The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Directors: The Coen Brothers
In this screwball comedy, the sudden suicide of Waring Hudsucker shocks the city of New York. A naïve Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) fresh out of college finds himself seated as CEO of Hudsucker Industries only to be manipulated by the greedy board led by Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman). By placing an inexperienced “imbecile” as CEO, they can obtain and buy the stock shares of the company for dirt-cheap and gain complete control over the presiding Industry. During this scheme, the fast-talking, ambitious reporter, Amy Archer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) catches wind of their fishy business and goes undercover to reveal the scam of Hudsucker Industries.
The Hudsucker Proxy is scored by Carter Burwell, who composed thematic melodies of classical ballet music inspired by “Adagio.” The smooth orchestrated score helps to keep the transition from scene to scene flow without a hitch. The Coen Brothers use a diegetic voice over from a character, the clock cleaner in which he is the personification of time in the movie. He is the first voice heard on the film, introducing the setting and time the story takes place. His voice is wise and old, to give the audience a sense of this being a moral tale—power and money can’t buy happiness.
Within the beginning of the film, there’s a scene of Barnes, fresh out of Muncie Business School standing in front of a flipping board with job titles. The naïve Barnes is excited to see so many job openings but soon realizes to his dismay that all of them required vast experience. The increasing sound of the plastic titles flipping rapidly creates an anguished chaotic environment for Barnes’ to see the apparent reality of the work force.
The written dialogue for the characters has a farce style to it—quick and curt (1950’s type of jabber). For instance the notorious Archer reporter talks fast and uses plenty of volume and pitch to add to her rambunctious and tom-boyish character.
-Star
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Big Lebowski
I think by now we all know about the Big Lebowski. The Coen Brother's hilarious send up of the classic Hammet noir style storytelling has become a cult favorite in the film world, but one thing that you never hear about is the music in this film. For those who unfortunately have not seen this movie, Lebowski is about a mid forties stoner, Jeffrey Lebowski: "the dude", who is mistaken for another Jeffrey Lebowski, a very wealthy man with a promiscuous wife who owes alot of money to someone. The films follows the dudes quest to solve the mystery of the mistaken Lebowski's so he can get his rug back that was taken from him, because it "tied the room together so well."
The first moment in the film i would like to comment on is the introduction of Jesus. Jesus is a character played by Jon Turturro and a rival bowler in the dudes bowling league. When he is introduced it is in slow motion with very hispanic cultural music playing. It really creates this moment where you are completely focused on this very strange and confusing character. I believe the music sets it up beautifully, it makes you wonder what we are to think of this character, but his actions of licking the bowling ball, give you a pretty good idea. And even later when we find out that he is a sex offender, it almost feels like a pay off to the slow motion entrance.
The other parts where music is key in this film are his strange sort of dream sequence dance numbers. Early in the film when he is knocked out, he is shown flying through the sky holding a bowling ball. It is a very mellow tune playing as he soars over Los Angeles. I believe this was done to also build character. But the Coen brothers do this to sort of break the audience out of the movie and let them know that this film is not going to be like every other film. And then later there is a musical number where he dances around with girls and Sadaam Hussein. I think that all of these moments that are made to put you inside the head of Jeff Lebowski are extremely well done and well placed and really give the film the unique look that it is famous for today
Review: Sound/Music
Labyrinth (1986)
Director- Jim Henson
Labyrinth surrounds the story of a dramatic 15 year old girl named Sarah who loves fairy tales. One night she comes home late and is scolded by her stepmother because she is supposed to babysit her baby stepbrother Toby. She wishes for Toby to be taken away by the goblins and brought to the goblin kingdom ruled by King Jareth so she never has to see him again. But to Sarah's surprise, it actually works and now she must venture into the labyrinth so save Toby before he becomes a goblin forever. A magical adventure starts when Sarah is met by King Jareth (David Bowie) himself and must befriend the creatures that live inside in order to help her save Toby.
Throughout the movie, even from the start, there is music playing. The first scene with music is a magic like moody tune that is considered to be non-diegetic because there is no shown source for the sound. Many of the songs in the movie were composed by David Bowie himself and he sung a lot of them solo as well as along with other characters during scenes. The songs sung as part of putting on a 'show' in certain scenes such as "Magic Dance" and "Chilly Down" are diegetic because the audience knows exactly where the music is coming from. While Sarah is traveling through the labyrinth there is also non-diegetic music playing to create moods of frustration, peril, and the feeling that she needs to hurry and is under the spell of a ticking clock device throughout the movie. The actor who plays Toby would not make typical baby noises during "Magic Dance" so Bowie had to create them himself.
A scene featuring Toby Sarah and Jareth while they are in the maze-like castle has Bowie singing a song to Sarah. This is also diegetic because we see him singing it. Sarah keeps seeing Toby but can't quite get to him and we hear her worries calls and shouts for Toby to come to her. The scene in the end of the film when Sarah is trapped in a snow globe at a masquerade party a song is playing where Bowie is singing but we do not see him, so it is non-diegetic. For many of the characters, multiple voice actors had to play them at different times. The dialogue throughout the movie varies from scene to scene. There are sound effects from the goblins and monsters in the labyrinth to show the audience that they are scary, or kind, or mysterious. The dialogue in the beginning is dramatic when Sarah yells at her parents and Toby and when she wishes him away. When Jareth talks to the goblins he always scolds them and they do they he says. The worm Sarah meets is calm and welcoming and everyone has different accents in the film. The monsters talk slow and somewhat dumb, like Ludo, and the goblins talk fast and worried. All the guards speak properly with British accents. Sarah is caught in a dream world and the way she speaks to characters reflects this. Labyrinth is a movie rich with original music and unforgettable characters.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Jan Svankmajer's ALICE
Diegetic Vs. Non diegetic, Verisimilitude, and Dialogue
Czech director Jan Svankmajer’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland is a surreal journey into a world of gothic puppets and dead animals. Part live action, part stop-motion animation, it takes an already bizarre story and makes it darker and quite frightening.
Interior scenes, all which take place in a rundown house, are layered with sounds on top of sounds. Beneath it all is the constant ticking of a clock. Its use can be define in many different way, as reminder of the white rabbit’s appointment or as a telegraphing tool to keep the audience engaged in where the white rabbit is going and what will happen if he’s late. This use of non-diegetic sound can be seen as a motif. An underlining theme in Alice is of time and how it’s distorted in dreams.
Because this film is part live action/ party stop-motion some of the sound has to be created by Foley artists or recorded from real environments and from real animals. A chariot drawn by half birds/ half skeletal carnivorous creatures, neighs like horses. Now this is diegetic sound, although we know these inanimate objects can’t make these sounds, it exists in this story world.
What makes Svankmajer stand out is the way he uses both sounds that are true to the objects and sounds that aren’t, be we believe that they do! The horses, a.k.a the hybrid creatures, neigh and the chariot rides over the wood floor as if it were cobblestone. These sound effects don’t stands out considerably unless you’re paying close attention to it. Because it’s a familiar sound associated with these objects we accept it. It plays into the theme of Alice in Wonderland and her dream world. In dreams things are out of the ordinary but normally we don’t question it, it’s true in all its absurdities. It’s not until you wake up that you realize, wow that was weird and totally out of the ordinary.
The film relies heavily on onscreen action, as opposed to reliant on characters, plot, and dialogue. The character of Alice hardly ever speaks unless to say something to the white rabbit such as, “Please sir!” Other use of dialogue is through voice-over by Alice, but it exists outside of the world. She narrates for herself. For example she’ll say, “Alice thought the white rabbit would wait for her but he didn’t.” What we see on screen is a close up of her mouth as if she’s reading from the book and than it cuts to that character playing out the actions. This was a bit confusing to me at first, but now that I think about it this also supports the dream world and how, at least in my own experience, we tend to be on the outside looking in on whatever is happening in our dreams. Even if I’m in it, it’s kind of an out of body experience. This film, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, puts a surreal spin on the classic children’s story that is worth watching again and again.
~Brianna P.
Czech director Jan Svankmajer’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland is a surreal journey into a world of gothic puppets and dead animals. Part live action, part stop-motion animation, it takes an already bizarre story and makes it darker and quite frightening.
Interior scenes, all which take place in a rundown house, are layered with sounds on top of sounds. Beneath it all is the constant ticking of a clock. Its use can be define in many different way, as reminder of the white rabbit’s appointment or as a telegraphing tool to keep the audience engaged in where the white rabbit is going and what will happen if he’s late. This use of non-diegetic sound can be seen as a motif. An underlining theme in Alice is of time and how it’s distorted in dreams.
Because this film is part live action/ party stop-motion some of the sound has to be created by Foley artists or recorded from real environments and from real animals. A chariot drawn by half birds/ half skeletal carnivorous creatures, neighs like horses. Now this is diegetic sound, although we know these inanimate objects can’t make these sounds, it exists in this story world.
What makes Svankmajer stand out is the way he uses both sounds that are true to the objects and sounds that aren’t, be we believe that they do! The horses, a.k.a the hybrid creatures, neigh and the chariot rides over the wood floor as if it were cobblestone. These sound effects don’t stands out considerably unless you’re paying close attention to it. Because it’s a familiar sound associated with these objects we accept it. It plays into the theme of Alice in Wonderland and her dream world. In dreams things are out of the ordinary but normally we don’t question it, it’s true in all its absurdities. It’s not until you wake up that you realize, wow that was weird and totally out of the ordinary.
The film relies heavily on onscreen action, as opposed to reliant on characters, plot, and dialogue. The character of Alice hardly ever speaks unless to say something to the white rabbit such as, “Please sir!” Other use of dialogue is through voice-over by Alice, but it exists outside of the world. She narrates for herself. For example she’ll say, “Alice thought the white rabbit would wait for her but he didn’t.” What we see on screen is a close up of her mouth as if she’s reading from the book and than it cuts to that character playing out the actions. This was a bit confusing to me at first, but now that I think about it this also supports the dream world and how, at least in my own experience, we tend to be on the outside looking in on whatever is happening in our dreams. Even if I’m in it, it’s kind of an out of body experience. This film, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, puts a surreal spin on the classic children’s story that is worth watching again and again.
~Brianna P.
Theresa Corvino - The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk
Dir: Louis Leterrier
2008
The basic premise of the story is that through a scientific experiment gone wrong, scientist Bruce Banner is transformed into the Hulk. He flees civilization, looking for a cure while trying to avoid the army tracking him and Betty, his love, to keep from hurting her.
The sound mix in this movie was truly unique. The music, especially, plays an important role in the storytelling. The opening sequence of the film contains absolutely no dialogue and few sound effects. It tells the entire back story in a heavy music sequence that lasts about five minutes. It worked well to compress the story that everyone knows and can quickly be explained without spending too much time. It set the opening tone of the film with dark dramatic tones that flowed quickly through the shots.
Another important sound mixing element in the film occurred when Bruce was strapped down and forced to transform into the Hulk. A mess of sounds mixes together. The sounds of muscles tearing, bones cracking, clothes ripping, groaning, roaring along with the sounds of the computer and machinery. It mixes together with the music and shouting of the characters to create a whirlwind of sound that surrounds the characters as the camera spins around them, enclosing them all in what was happening and making the scene feel very close and tight in itself. This created a feeling to the scene that could not have been communicated without the extensive Foley effects that went into creating all of the little sounds that fill the scene.
Dir: Louis Leterrier
2008
The basic premise of the story is that through a scientific experiment gone wrong, scientist Bruce Banner is transformed into the Hulk. He flees civilization, looking for a cure while trying to avoid the army tracking him and Betty, his love, to keep from hurting her.
The sound mix in this movie was truly unique. The music, especially, plays an important role in the storytelling. The opening sequence of the film contains absolutely no dialogue and few sound effects. It tells the entire back story in a heavy music sequence that lasts about five minutes. It worked well to compress the story that everyone knows and can quickly be explained without spending too much time. It set the opening tone of the film with dark dramatic tones that flowed quickly through the shots.
Another important sound mixing element in the film occurred when Bruce was strapped down and forced to transform into the Hulk. A mess of sounds mixes together. The sounds of muscles tearing, bones cracking, clothes ripping, groaning, roaring along with the sounds of the computer and machinery. It mixes together with the music and shouting of the characters to create a whirlwind of sound that surrounds the characters as the camera spins around them, enclosing them all in what was happening and making the scene feel very close and tight in itself. This created a feeling to the scene that could not have been communicated without the extensive Foley effects that went into creating all of the little sounds that fill the scene.
Sixth Post - McGuirk
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Directed By: Baz Luhrmann
Moulin Rouge takes place in 1899 Paris where young British writer, Christain (Ewan McGregor), meets and falls in love with Satine (Nicole Kidman), star of the infamous Moulin Rouge. Their romance starts over a series of mistaken identities and becomes more real when Christian gets the job to write for the Moulin Rouge's first stage show. Their romance is threatened by the Duke (Richard Roxburgh), who wants Satine all to himself. This film is a beautiful example of tragic love story set to contemporary music. It is credit with bringing back musicals into today's popular movies.
Being a musical, the film brings a wonderful diverse aspect of sound. Most of it could be seen as diegetic sound, because the characters are singing or performing. In the world created, this is perfectly normal. Although set in 1899, the music is taken from today's popular music. It's mostly live music, since Luhrmann has stated that he prefers his actors to sing live instead of to a recording. Though some takes had to be looped due to problems.
Dialogue is quick and funny in the beginning of the film. Lines are delivered almost like they were being pounded into a typewriter; which is effective since Christian is narrating this story while he's writing it on his typewriter. As the story progresses into the second half, the dialogue because slower and more dramatic. It really changes the tone of the first half, which was quick and funny, to a more serious sad tone. The dialogue is just as powerful as the singing in making this adjustment.
The films sound effects are used to get the audience's attention; gun shots, fireworks, horns, gongs, etc. They would only have a natural place in this environment that is centered around a dance hall/theater. This film is even more fun to watch while just concentrating on its sound.
Directed By: Baz Luhrmann
Moulin Rouge takes place in 1899 Paris where young British writer, Christain (Ewan McGregor), meets and falls in love with Satine (Nicole Kidman), star of the infamous Moulin Rouge. Their romance starts over a series of mistaken identities and becomes more real when Christian gets the job to write for the Moulin Rouge's first stage show. Their romance is threatened by the Duke (Richard Roxburgh), who wants Satine all to himself. This film is a beautiful example of tragic love story set to contemporary music. It is credit with bringing back musicals into today's popular movies.
Being a musical, the film brings a wonderful diverse aspect of sound. Most of it could be seen as diegetic sound, because the characters are singing or performing. In the world created, this is perfectly normal. Although set in 1899, the music is taken from today's popular music. It's mostly live music, since Luhrmann has stated that he prefers his actors to sing live instead of to a recording. Though some takes had to be looped due to problems.
Dialogue is quick and funny in the beginning of the film. Lines are delivered almost like they were being pounded into a typewriter; which is effective since Christian is narrating this story while he's writing it on his typewriter. As the story progresses into the second half, the dialogue because slower and more dramatic. It really changes the tone of the first half, which was quick and funny, to a more serious sad tone. The dialogue is just as powerful as the singing in making this adjustment.
The films sound effects are used to get the audience's attention; gun shots, fireworks, horns, gongs, etc. They would only have a natural place in this environment that is centered around a dance hall/theater. This film is even more fun to watch while just concentrating on its sound.
More Than Meets The Ear?!
Michael Bay is the man simply for putting together the sheer awesome that was Transformers. I would get into visual details and talk about how great the movie was, but that would be pointless, considering that the focal point should be something about the sound aspects of this spectacular movie. I saw Transformers in the theater (about five times) and each time I found myself drawn into a world that was so close to our own and so different. The stunning visual effects were clearly a considerable part of this, but what made it even more gripping was the sound.
In a packed theatre, watching the Decepticon chopper known as Blackout land and transform, with the classic sound effect that Transformers fans all over the globe recognize was an amazing experience. That sound is what let you know that you were watching Transformers and there was nothing that could take you out of the world after that. The sound crew must've spent an epic amount of time working on this movie, as nothing seemed to be out of place to me. From the huge firefights to the way the gears and such move on both the Autobots and Decepticons, it all becomes very clear that the world recreated by Michael Bay is about as real as it's going to get.
I'll admit. I'm a Transformers fan so I'm biased. But that is no excuse for the way the world comes to life. During the last battle, I could pick out the small 'tingles' of glass after it explodes. The breath of that hottie Megan Fox as she prepares to take Bumblebee on the ride of his life... to save the Autobots from destruction! In a lot of movies, I can tell when voice overs and such are being used in conjunction with different visuals. Like when the way the jaw moves on a profile shot and the words don't really match those movements? Happens a lot. I didn't really catch too many of those moments in Transformers.
I guess I don't know exactly how to review sound. I think it would be easier if there were problems. I'm sure it wasn't perfect, but I'm a cheater. I picked a flick that I love. So I'm going to say that it's perfect anyway. Which probably goes against everything that the book's chapter stands for. It's like a roller coaster ride... for the ears.
Are YOU listening?
In a packed theatre, watching the Decepticon chopper known as Blackout land and transform, with the classic sound effect that Transformers fans all over the globe recognize was an amazing experience. That sound is what let you know that you were watching Transformers and there was nothing that could take you out of the world after that. The sound crew must've spent an epic amount of time working on this movie, as nothing seemed to be out of place to me. From the huge firefights to the way the gears and such move on both the Autobots and Decepticons, it all becomes very clear that the world recreated by Michael Bay is about as real as it's going to get.
I'll admit. I'm a Transformers fan so I'm biased. But that is no excuse for the way the world comes to life. During the last battle, I could pick out the small 'tingles' of glass after it explodes. The breath of that hottie Megan Fox as she prepares to take Bumblebee on the ride of his life... to save the Autobots from destruction! In a lot of movies, I can tell when voice overs and such are being used in conjunction with different visuals. Like when the way the jaw moves on a profile shot and the words don't really match those movements? Happens a lot. I didn't really catch too many of those moments in Transformers.
I guess I don't know exactly how to review sound. I think it would be easier if there were problems. I'm sure it wasn't perfect, but I'm a cheater. I picked a flick that I love. So I'm going to say that it's perfect anyway. Which probably goes against everything that the book's chapter stands for. It's like a roller coaster ride... for the ears.
Are YOU listening?
SE7EN: David Fincher -- Darnell Brown
David Fincher used every element at his disposal to immerse the audience in the world he created for his film, but one of the most important element was his use of music. "Seven" is a crime thriller with a very bleak atmosphere. Throughout the entire film, there is an escalation in the crimes and intensity. For this, Fincher uses a lot of strings and horn arrangements to give the filling of anticipation. When Mills and Summerset are talking to Keven Spacy's character toward the end of the film, the music builds as the tense filling of the film increases. As Spacey draws Mills in, the music draws us in and we can't wait to find out what's in the box.
More than anything in the film, the suspenseful soundtrack and the bleak ambience music that plays throughout the film pulls us in. It rains the entire film and Fincher takes avantage of that but letting alot of the natural presence of the scene play throughout. Since the film is about someone acting out the seven deadly sins and each murder is more violent than the next, the build up each time Mills and Summerset enter the scene and discover the crime is intense. For films like "No Country for Old Men" the lack of music in the film assists in creating an effiencient world for the audience to get swept up into. For "Seven", the music is important. Without the build, maybe the audience wouldn't be so drawn into the incredible ending of the film. Who knows?
More than anything in the film, the suspenseful soundtrack and the bleak ambience music that plays throughout the film pulls us in. It rains the entire film and Fincher takes avantage of that but letting alot of the natural presence of the scene play throughout. Since the film is about someone acting out the seven deadly sins and each murder is more violent than the next, the build up each time Mills and Summerset enter the scene and discover the crime is intense. For films like "No Country for Old Men" the lack of music in the film assists in creating an effiencient world for the audience to get swept up into. For "Seven", the music is important. Without the build, maybe the audience wouldn't be so drawn into the incredible ending of the film. Who knows?
Elyse Stefanowicz - The Crying Game (1992)
Directed and Written by: Neil Jordan
When Fergus (Stephen Rea) takes care of a prisoner (Forrest Whitaker), they become more like friends than enemies. But when the prisoner is sent to be executed, he pardons his life only to get him accidentally killed. The prisoner and Fergus made a promise that if he died, Fergus would go tell his girlfriend that he loves her. Fergus flees his camp and does exactly that. When he finds the girl, he ends up falling for her but finds out that she has secrets of her own.
While the entire film only had 3 recognizable songs (that I can remember anyway), most of the music was a score. It was generally very low and dark. It was used to set the mood and raise and lower tension in certain scenes and didn't play that large of a role in the whole story. The score was composed of usually only string instruments and elevated feeling in certain key moments like any good score would do. It didn't distract but only made the experience that much better.
The recognizable songs however, seemed out of place and somewhat awkward when placed in the movie itself. The movie opens with "When a Man Loves a Woman" which gives the movie a completely different feel. I had never seen this movie before this viewing and because of that song, I thought it was going to be a completely different movie. It is totally different from the entire mood of the film and i'm not sure if it is intentional or just a bad music choice. The song "The Crying Game" is also heard a couple times throughout the film which is the title of the film.
When Fergus (Stephen Rea) takes care of a prisoner (Forrest Whitaker), they become more like friends than enemies. But when the prisoner is sent to be executed, he pardons his life only to get him accidentally killed. The prisoner and Fergus made a promise that if he died, Fergus would go tell his girlfriend that he loves her. Fergus flees his camp and does exactly that. When he finds the girl, he ends up falling for her but finds out that she has secrets of her own.
While the entire film only had 3 recognizable songs (that I can remember anyway), most of the music was a score. It was generally very low and dark. It was used to set the mood and raise and lower tension in certain scenes and didn't play that large of a role in the whole story. The score was composed of usually only string instruments and elevated feeling in certain key moments like any good score would do. It didn't distract but only made the experience that much better.
The recognizable songs however, seemed out of place and somewhat awkward when placed in the movie itself. The movie opens with "When a Man Loves a Woman" which gives the movie a completely different feel. I had never seen this movie before this viewing and because of that song, I thought it was going to be a completely different movie. It is totally different from the entire mood of the film and i'm not sure if it is intentional or just a bad music choice. The song "The Crying Game" is also heard a couple times throughout the film which is the title of the film.
Justin Afifi - The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
Directed by: Wes Anderson
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou follows the once regarded oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) go on a mission to find and kill "the Jaguar shark" after the same shark had eaten his long time friend Esteban. With no finances and the public light dimming Zissou seems to have lost his edge. That is until Ned (Owen Wilson) comes into his life claiming to (possibly) being Zissou's son. Zissou takes Ned under his wing as one of the Team Zissou crew members and the lead financier for Zissou's next film. The story follows the crew as they face mutiny, pirates, professional rivalries, and all sorts of creative marine life as they seek the "Jaguar shark."
The film is scored by longtime Anderson collaborator Mark Mothersbaugh who captures the film's ratio of comedy and drama perfectly. The score is actually referenced directly in the film as Zissou explains that Woolandarsky (one of the crew members) composes all of his films, while it is in fact Mothersbaugh's original score playing its own character.
The film also relies heavily on soundtrack music. David Bowie is played heavily throughout the film, sometimes with his original recordings and more often that not covered by crew member Pele (Seu Jorge). Pele is often around the ship, guitar in hand playing Bowie's classics. Beyond Bowie lies more emphasis on soundtrack music. Iggy Pop and the Stooges' "Search and Destroy" has a special scene where Zissou has it out in a gun fight with a gang of pirates. The scene is quick, fast paced, and disoriented just like the scene is meant to be. Another scene is the showdown with the "Jaguar shark." Once the Jaguar shark is shown Sigur Ros' "Starálfur" plays. The song is a swelling, powerful song that makes Zissou's encounter with the Jaguar shark epic and wonderfully captures his emotions.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou follows the once regarded oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) go on a mission to find and kill "the Jaguar shark" after the same shark had eaten his long time friend Esteban. With no finances and the public light dimming Zissou seems to have lost his edge. That is until Ned (Owen Wilson) comes into his life claiming to (possibly) being Zissou's son. Zissou takes Ned under his wing as one of the Team Zissou crew members and the lead financier for Zissou's next film. The story follows the crew as they face mutiny, pirates, professional rivalries, and all sorts of creative marine life as they seek the "Jaguar shark."
The film is scored by longtime Anderson collaborator Mark Mothersbaugh who captures the film's ratio of comedy and drama perfectly. The score is actually referenced directly in the film as Zissou explains that Woolandarsky (one of the crew members) composes all of his films, while it is in fact Mothersbaugh's original score playing its own character.
The film also relies heavily on soundtrack music. David Bowie is played heavily throughout the film, sometimes with his original recordings and more often that not covered by crew member Pele (Seu Jorge). Pele is often around the ship, guitar in hand playing Bowie's classics. Beyond Bowie lies more emphasis on soundtrack music. Iggy Pop and the Stooges' "Search and Destroy" has a special scene where Zissou has it out in a gun fight with a gang of pirates. The scene is quick, fast paced, and disoriented just like the scene is meant to be. Another scene is the showdown with the "Jaguar shark." Once the Jaguar shark is shown Sigur Ros' "Starálfur" plays. The song is a swelling, powerful song that makes Zissou's encounter with the Jaguar shark epic and wonderfully captures his emotions.
STIGMATA!
Directed by Rupert Wainright
released in 1999
This action packed thriller stars the sensational Patricia Arquette and Gabrial Byrne. It follows Frankie, played by Arquette as an atheist whom after receiving an excommunicated priests rosemary, starts having freak wounds. It's Byrne's job to investigate this strange an uncommon phenomenon. Byrne's boss, Jonathon Pryce, tries to keep Frankie silent because he doesn't believe it's the real thing. The two then are on the run from the church as things continue to get worse for Frankie. It's important to add the controversy that came with the release of this film for the way it depicted leaders of the Catholic Church.
The film opens up showing an old priest and his rosemary. The music is extremely ominous, it makes the audience not entirely sure what to feel about what they are seeing. Out in the open, looking over a Brazilian town make its way to the church, the music remains as ever intriguing. Responsible for these sounds is none other than Billy Corgan, the front man of Smashing Pumpkins. He really does a great job; the music in the film is one of the most defining aspects of Stigmata. It really helped having a music video director working with a musician. During the faster scenes of the film, the music pacing fit in every splice of the film. Specifically Frankie’s first visit to the hospital, when tension is building, the music becomes faster and intricate. It stops right along with the action once the doctors are silenced by Frankie’s sudden scream when she wakes up.
JOSH COHEN
released in 1999
This action packed thriller stars the sensational Patricia Arquette and Gabrial Byrne. It follows Frankie, played by Arquette as an atheist whom after receiving an excommunicated priests rosemary, starts having freak wounds. It's Byrne's job to investigate this strange an uncommon phenomenon. Byrne's boss, Jonathon Pryce, tries to keep Frankie silent because he doesn't believe it's the real thing. The two then are on the run from the church as things continue to get worse for Frankie. It's important to add the controversy that came with the release of this film for the way it depicted leaders of the Catholic Church.
The film opens up showing an old priest and his rosemary. The music is extremely ominous, it makes the audience not entirely sure what to feel about what they are seeing. Out in the open, looking over a Brazilian town make its way to the church, the music remains as ever intriguing. Responsible for these sounds is none other than Billy Corgan, the front man of Smashing Pumpkins. He really does a great job; the music in the film is one of the most defining aspects of Stigmata. It really helped having a music video director working with a musician. During the faster scenes of the film, the music pacing fit in every splice of the film. Specifically Frankie’s first visit to the hospital, when tension is building, the music becomes faster and intricate. It stops right along with the action once the doctors are silenced by Frankie’s sudden scream when she wakes up.
JOSH COHEN
Lost: Season 1: Episode 19: Deus Ex Machnia
Released: 2005
Directed by: Jack Bender
This week, while spending the focus on sound and music and how it affects the narrative I tried to look at films that this happened but really, the best example is in TV. While that may seem a little odd since most TV shows use original music, a show like Lost is not in that catagory.
Let me start off by explaining the premise of Lost and the premise of episode 19, "Deus ex machnia". Lost is about, or at least in the first season of the show, is about 48 survivors of flight 815 that crashes onto a mysterious island. The show really focuses on 14 chracters out of the 48 including one of it's main characters, John Locke. Locke has a mysterious connection to the island as he had been paralyzed to a wheel chair for 4 years until the plane crashed on the island and he was magically able to walk again. For that reason, Locke feels as if he's destined to have come to the island and that everything happens for a reason. Locke, who has history as a tracker, enlists the help of a young 20 something Boone Carlyle when they find a hatch in the jungle. Locke becomes obsessed with finding out exactly what's inside and is also convinced that he's destined to get inside of it because he believes whatever is inside of the hatch will help him in his journey on the island.
When episode 19 begins, Boone becomes frustrated with Locke's ongoing attempts to open a hatch door that just won't open. Locke has a dream about him and Boone trying to open the hatch again when Locke's mother points to the sky to see a smaller freighter plane crashing to the island and a bloodied Boone repeating "Theresa falls up the staris, Theresa falls down the stairs." Convinced this is the island telling him how to open the hatch, Locke decides to find the plane with Boone (who comes along after Locke tells him of what Boone was saying in the dream and in fact it is something that happened when Boone was a child). However, Locke injures himself and for the first time since he came to the island, Locke has trouble walking. When they finally do get to the plane, Boone climbs up to a cliff and gets in to see it's nothing but statues of Mary with drugs hidden inside. The plane then tips over and crashes to the ground. Locke drags a bloodied Boone out. While all this is happening, we get flashbacks of Locke before he was paralyzed. He meets his real mother for the first time who directs him to his father. His dad cons Locke into giving him a kidney and then dissapears. As the episode ends, Locke brings Boone back to the island doctor, jack, and then runs off to the hatch. This coincides with Locke yelling behind his father's gate for him to come out and face him just as he learns that he has been conned. Locke pounds on the hatch door yelling at it saying he did everything he was told to do and wants to know why this isn't working when a light comes from the hatch window, giving Locke one last ray of hope that this is still his destiny.
The music on Lost is unlike most TV shows. Instead of using synthsizers or orignial music, Lost uses a symphony conducted by Michael Giacchino. All 14 characters have their own theme including Locke which is featured a lot in this episode. One really great element to the music of lost is the music themes of the dream Locke has. There's a very eery tone to it that goes great with the images of the plane crashing and a bloodied Boone repeating the same sentence over and over again. There's also a lighthearted tone to some of the music in the interactions between Boone and Locke. The two have a father/son relationship the grows throughout the season and really comes together well in this episode before Boone meets his doom. While Boone is climbing up the cliff we have a musical tone of danger. Boone could fall off any minute and while it's easy for us to see this visually, the music just enlarages it. When Boone reveals to Locke that all there is in the plane is heroin, we hear this tone of defeat. As if everyhting Locke had been going through was for nothing. There is also a tone of tragedy when Locke pulls Boone out of the plane. Not as if he's dead (Boone is alive and stays alive until the end of the next episode when he becomes the first main character casualty of the show) but as if he's going to. The greatest musical achievment of thsi episode is when we go back and forth between Locke showing up at his father's gate and banging on the hatch door at the end. The only words that I can describe the tone of this music is powerful. Terry O'Quinn portrays John Locke (and was awarded with an emmy for best supporting actor a year ago) and his facial expressions while at his father's gate is priceless. It is the face of a man who has been ripped of something. He trusted his father and this is what he gets for it. That along with him crying/yelling at the hatch door along with the powerful uplifting music really makes this scene stand out not only in the episode or the season, but really the series. Then the music suddenly fades away and as the light from the hatch flashes upward we have sort of an echoing tone of hope possibly restored. Lost's music is really an important part of the show and it shows very well in this episode.
-Christopher Bergeris
Directed by: Jack Bender
This week, while spending the focus on sound and music and how it affects the narrative I tried to look at films that this happened but really, the best example is in TV. While that may seem a little odd since most TV shows use original music, a show like Lost is not in that catagory.
Let me start off by explaining the premise of Lost and the premise of episode 19, "Deus ex machnia". Lost is about, or at least in the first season of the show, is about 48 survivors of flight 815 that crashes onto a mysterious island. The show really focuses on 14 chracters out of the 48 including one of it's main characters, John Locke. Locke has a mysterious connection to the island as he had been paralyzed to a wheel chair for 4 years until the plane crashed on the island and he was magically able to walk again. For that reason, Locke feels as if he's destined to have come to the island and that everything happens for a reason. Locke, who has history as a tracker, enlists the help of a young 20 something Boone Carlyle when they find a hatch in the jungle. Locke becomes obsessed with finding out exactly what's inside and is also convinced that he's destined to get inside of it because he believes whatever is inside of the hatch will help him in his journey on the island.
When episode 19 begins, Boone becomes frustrated with Locke's ongoing attempts to open a hatch door that just won't open. Locke has a dream about him and Boone trying to open the hatch again when Locke's mother points to the sky to see a smaller freighter plane crashing to the island and a bloodied Boone repeating "Theresa falls up the staris, Theresa falls down the stairs." Convinced this is the island telling him how to open the hatch, Locke decides to find the plane with Boone (who comes along after Locke tells him of what Boone was saying in the dream and in fact it is something that happened when Boone was a child). However, Locke injures himself and for the first time since he came to the island, Locke has trouble walking. When they finally do get to the plane, Boone climbs up to a cliff and gets in to see it's nothing but statues of Mary with drugs hidden inside. The plane then tips over and crashes to the ground. Locke drags a bloodied Boone out. While all this is happening, we get flashbacks of Locke before he was paralyzed. He meets his real mother for the first time who directs him to his father. His dad cons Locke into giving him a kidney and then dissapears. As the episode ends, Locke brings Boone back to the island doctor, jack, and then runs off to the hatch. This coincides with Locke yelling behind his father's gate for him to come out and face him just as he learns that he has been conned. Locke pounds on the hatch door yelling at it saying he did everything he was told to do and wants to know why this isn't working when a light comes from the hatch window, giving Locke one last ray of hope that this is still his destiny.
The music on Lost is unlike most TV shows. Instead of using synthsizers or orignial music, Lost uses a symphony conducted by Michael Giacchino. All 14 characters have their own theme including Locke which is featured a lot in this episode. One really great element to the music of lost is the music themes of the dream Locke has. There's a very eery tone to it that goes great with the images of the plane crashing and a bloodied Boone repeating the same sentence over and over again. There's also a lighthearted tone to some of the music in the interactions between Boone and Locke. The two have a father/son relationship the grows throughout the season and really comes together well in this episode before Boone meets his doom. While Boone is climbing up the cliff we have a musical tone of danger. Boone could fall off any minute and while it's easy for us to see this visually, the music just enlarages it. When Boone reveals to Locke that all there is in the plane is heroin, we hear this tone of defeat. As if everyhting Locke had been going through was for nothing. There is also a tone of tragedy when Locke pulls Boone out of the plane. Not as if he's dead (Boone is alive and stays alive until the end of the next episode when he becomes the first main character casualty of the show) but as if he's going to. The greatest musical achievment of thsi episode is when we go back and forth between Locke showing up at his father's gate and banging on the hatch door at the end. The only words that I can describe the tone of this music is powerful. Terry O'Quinn portrays John Locke (and was awarded with an emmy for best supporting actor a year ago) and his facial expressions while at his father's gate is priceless. It is the face of a man who has been ripped of something. He trusted his father and this is what he gets for it. That along with him crying/yelling at the hatch door along with the powerful uplifting music really makes this scene stand out not only in the episode or the season, but really the series. Then the music suddenly fades away and as the light from the hatch flashes upward we have sort of an echoing tone of hope possibly restored. Lost's music is really an important part of the show and it shows very well in this episode.
-Christopher Bergeris
American Splendor - Brian Herron
Released (2003)
Director - Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
Director - Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
American Splendor is a film based on a comic book writer named Harvey Pekar. The film is a mix of documentary and narrative because the Harvey Pekar is seen being interviewed throughout the film but Paul Giamatti is shown playing Pekar’s character. The story starts out with Pekar as a middle aged man who works a government job but through his love of comics he starts to write comics about his own life and gains popular attention.
Instead of having a composer write a score for the film, the film-maker decides to use Jazz all throughout the film. This is in one part due to Jazz being Pekar’s favorite genre. In the beginning of the film, Pekar talks about himself as being an avid record collector and Jazz being the genre he mostly buys. Another reason why Jazz was chosen because Harvey Pekar is complicated, sometimes confusing, but yet sophisticated as a person, just like Jazz music which incorporates a lot of music theory yet musicians inner feelings are put into it which can sometimes be confusing to other listeners.
The pace of the song changes whenever Harvey Pekar’s mood changes. For example, The song Paniots Nine, which is a fast paced song, is used whenever Pekar is on the move going from one place to the other. Paniots Nine is also used when Pekar is depressed about his life and first starts writing comics about himself, however, it is a slower version of the song recorded by a different artist. A song that heavily uses a vibraphone is used when Pekar is shopping at the grocery store to set a browsing mood in the scene.
Brian HerronCarrie (1976) by Amber S. Palmer
Carrie (1976)
Director: Brian DePalma
Screenwriter: Lawrence D. Cohen
Based on a Novel by Stephen King
The 1970’s film cult classic, Carrie accentuated the brilliance of using sound and music to create a horrific world of peer torture and the power of darkness. Carrie begins through an orchestral score showing the girls locker room as it leads to showing Carrie in the shower. DePalma gives the audience of sense of trickery because he makes extreme close ups of Carrie washing her body as if she was a sexual object. The music engages the audience into what is going on in the scene. The scene is the complete opposite of the music but that makes it all the more better. DePalma begins to unveil the story of this tortured young lady and opens the audience’s eyes to her religious freak of a mother. Her mother makes Carrie recite the bible front and back believing it will save Carrie’s soul from all damnation. DePalma has a gym scene where the only sound used is the teacher’s voice echoing throughout the gym. Just using the teacher’s voice made the scene extremely effective because the audience can understand the seriousness of the message she’s trying to get across to her students. DePalma really strengthens the relationship between the gym teacher and Carrie. Every moment Carrie and the teacher spend together he uses the same music score to show how the teacher is the mother figure Carrie should have, maybe Carrie wouldn’t have such a low self esteem. When Tommy, a handsome jock, goes to her house and convinces her to go to the prom with him all you can hear is his truck and the city. Carrie’s usage of using natural sound makes the film even creepier because DePalma sets it up like Carrie is a haunted house and the sounds you hear are like the ghosts making their presence felt. One of most skillfully written scenes was the prom scene where Carrie and Tommy are made prom king and queen. The music score that played for Carrie throughout the entire film is played as she makes her way to the stage. The score turns it to this low menacing sour when the camera goes to two of her classmates ready to pull the pig’s blood on Carrie. The score going between the auras of the scene and foreshadowing Carrie’s huge embarrassment entices the audience to see what’s going to happen. All of the music turns into this very intense beat where it races back and forth with the film up until Carrie’s splattered with pig’s blood. Then, the music slowly dies and all you can hear is the blood continuing to spill on the floor. A sick replay of one of her classmates saying, “Their all gonna laugh at you!” amongst the teachers telling her, “Sorry” and that she can trust them. Carrie goes into her telekinetic trance and the orchestra maintains a low violin mellow, which slightly goes up and down. Screams and the gym being destroyed through Carrie’s mind cover the violin melody. Carrie does a masterful job of putting fear into the audience not only because of the eerie characters and the story of a tortured girl’s powers, literally electrifying those around her, but the music introduces us to a world full of sadism and vengeance.
Ferraro - "Some Like It Hot"
"Some Like It Hot" (1959)
Billy Wilder
This week we are viewing how sound anf music work in movies. I picked "Some Like It Hot" since Marilyn Monroe appears to be a good example of sound motifs.
The movie has a jazz theme so saxophones and trombones are used alot, mainly in the opening credits before the whole hubub with the gangsters. Also, the same tune was used for when Marilyn Monroe's character "Candy" first appeared, and when she was walking around while the men were ogling her body. To go along with the jazz, several other instruments were used to match Marylin's movements: a shaker for when she danced during a song, and flutes when she was skimping down the train in the middle of the night. Candy wasn't the only character with her own personal sound effects. The antagonist, played by Geoff Raft, is followed by a boom of a large bass drum as he made his way into the Miami hotel.
The music played often corresponds with the location of the current scene. When the mobsters stop at a funeral home, you hear the sound of an organ, even from across the street. It isn't until the organ-player stops playing and opens a door when the music switches to an upbeat jazz rythym as it leads into a speakeasy with dancing girls. When the band arrives in Miami, a ukalali is being played in the background.
As for regular sound effects, most of them, particuarly in the beginning shoot-out scenes, sounded somewhat unrealistic than what can be heard in modern movies today. They sounded more like they came from a Bugs Bunny cartoon. But most of them were viviant reminders of the current setting. For example, the train scene had the chugging wheels and an occasional train whistle to remind us that they were traveling on a train. And at the beach you always heard wves crashing despite we were watching Sugar and Joe flirt with each other.
A wonderful classic, with fair examples of sound and music.
Billy Wilder
This week we are viewing how sound anf music work in movies. I picked "Some Like It Hot" since Marilyn Monroe appears to be a good example of sound motifs.
The movie has a jazz theme so saxophones and trombones are used alot, mainly in the opening credits before the whole hubub with the gangsters. Also, the same tune was used for when Marilyn Monroe's character "Candy" first appeared, and when she was walking around while the men were ogling her body. To go along with the jazz, several other instruments were used to match Marylin's movements: a shaker for when she danced during a song, and flutes when she was skimping down the train in the middle of the night. Candy wasn't the only character with her own personal sound effects. The antagonist, played by Geoff Raft, is followed by a boom of a large bass drum as he made his way into the Miami hotel.
The music played often corresponds with the location of the current scene. When the mobsters stop at a funeral home, you hear the sound of an organ, even from across the street. It isn't until the organ-player stops playing and opens a door when the music switches to an upbeat jazz rythym as it leads into a speakeasy with dancing girls. When the band arrives in Miami, a ukalali is being played in the background.
As for regular sound effects, most of them, particuarly in the beginning shoot-out scenes, sounded somewhat unrealistic than what can be heard in modern movies today. They sounded more like they came from a Bugs Bunny cartoon. But most of them were viviant reminders of the current setting. For example, the train scene had the chugging wheels and an occasional train whistle to remind us that they were traveling on a train. And at the beach you always heard wves crashing despite we were watching Sugar and Joe flirt with each other.
A wonderful classic, with fair examples of sound and music.
Dave Chappelle's Block Party: Reviewed by Davis Rivera
In his 2006 documentary “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party,” director Michel Gondry presents the formulation, actualization, and jubilation felt before, after, and during a block party hosted by comedian Dave Chappelle and emphasizes the positive effects sound and music can have on people regardless of their race, sex, or personal outlook on life. Inspired by the popular 1973 film “Wattstax,” also a documentary chronicling a musical event, the film follows Chappelle as he realizes what he describes as “the concert I’ve always wanted to see” on the corner of Quincy and Downing Street in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Though the film doesn’t make the viewer aware of this, it’s important to note that at the time of this production, Chappelle had not yet made his decision to turn down the fifty million dollar deal to continue his hit sketch comedy show but, as a testament to his vastly adored ebullient personality, Chappelle never once shows any hint of weariness and, through an intense work ethic, is shown determined to witness his event without any hindrances, more for the audience’s sake than his own. It is soon clear to the viewer that this is exactly what Chappelle accomplished and, with the help of Gondry, avoided any unintentional “unheard melodies,” making the viewer fully aware of the music and enjoying the story as an added bonus.
Gondry begins the film with a fitting dedication to the late producer James D. Yancey, also known as J Dilla or Jay Dee. The viewer then hears the sound of someone attempting to start a car. In a highly inventive but seldom used editing technique notably perfected by the Hughes Brothers in their 2000 film “American Pimp,” each time the person off-screen attempts to start the car, a different title credit will appear on screen via a jump cut. A final abrupt jump cut reveals an old brown automobile which appears to have been manufactured in the early to mid-eighties sitting in front of a tennis court with its hood up being attended to by a younger man while an older man, presumably the man’s father, sits inside the car revving the engine. Even though we see this in a medium long shot, we get a firm glimpse of the old man as he humorously looks directly into the camera calling attention to the process of the film and no longer focusing on the state of the car. Chappelle takes this moment of easy distraction to walk up to the men, arrive at a crucial focal point and ask them various questions about the car. Knowing that he, as a well-known entertainer, cannot and will probably not be expected to be of any help, Chappelle steps away just as the faint sounds of a marching band are heard echoing in the distance. Through the use of this short burst of non-diegetic music, Gondry takes advantage of what he knows ahead of time will be one of the few narrative and non-concert related scenes and provides an excellent bit of background music that not only sustains the audience’s attention but also lends coherence to the scene as it focuses more closely on Chappelle who, one can determine, coincidentally, has begun using a megaphone to speak to the old man about what he has done to help get the car started. Also, by using the marching band, Gondry makes the viewer appreciate the unique tonal qualities of their talents and prepares them for their more productive part they play later in the film.
The dominant sound of the marching band at the end of the car repair scene eventually carries over into the next scene forming the aural equivalent of a dissolve, and reveals Chappelle against the same tennis court backdrop as earlier but without the brown car in front of him. Instead, we see the full marching band behind him no longer increasing in volume but playing at the same tempo as Chappelle, again with his megaphone, introduces each performer that will be at his event culminating in himself, which he emphasizes by doing a highly stylized and well choreographed dance in deep focus blended effortlessly to match the higher notes played by the marching band behind him. Like the inventive title credits seen before, Gondry has crafted a whimsical way of having the names Chappelle enunciates come flying out of the megaphone in saturated colors and landing on the gate surrounding the tennis court behind Chappelle, emphasizing the brightness of his life now that he’s temporarily free from the restraint of his show and reminding the viewer that the concert is being performed during the summer, contributing to the aesthetic quality of the film and conveying very important information without even reaching the four minute mark.
Immediately after the celebratory dance has completed, a cutaway reveals Chappelle in presumably the green room, exclaiming loudly and fittingly, “it’s a celebration!” The well-informed viewer can’t help but notice that Chappelle has used the infamous intonation of his popular Rick James parody and should find this a pleasant surprise after learning, through various interviews, that Chappelle grew to disdain the voice. Gondry undoubtedly used this particular scene of Chappelle using the notable voice, with boisterous laugh included, to make the viewer aware of Chappelle’s current infectious love of life. Following this welcome burst of both non-diegetic and diegetic music, mixed with a loose-framed and bright mise-en-scene, is an extreme close-up of a brief prayer meeting before the concert begins, contrasting Common’s proclamations such as “they said it was supposed to rain but God, you’re letting your face show us that you want us here” with graphic matches such as the sun shining brightly above an antique building and the bright, shining faces of local residents on lawn chairs prepared to enjoy the event. This is also a prime example of the effects a voice-over can have on the audience. Hearing Common speak, in his calm, rhythmic voice about the blessings God has bestowed upon everyone, the soul and power that they’ve collectively formed, the messages they’re receiving about how important the day is and, in a humble closing, a thank you to Dave Chappelle for getting everyone together, while the sounds of Kanye West’s “Get ‘Em High” echo non-diegetically in the background and Gondry takes us on a virtual tour of the people, is affecting, encouraging audience identification with the people we see on screen, whether the viewer is religious or not.
Gondry pans over the top of the prayer meeting and arrives at a steady medium shot as Common closes and Chappelle begins his diatribe, in a voice-over, about how excited he is for the concert, how he’s always been a fan of the artists he’s gathered, and letting the viewer know this is the concert he’s always wanted to see. As he’s saying this Gondry emphasizes the actual process of passing time (albeit in a condensed form) by use a mini-montage collecting every performer that we’ll see later in the film; whether smiling, serious, or quixotic, Gondry has crafted each shot perfectly and joined them together by an appropriate shot transition. Shot transitions and using the always-effective sound bridge are what Gondry specializes in for the remainder of the film. Notably in a scene depicting Chappelle and Lil’ Cease as he reminisces about his deceased friend Christopher Wallace, also known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, and talks about the influence he, along with his group the Junior M.A.F.I.A., Jay-Z, and other artists associated with Brooklyn, have had on the entire world. Lil’ Cease closes with an important statement that, growing up, rap was the foundation that kept him, and many others, out of trouble and that he never let money get in the way of his relationships with other people, the major message of the film. As he finishes up with a last message that hip-hop was his world and to never let anything come between you, your friends and your vision, Gondry cuts to Dead Prez on the main stage as the first chords of “Hip Hop,” begin, complete with shots of a communal group of fists raised in the air in unison. Another excellent example of this technique occurs much later in the film when, for the first time thus far and a jarring contrast considering what the film is about, an elderly woman expresses her distaste for rap music, citing its foul language and ill-effects on children as examples. As she finishes, Gondry cuts to a close-up of Chappelle and Mos Def on stage performing two crude routines that make the lyrics of most of the artists performing at the event seem tame in comparison. This kind of contrast provides a rare moment where the viewer doesn’t know whether this makes the performers, Chappelle included, vulnerable to the criticism that the old woman has constructed or whether Gondry is trying to say that although the woman has a moot point, the music’s redeeming qualities should not let it be subjected to such overblown generalizations.
Though Gondry does takes advantage of the cornucopia of good music and performances available to him by exasperatingly cutting away from the performances frequently, wreaking havoc on the documentary’s rhythms and the power of the songs, he does manage to successfully use sound to complement the images onscreen, even when those images are abstract, such as the opening car sequence. Through establishing historical context, shaping the audience’s perception of space, defining character, shaping the emotional tenor of scenes and occasionally distancing the audience, Gondry has, in his own madcap way, showcased the five common functions of a film about music and crafted a feature that will be revisited for many years as a part comedy, part concert film, part avant-garde experiment full of joy and hope encompassing the state of our current civilization with a refreshing hint of optimistic patriotism.
Gondry begins the film with a fitting dedication to the late producer James D. Yancey, also known as J Dilla or Jay Dee. The viewer then hears the sound of someone attempting to start a car. In a highly inventive but seldom used editing technique notably perfected by the Hughes Brothers in their 2000 film “American Pimp,” each time the person off-screen attempts to start the car, a different title credit will appear on screen via a jump cut. A final abrupt jump cut reveals an old brown automobile which appears to have been manufactured in the early to mid-eighties sitting in front of a tennis court with its hood up being attended to by a younger man while an older man, presumably the man’s father, sits inside the car revving the engine. Even though we see this in a medium long shot, we get a firm glimpse of the old man as he humorously looks directly into the camera calling attention to the process of the film and no longer focusing on the state of the car. Chappelle takes this moment of easy distraction to walk up to the men, arrive at a crucial focal point and ask them various questions about the car. Knowing that he, as a well-known entertainer, cannot and will probably not be expected to be of any help, Chappelle steps away just as the faint sounds of a marching band are heard echoing in the distance. Through the use of this short burst of non-diegetic music, Gondry takes advantage of what he knows ahead of time will be one of the few narrative and non-concert related scenes and provides an excellent bit of background music that not only sustains the audience’s attention but also lends coherence to the scene as it focuses more closely on Chappelle who, one can determine, coincidentally, has begun using a megaphone to speak to the old man about what he has done to help get the car started. Also, by using the marching band, Gondry makes the viewer appreciate the unique tonal qualities of their talents and prepares them for their more productive part they play later in the film.
The dominant sound of the marching band at the end of the car repair scene eventually carries over into the next scene forming the aural equivalent of a dissolve, and reveals Chappelle against the same tennis court backdrop as earlier but without the brown car in front of him. Instead, we see the full marching band behind him no longer increasing in volume but playing at the same tempo as Chappelle, again with his megaphone, introduces each performer that will be at his event culminating in himself, which he emphasizes by doing a highly stylized and well choreographed dance in deep focus blended effortlessly to match the higher notes played by the marching band behind him. Like the inventive title credits seen before, Gondry has crafted a whimsical way of having the names Chappelle enunciates come flying out of the megaphone in saturated colors and landing on the gate surrounding the tennis court behind Chappelle, emphasizing the brightness of his life now that he’s temporarily free from the restraint of his show and reminding the viewer that the concert is being performed during the summer, contributing to the aesthetic quality of the film and conveying very important information without even reaching the four minute mark.
Immediately after the celebratory dance has completed, a cutaway reveals Chappelle in presumably the green room, exclaiming loudly and fittingly, “it’s a celebration!” The well-informed viewer can’t help but notice that Chappelle has used the infamous intonation of his popular Rick James parody and should find this a pleasant surprise after learning, through various interviews, that Chappelle grew to disdain the voice. Gondry undoubtedly used this particular scene of Chappelle using the notable voice, with boisterous laugh included, to make the viewer aware of Chappelle’s current infectious love of life. Following this welcome burst of both non-diegetic and diegetic music, mixed with a loose-framed and bright mise-en-scene, is an extreme close-up of a brief prayer meeting before the concert begins, contrasting Common’s proclamations such as “they said it was supposed to rain but God, you’re letting your face show us that you want us here” with graphic matches such as the sun shining brightly above an antique building and the bright, shining faces of local residents on lawn chairs prepared to enjoy the event. This is also a prime example of the effects a voice-over can have on the audience. Hearing Common speak, in his calm, rhythmic voice about the blessings God has bestowed upon everyone, the soul and power that they’ve collectively formed, the messages they’re receiving about how important the day is and, in a humble closing, a thank you to Dave Chappelle for getting everyone together, while the sounds of Kanye West’s “Get ‘Em High” echo non-diegetically in the background and Gondry takes us on a virtual tour of the people, is affecting, encouraging audience identification with the people we see on screen, whether the viewer is religious or not.
Gondry pans over the top of the prayer meeting and arrives at a steady medium shot as Common closes and Chappelle begins his diatribe, in a voice-over, about how excited he is for the concert, how he’s always been a fan of the artists he’s gathered, and letting the viewer know this is the concert he’s always wanted to see. As he’s saying this Gondry emphasizes the actual process of passing time (albeit in a condensed form) by use a mini-montage collecting every performer that we’ll see later in the film; whether smiling, serious, or quixotic, Gondry has crafted each shot perfectly and joined them together by an appropriate shot transition. Shot transitions and using the always-effective sound bridge are what Gondry specializes in for the remainder of the film. Notably in a scene depicting Chappelle and Lil’ Cease as he reminisces about his deceased friend Christopher Wallace, also known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, and talks about the influence he, along with his group the Junior M.A.F.I.A., Jay-Z, and other artists associated with Brooklyn, have had on the entire world. Lil’ Cease closes with an important statement that, growing up, rap was the foundation that kept him, and many others, out of trouble and that he never let money get in the way of his relationships with other people, the major message of the film. As he finishes up with a last message that hip-hop was his world and to never let anything come between you, your friends and your vision, Gondry cuts to Dead Prez on the main stage as the first chords of “Hip Hop,” begin, complete with shots of a communal group of fists raised in the air in unison. Another excellent example of this technique occurs much later in the film when, for the first time thus far and a jarring contrast considering what the film is about, an elderly woman expresses her distaste for rap music, citing its foul language and ill-effects on children as examples. As she finishes, Gondry cuts to a close-up of Chappelle and Mos Def on stage performing two crude routines that make the lyrics of most of the artists performing at the event seem tame in comparison. This kind of contrast provides a rare moment where the viewer doesn’t know whether this makes the performers, Chappelle included, vulnerable to the criticism that the old woman has constructed or whether Gondry is trying to say that although the woman has a moot point, the music’s redeeming qualities should not let it be subjected to such overblown generalizations.
Though Gondry does takes advantage of the cornucopia of good music and performances available to him by exasperatingly cutting away from the performances frequently, wreaking havoc on the documentary’s rhythms and the power of the songs, he does manage to successfully use sound to complement the images onscreen, even when those images are abstract, such as the opening car sequence. Through establishing historical context, shaping the audience’s perception of space, defining character, shaping the emotional tenor of scenes and occasionally distancing the audience, Gondry has, in his own madcap way, showcased the five common functions of a film about music and crafted a feature that will be revisited for many years as a part comedy, part concert film, part avant-garde experiment full of joy and hope encompassing the state of our current civilization with a refreshing hint of optimistic patriotism.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Forrest Gump- Isaac Richter
"Hello, my name's Forrest, Forrest Gump." These are the first words we hear out of Tom Hanks' mouth in this story about a simple man growing up in the United States of America through the 50's 60's and 70's living the same events that people in this country lived through around that time yet the way he experiences those events is different. He looks at the world without a hint of cynicism or ill will toward anyone. He has faith in mankind, and because he does not understand anything that is complicated, his outlook is simple.
Forrest Gump is a film that spans at least 30 years and each one of these eras has to be presented in a way that is believable with its own sounds and its own music. In this film, music helps set up the time and place in history where Forrest Gump, and all of the people he knows are now situated in. When we hear a guitar and the song “Hounddog” coming from one of the rooms in Forrest's house we know that Elvis Presley is in there and getting the moves from Forrest. We also hear Let's Get Together by The Youngbloods to set up the Summer of Love and several songs by The Doors are used to set up Vietnam as a place of danger and adventure. Alan Silvestri’s original score is also used throughout the film to heighten the emotional qualities of the events in Forrest’s life. The volume of the music is raised in the scene in Washington where Forrest runs to the fountain to hug Jenny, or every time he starts running, especially the first time when the braces on his legs break. The main theme of the film that opens and closes the film follows the movement of a feather flying in the sky and landing on Forrest’s shoe, and then flying away from Forrest’s shoe, back into the air.
Apart from the music and the sound effects, this film provides us with a voiceover that makes us look at these events in a way we never would have thought of before. The film assumes that the audience seeing the film are familiar with the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, the hurricane that sinks most of the boats in the marina (I forgot the name of the hurricane), since they’re all very important events in America, but the way Forrest Gump narrates the story is in a very simple manner. Because of the voiceover, we understand why Forrest does what he does. He falls in love with Jenny because she’s the only child who was ever nice to him, he takes up shrimping because he made a promise to his “best good friend” who died in Vietnam, he called in the Watergate Hotel break-in because the flashlights were hurting his eyes, he approached a black woman because she dropped her book, and he ran across America for over 3 years just because he “felt like running”. Without the voice-over, and without this insight into Forrest Gump, especially without the retrospect that Forrest has now that he knows the significance of the events he participated in, it gives the audience and Forrest himself a new understanding of what he’s going through. Tom Hanks has perfected a childlike pitch and Southern accent that makes his thoughts and reasoning believable.
The scenes in Vietnam have their own distinct sounds from the raindrops to the weapons that are fired and the footsteps heard on the mud whenever the soldiers are running. Other sounds that are created are the sounds of the ping pong ball, which had to be digitally added to make the games believable, and lines had to be added to archival footage to create their interaction with Forrest Gump, such as Elvis, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Lennon.
Forrest Gump is a film that spans 30 years, but all of those years are built around a character, and this character has his own thoughts and feelings about the world around him which is contrasted with the feelings of the rest of the country and the people he meets, including Jenny, the love of his life, Lt. Dan Taylor from the army and even his own mother. People hear about politics and religion, about what causes a war or what creates the wheather, or the social implications of racism. All that Forrest Gump hears is what is right and what is wrong, what makes sense to him and what he believes must be done to keep the harmony amongst the people he loves. He is a simple man in a complicated world, or maybe it’s not that complicated. This film, with its combination of crowd’s cheers, explosion bangs, ping pong balls, rock music, and the voice of this man guiding us through his story and the events that are covered throughout, this is a film where what we hear is crucial to getting the message across.
Forrest Gump is a film that spans at least 30 years and each one of these eras has to be presented in a way that is believable with its own sounds and its own music. In this film, music helps set up the time and place in history where Forrest Gump, and all of the people he knows are now situated in. When we hear a guitar and the song “Hounddog” coming from one of the rooms in Forrest's house we know that Elvis Presley is in there and getting the moves from Forrest. We also hear Let's Get Together by The Youngbloods to set up the Summer of Love and several songs by The Doors are used to set up Vietnam as a place of danger and adventure. Alan Silvestri’s original score is also used throughout the film to heighten the emotional qualities of the events in Forrest’s life. The volume of the music is raised in the scene in Washington where Forrest runs to the fountain to hug Jenny, or every time he starts running, especially the first time when the braces on his legs break. The main theme of the film that opens and closes the film follows the movement of a feather flying in the sky and landing on Forrest’s shoe, and then flying away from Forrest’s shoe, back into the air.
Apart from the music and the sound effects, this film provides us with a voiceover that makes us look at these events in a way we never would have thought of before. The film assumes that the audience seeing the film are familiar with the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, the hurricane that sinks most of the boats in the marina (I forgot the name of the hurricane), since they’re all very important events in America, but the way Forrest Gump narrates the story is in a very simple manner. Because of the voiceover, we understand why Forrest does what he does. He falls in love with Jenny because she’s the only child who was ever nice to him, he takes up shrimping because he made a promise to his “best good friend” who died in Vietnam, he called in the Watergate Hotel break-in because the flashlights were hurting his eyes, he approached a black woman because she dropped her book, and he ran across America for over 3 years just because he “felt like running”. Without the voice-over, and without this insight into Forrest Gump, especially without the retrospect that Forrest has now that he knows the significance of the events he participated in, it gives the audience and Forrest himself a new understanding of what he’s going through. Tom Hanks has perfected a childlike pitch and Southern accent that makes his thoughts and reasoning believable.
The scenes in Vietnam have their own distinct sounds from the raindrops to the weapons that are fired and the footsteps heard on the mud whenever the soldiers are running. Other sounds that are created are the sounds of the ping pong ball, which had to be digitally added to make the games believable, and lines had to be added to archival footage to create their interaction with Forrest Gump, such as Elvis, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Lennon.
Forrest Gump is a film that spans 30 years, but all of those years are built around a character, and this character has his own thoughts and feelings about the world around him which is contrasted with the feelings of the rest of the country and the people he meets, including Jenny, the love of his life, Lt. Dan Taylor from the army and even his own mother. People hear about politics and religion, about what causes a war or what creates the wheather, or the social implications of racism. All that Forrest Gump hears is what is right and what is wrong, what makes sense to him and what he believes must be done to keep the harmony amongst the people he loves. He is a simple man in a complicated world, or maybe it’s not that complicated. This film, with its combination of crowd’s cheers, explosion bangs, ping pong balls, rock music, and the voice of this man guiding us through his story and the events that are covered throughout, this is a film where what we hear is crucial to getting the message across.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Jose Saca - The Spanish Civil War (Part One: Prelude to Tragedy (1931-1936)) (Sixth Post)
Prelude to Tragedy is the first in a six-part BBC documentary on The Spanish Civil War directed by John Blake and first broadcast in 1987. The film examines the five years before the start of the civil conflict. The film shows stock footage, interview footage, and talks to surviving figures about what lead to one of the bloodiest civil disputes in all of Europe. The following post will discuss how sound and music is used throughout to create a fascinating portrait on the origins of this civil dispute.
Music and sound effects are interspersed throughout the film. The film achieves some of its key dramatic moments when music and sound effects are put together with the moving image, creating a portrait that sticks with the viewer.
An example of the abovementioned point is the film’s first scene. A peasant farm where a shepherd tends to a flock of sheep is transformed into a key moment of suspense because, the viewer, via the sound of the footage mixed in with the tense music score, is put through suspense as to what exactly the film will be about. The director elicited suspense on the viewer’s part by his usage of sound and music in an ordinary situation. Take the music away, and you have a mundane scene. It is the way music is used, as in the example of the first scene, that affects the overall tone of the film throughout.
Stock footage of key political figures is mixed in with the tense score. A narrator (Frank Finlay) acts as a voice of God in by giving out the cold hard facts about the war. The viewer is transfixed and easily settles into a fascinating yet informative document about a largely misunderstood or forgotten event in the history of Europe.
The documentary would've been talking heads and facts had it not been for sound and music.
The score employs string arrangements similar to Kurosawa's Ran in its total manipulation of the viewer. It brings into the history of the country from 1931-1936, and whenever a pivotal event is told, such as the winning of the 1933 elections by Jose Maria Gil Robles' Right-wing CEDA group, the score would swell and literally jolt the viewer into feeling the collective sentiment of the people at that time. Spain was under the Leftist Second Republic at that time, so the score would use exploit a depressive tone in a moment of catharsis such as Gil Robles' victory.
It's hard to describe the sentiment without going back to films that reminded me of the catharsis presented through sound. However, going back to Ran, if you remember the battle sequence when Lord Hidetora (memory is failing me at the moment) is forced from his kingdom, it was entirely silent, with only a string arrangement score playing as the actors and extras waged a brutally depicted war in the film. The catharsis felt in a masterpiece scene like that one is similar to what I felt watching The Spanish Civil War.
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