Rule of Six in the Avengers

In his book In The Blink Of An Eye, Walter Murch explains the importance of the “rule of six,” which are criteria for a good cut. He breaks down the criteria into percentages: emotion covers 51% of the importance, story is 23%, rhythm takes 10%, eye-trace is 7%, two-dimensional plane of screen is 5%, and three-dimensional space of action is 4%. 

Marvel's The Avengers actually takes full advantages of the rule of six to create one of the most powerful scenes in the movie. The Avenger's tells the story of some of Marvel's greatest superheroes coming together for the first time to defeat a foe who would be too powerful for them to take on by themselves. As the story continues we are shown how these different heroes fail to collaborate with each other and fall victim to the villain's plan. At this point something big needs to happen to bring our heroes together, that is where fan favorite, Agent Coulson, comes into play. When he tries to take a stand against the villain, he is stabbed and dies. 

Murch would say that this death scene is a perfect example of the “rule of six,” because it follows the criteria perfectly. For starters it stays true to the emotion of the moment, as fans become excited to see their favorite character stand up to the villain only to see him stabbed a second later. His death allows for the story to advance as it gives the heroes a reason to put their egos aside and ban together to avenge their fallen ally. It occurs at a moment that is rhythmically right and keeps eye-trace at all times as the villain walks around the room. Finally it respects planarity and the three-dimensional continuity of space. But as Murch emphasizes, the most important thing here is the emotion behind the scene. This scene is not only felt by the audience, but also by the characters. Once Coulson is announced dead, our heroes are seen mourning their comrade. Soon afterwards we see them getting ready for the counter attack that helps advance the story. This advancement in story and emotion behind the death is what truly makes this scene a perfect example of the “rule of six.”