Alan J. Pakula’s “Klute” is widely known in the music industry for its uncommon use of musical instruments in the non-diegetic music during mysterious parts of the thrilling movie. Alongside, the frightening tune, a pattern of low-key lighting mixed with not revealing the identity of the man whom Bree is fearful of and who Klute is looking for, is evident whenever the music starts. Combining the two patterns with the non-diegetic music gives the audience a sense of mystery, thrill, and fear as they respond cognitively by trying to uncover who is after Bree.
Michael Small was the musical mastermind behind the eerie soundtrack of “Klute”, his first Hollywood film. Small elected to make his impression by streaming away from the previous uses of symphony and jazz commonly used in thrilling movie soundtracks, to utilizing a chamber orchestra. In doing so, he combined the chilling sounds of the piano, percussion instruments, and a female voice to devise what some would say is the best soundtrack of the 1970s.1
The very first time we hear the chilling music is at 3:36 while a man is setting up a tape recorder and plays it. During this, low-key side lighting is used to illuminate the actions being done on a black table. In order to enhance the creepiness of the soundtrack, the director only allows the audience to see what he wants them to. In this case, a close up of a man’s hand and a tape recorder are allowed. By combining the black surface, low-key lighting, and a hand but not a face the director created the mysterious, creepy atmosphere of the eerie music for the rest of the movie. The presentation of the music alongside the patterns evoke cognitive play for the audience because they want to know who is behind the recorder. It is ass...
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...audience to finally feel relieve that Bree’s troubles are finally over and the mystery is solved.
The use of non-diegetic music alongside of low-key lighting and what was chosen to keep off-screen cued the audience into feeling the thrill that Klute and Bree were feeling throughout the investigation. Although it was finally revealed that Cable was the culprit, a first time viewer could not be positive that Cable was the man they were looking for. By not revealing Cable as the man behind everything, every time the music played the intenseness was still present. In addition, the occasional high-key lighting did not decrease the power of the music because other reasons to feel suspense were shown. Klute is a prime example on how the combination of non-diegetic music alongside of other elements can help cue the audience into feeling how the director wants them to feel.
For example, Marlowe discovers that Geiger's books store was a smut book racket, the identity of Carmen's blackmailer and his murderer, what really happened to Eddie Mars's wife and the identity of Sean Regan's murderer. Nonetheless, the resulting fast paced plot engages the viewer. Unlike reading a novel, watching a movie involves one's auditory senses. In this case, music was carefully composed and selected to emphasize the confusion and rush. For example, fast paced music creates a feeling of tension and can be used to build suspense.
music to analyse—in fact, the music runs almost constantly throughout the film without very little
One of the techniques used to promote fear and suspense into the audience is the use of the music. This technique makes the audience afraid of the shark, whenever the theme song is played the audience is to expect another horrific attack from the deadly shark, which adds a lot of suspense and build-up to the scences following. Spielberg uses this particular sound to build-up the scene, such as in the beginning when the shark attacks the girl swimming. Spielberg uses this non-diegetic sound which is only heard by the audience, not by any of the characters in the film. A non-diegetic sound defined by film sound says, a sound neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be prese...
In brief, the audience can see how this 1931 sound film could be shaped by sound in a number of ways. Considering that sound at this time was a new phenomenon it is understood why mostly diegetic sound was used over nondiegetic sound. This director also showed the audience how the story could be affected by sound with examples like the clock becoming a character and storyline of its own and also the murderer being identified with his whistling. With the lack of sound and the collage of images during specific times, the director was able to create a mood without music or sound. Apparently this was a technique that was learned throughout his many years of silent films. These details were what brought the story together and would not have been done so precisely without the technique of sound.
For this essay I will be looking at the work of Hans Zimmer to discuss how music in film engages the viewer and evokes emotion and pulls the viewer toward the film. Hans Zimmer is a German born music composer. Hans Zimmer’s love of music stems from his childhood when he learned how to play various instruments. Before Zimmer began composing music for films he was in a well-known band. The band was called The Buggles whom were famous for their song Video Killed the Radio Star. After the Buggles Zimmer played in other bands but never had another hit. As Zimmer has progressed as a film composer so has his list of nominations and awards. Zimmer has won 4 Grammy Awards and 2 Golden Globes and many more for his outstanding film scores. The reason I chose to write this essay on Zimmer was that his genres and music score are extremely versatile ranging from animations to comedy to dark thrillers. This is important to highlight as it shows Zimmer can create almost any atmosphere with his music whether it be sad or creating tension that all cause us to engage with the film. Zimmer's use of themes and introduction of different instruments allowed him to create these wonderful engaging film score. In this essay I will look at three films by Hans Zimmer these are The Holiday Rush and Rain Man.
It is this route that Klute takes. Over the course of the film Klute works towards domesticating Bree and very nearly succeeds. This is where Pakula attempts to subvert the tradition of “happily ever after.” In a final voice-over conversation with her therapist, Bree discusses her concerns over the future of her relationship with Klute. She doesn’t feel that she could possibly fit in a small town.
The film starts out with orchestral music, and shows James Dean's character, Jim, drunk on the ground of a sidewalk. The sound of a police siren is heard and used as a transition into the next scene that takes place, understandably, in a police station. While in the police station, Jim is yelling along with the sound of the siren, and humming loudly to give the impression that he is drunk. At one point in the scene he is brought into another room with an officer, and begins to punch a desk. The sound effects are loud, and the he pauses, and music begins again when he begins to hurt. Again, a siren is played at the transition to the next scene. However, for the most part, score music is played during all transitions.
them as unattractive and menacing and everything about this scene is threatening and ugly and makes the audience feel uncomfortable impact. in the audience of the. The music is like funeral music, loud and sad. The... ... middle of paper ... ...bloodshed and murder that follow.
In the film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, every time there was a close up of Augustus Gloop in the candy room, sinister music would play. This foreshadowed that something bad was going to happen to him in that room. It puts the viewer on edge and creates a mood of suspense because they don’t know what is going to happen. He also uses music to foreshadow events in the movie Edward Scissorhands. Every time Edward saw Kim happy, angelic music would play which foreshadowed that something would happen between them and also gave you a hint about his feelings towards her. Burton used music to show foreshadowing in the movie Dark Shadows as well. When Josette was walking toward the edge of the cliff suspenseful music played create a mood of suspense and fear that Barnabas wouldn’t make it in time and she would fall to her death. One of the many other cinematic techniques Burton often uses in his films is using lighting and color to show
Next, we hear Norman’s voice as he yells “mother, oh god, mother, blood, blood”; his voice, is a very distant, reverbed, non-diegetic wet sound. Afterwards, we hear the soundtrack, which is non-diegetic, playing simultaneously along Norman’s figure in frame. The reason behind it, is a way to demonstrate that he is, indeed, the killer, hence why the same track takes part when the killer commits the crime as well as when Norman approaches the room.
...violence. In the murder scenes, the non-diegetic sound provides a more dramatic effect making up for the violence of the crimes making them scenes that went around the Hays Code.
As an audience we are manipulated from the moment a film begins. In this essay I wish to explore how The Conversation’s use of sound design has directly controlled our perceptions and emotional responses as well as how it can change the meaning of the image. I would also like to discover how the soundtrack guides the audience’s attention with the use of diegetic and nondiegetic sounds.
Although admittedly some scenes have a comical side to them, Besson's fast paced action and gruesome images hold the tension and suspense brilliantly. His use of close-ups and camera movements, especially the subjective stance used by the victim, convey the feelings felt by the characters and the way in which they behave. Sound plays a crucial role in the opening sequence because, in my view, it is used to control the level of suspense and intrigue.
Sound is what brings movies to life, but, not many viewers really notice. A film can be shot with mediocre quality, but, can be intriguing if it has the most effective foley, sound effects, underscore, etc. Sound in movies band together and unfold the meaning of the scenes. When actors are speaking, the dialogue can bring emotion to the audience, or, it can be used as the ambient sound. Music is one of the main things to have when filmmaking. The use of Claudia Gorbman’s Seven Principles of Composition, Mixing and Editing in Classical Film gives audiences a perspective of sound, and, how it can have an impact on them.
Neher, Erick. "Movie Music At The Philharmonic." Hudson Review 64.4 (2012): 668-674. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.