Definition:
A cut that breaks continuity deliberately. The jump cut removes a section of time within a single continuous shot, causing the subject to appear to jump in the frame between one moment and the next. The edit is visible. That visibility is either an error or a choice, depending entirely on whether it was intentional.
What It Means in Movies:
In classical continuity editing, cuts are designed to be invisible. The jump cut is the opposite. It announces itself. It fragments time visibly. When Jean-Luc Godard used it throughout Breathless, it was a deliberate rejection of the invisible grammar of Hollywood cinema. Since then, it has become a legitimate expressive tool.
Why It Matters:
The jump cut has outlived its reputation as a mistake. Used with intention, it is one of the more honest and energetic tools available to an editor. Used without intention, it is still a mistake. The difference is not in the cut itself but in whether it was made by someone who understood what they were doing.
Example:
A woman sits at a desk writing. Jump cut. The same woman in the same chair, but the light has changed, and papers are spread around her. Hours have passed. No dissolve, no clock on the wall, no dialogue explaining the time skip. Two shots, visible discontinuity. The jump cut delivers the information in a second.