characters, he can use the Kuleshov effect to bring the stop-motion animated characters to life in wonderful display, imbuing their inanimate eyes with meaning and the depth of connection by cutting between their faces, making them feel alive with expression. Here are a few examples:

The Kuleshov effect at work in The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). 20th Century Fox.
Source: Film-Grab.com

The three shots, all cut together, recall a familiar cinematic standoff that uses the Kuleshov effect in action just as much. Speaking of…

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966)

The final standoff in the classic Sergio Leone western The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is like a masterclass in Kuleshov. Here are a few iconic shots from the fight, each imbuing the other with more and more tension.

Drawing the contrast between the guns and the eyes, it becomes about who will make the first move…

The Kuleshov effect in The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966). United Artists.
Source: Film-Grab.com

Read more about ten Westerns that helped redefine the genre.

Us (2019)

While action movies use the Kuleshov effect to build tension and drama uses it to draw visual metaphors and emotional significance, no genre is better at using the Kuleshov effect to lure in unsuspecting victims completely, I mean viewers, like the horror genre. 

It’s one of the reasons why I love director Jordan Peele and the way he writes and directs horror films.

His second film, Us, is no exception. Here are a few extremely tense shots using the Kuleshov effect, used masterfully to creep you out – and put you in the emotional shoes of the protagonists.

The Kuleshov effect in Us (2019). Universal Pictures.
Source: Film-Grab.com

I think this performance by Lupita Nyongo will go down in cinema history as one of the creepiest villains in any horror movie. She’s so talented, especially because she’s playing two different characters – which wouldn’t be possible without the Kuleshov effect! 

The Kuleshov effect in Us (2019). Universal Pictures.
Source: Film-Grab.com

No Country for Old Men (2007)

While it’s not a horror movie per se, the Coen Brothers No Country for Old Men is one hell of a creepy movie. One of the best ways to instill dread in your audience is by editing anyone’s expression juxtaposed by Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh. Just look at his face!

The Kuleshov effect in No Country for Old Men (2007). Miramax/Paramount Pictures.
Source: Film-Grab.com

As a representation of death itself, Anton is supposed to be this surreal, otherworldly presence that makes everyone he encounters uncomfortable. The Coen Brothers are so good at capturing this dude’s creepy aura that they even used the Kuleshov effect to creep us out with his reflection on a TV! And I thought the shot of the TV in The Ring was scary…

The Kuleshov effect in No Country for Old Men (2007). Miramax/Paramount Pictures.
Source: Film-Grab.com

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

One genre we haven’t touched on yet is comedy. The Kuleshov effect is incredibly important for comedy. While many comedy writers will write jokes into their material, be it dialogue or slapstick action, the best comedy directors and editors know how to use the camera to land the joke. 

That’s why Edgar Wright’s first feature film, Shaun of the Dead, is a masterclass in directing comedy and editing utilizing the Kuleshov effect.

The Kuleshov effect in Shaun of the Dead (2004). Universal Pictures. Source: Film-Grab.com

Take, for example, Edgar Wright’s opening sequence, which plays with audience expectations of the zombie genre and contrasts it with this great shot of Shaun waking up and yawning. Every character introduction hints at what’s to come while playing with audience expectations of the genre’s tropes.

For example, you can use the Kuleshov effect to contrast images even if they aren’t cut sequentially. The audience will still pick up on it the second time. Like this introduction of Shaun’s stepdad Phillip as a cold, standoffish… zombie!

The Kuleshov effect in Shaun of the Dead (2004). Universal Pictures. Source: Film-Grab.com

You can also use repetition of shots, like Edgar Wright does, to create expectations and show contrast in overt ways, like how Shaun and Ed keep seeing zombies and thinking they are drunks…

The Kuleshov effect in Shaun of the Dead (2004). Universal Pictures. Source: Film-Grab.com

…or how, in Shaun’s fantasy, he sees the same scene playing out under different scenarios with the same visual ending beat: 

The Kuleshov effect in Shaun of the Dead (2004). Universal Pictures. Source: Film-Grab.com

Summing Up

There’s a reason the Kuleshov effect works – like there’s a reason we can identify with a toy or a robot or a plastic spork in a Pixar movie. We want to connect with the characters we’re watching. We want images to have meaning because we, too, have meaning.

Using the Kuleshov effect to give your juxtaposing images meaning, you subtly direct your audiences toward what’s important in the story and life.

Up Next: Juxtaposition in Film. Meaning, Examples & How to Create It