Week 1: David Neumeyer, James Buhler, Rob Deemer (Hearing the Movies)

Summary of Soundtrack and Film Narrative Concepts

Key Takeaways:

1. Soundtrack and Mood:

○ The soundtrack plays a pivotal role in shaping the mood and narrative clarity.
○ In the scene analysis of Sleepless in Seattle, music mirrors emotional shifts,
adding depth to visuals, such as the subdued tones following the truck horn to
express hesitation and reflection.
2. Physical Sources of Sound:
○ Sounds in film are linked to their sources, ranging from specific (e.g., dialogue
linked to visible characters) to general categories (e.g., ambient street noise).
○ The "added value" of sounds enhances visual storytelling, as seen with
nondiegetic music that reflects internal emotions not apparent in visuals.
3. Music’s Narrative Functions:
○ Empathy and Mood Creation: Music aligns with characters' emotions and
guides audience perception, following changes in tempo and tone to mirror the
narrative.
○ Subjective Sound: Music transitions viewers into characters’ internal states (e.g.,
fading ambient sounds to focus on an intimate or introspective moment).
○ Pacing: Music slows or accelerates the rhythm of scenes, counterbalancing rapid
shot pacing or chaotic visual elements.
4. Shot Composition and Sound Integration:
○ Scenes often follow a prototypical design: establishing shots to set the space,
followed by close-ups or shot/reverse-shot sequences to emphasize dialogue and
emotions.
○ In Good Will Hunting, the Boston Common scene eliminates medium 2-shots,
instead relying on tight close-ups and subtle sound transitions, such as faint
ambient noises blending into nondiegetic music.
5. Foreground and Background Sound Dynamics:
○ Contrast between prominent dialogue and background sounds isolates characters
within public spaces, emphasizing intimacy amidst external noise.
6. Typical Soundtrack Techniques:
○ Soundtracks blend speech, effects, and music, adjusting their dominance to align
with narrative needs.
○ Elements such as ambient sound (e.g., traffic, birdsong) and nondiegetic music
support transitions, amplify emotions, and provide narrative continuity.
7. Masking as a Tool for Analysis:
 ○ Watching visuals without sound or listening without visuals reveals the
independent contributions of each component, such as rhythm, texture, or
emotional impact.

Analysis Checklist for Sound in Film Scenes:

1. Contextual Background:
○ Provide genre, director, release year, main cast, and plot synopsis.
2. Scene Synopsis:
○ Briefly outline the key actions and narrative purpose of the scene.
3. Shot List:
○ Document the sequence of shots, noting framing and transitions.
4. Soundtrack Description:
○ Detail sound elements (speech, effects, music) and their balance throughout the
scene.
5. Evaluation of Sound Elements:
○ Examine the narrative functions of music and sound:
■ Emotional resonance and characterization.
■ External/internal sound contrasts.
■ Representation of space and action.
■ Pacing effects.
6. Summary Statement:
○ Concisely capture the significance of the soundtrack to the scene's narrative and
emotional impact.

Example: Boston Common Scene from Good Will Hunting

1. Background and Context:

○ Romantic drama, released in 1997, written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck,
starring Damon and Robin Williams.
○ Will (Damon) and Sean (Williams) engage in therapy, focusing on Will’s
vulnerabilities and emotional growth.
2. Scene Synopsis:
○ Set on a park bench in Boston Common, Sean delivers a monologue that
profoundly affects Will, showcasing their deepening connection.
3. Soundtrack Description:
○ Outdoor sounds (birds, traffic) contrast sharply with Sean’s dialogue.
 ○ Nondiegetic music subtly enters, reflecting Will’s growing emotional response
and segueing into the next montage.
4. Soundtrack’s Narrative Role:
○ Supports Sean’s role as a mentor by underscoring his words.
○ Highlights Will’s internal transformation through emotive music.
○ Maintains a balance of intimacy and public space via crisp ambient sound and
close-miked dialogue.

Week 1: Kathryn Kalinak (A Very Short Introduction)

Core Functions of Film Music:

1. Setting and Atmosphere:

○ Music specifies time and place, setting the context for a scene.
○ In Reservoir Dogs, the 1970s hit evokes nostalgia and cultural associations
(superficiality of the "me" generation), heightening irony.
2. Mood Creation and Emotional Guidance:
○ Music alters or reinforces the emotional tone of a scene.
○ The cheerful melody of “Stuck in the Middle With You” contrasts with the brutal
visuals, creating ironic detachment and complicating audience empathy.
3. Narrative Clarification and Foreshadowing:
○ Lyrics can hint at underlying themes or character dilemmas.
○ The song’s lyrics (“something ain’t right,” “stuck in the middle”) direct attention
to Mr. Orange’s moral conflict, enriching the narrative subtext.
4. Characterization and Psychology:
○ Music provides insight into characters’ mental states.
○ Mr. Blonde’s dance to the upbeat song highlights his sadistic joy, reinforcing his
psychopathy more viscerally than dialogue or visuals alone.
5. Audience Manipulation:
○ Music fosters absorption by distracting from the medium’s technological
construction (e.g., flat images, editing).
○ Manipulating sound quality (e.g., from monophonic radio sound to rich
stereophonic audio) enhances audience engagement and emotional responses
without conscious awareness.
6. Unification and Rhythm:
○ A song can tie together disparate elements of a sequence, providing coherence
and pacing.
○ The rhythms of “Stuck in the Middle With You” dictate editing and movement,
lending a lyrical energy to the violence.
7. Audience Identification and Conflict:
 ○ Music complicates empathy by aligning viewers with morally ambiguous or
outright antagonistic characters.
○ In the scene, the joyous music encourages viewers to engage with Mr. Blonde’s
sadism, prompting guilty enjoyment before the violence becomes intolerable.

Broader Implications of Film Music:

1. Global Diversity:
○ While Hollywood uses music in specific ways, film music practices vary across
cultures (e.g., Hindi cinema’s integration of songs into storytelling differs from
Brazilian or Bengali traditions).
2. Subconscious Influence:
○ Music often operates "under the radar," shaping perceptions and emotions without
conscious recognition.
○ In Reservoir Dogs, the manipulation of volume intensifies the sequence's
joyfulness, enhancing audience complicity.

Week 2: Roger Hickman (Reel Music- Exploring 100 Yeaars of Film Music)

Week 2: Hubbert (Modernism at the Movies The Cabinet of Dr. Caliga)

Study Notes: Modernism in Film and Music through The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Modernism in American Concert Halls and Cinema

1. Schoenberg and Stravinsky's Early Reception:

○ Limited Exposure Pre-1921:
■ American audiences had minimal exposure to Schoenberg and Stravinsky
before Caligari. Performances of Schoenberg's works were rare after 1915
due to World War I and anti-German sentiment.
■ Stravinsky's music faced no such bias but was also infrequently
performed, with mostly minor works showcased.
○ Journalistic Influence:
■ Public perception of both composers was shaped more by critical reports
and analyses than by actual performances. Critics often described
Schoenberg’s work as "ghoulish" and Stravinsky's as radical but brilliant.
○ Post-War Developments:
 ■ Performances of European modernism grew after 1922, with key
premieres such as Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire (1923) and Stravinsky's
Le Sacre du printemps (1922).
2. Leo Ornstein: The American Modernist:
○ Avant-Garde Innovator:
■ Between 1915–1920, Ornstein shocked U.S. audiences with ultramodern
piano compositions characterized by deliberate dissonances and tone
clusters.
○ Comparisons with European Modernists:
■ Critics linked Ornstein with figures like Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and
Prokofiev, often blending distinctions between American and European
modernists.
3. Critics’ Confusion with Modernist Trends:
○ Critics often conflated diverse modernist composers and trends due to limited
firsthand experience, reflecting the broader gap between theoretical knowledge
and performance exposure.

Modernist Music in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

1. The Caligari Compilation Score:

○ The U.S. premiere featured a groundbreaking compilation score curated by
Rothafel and Rapée, integrating works by Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and classical
composers like Beethoven and Grieg.
○ This score marked an unprecedented blending of European modernist music with
cinema.
2. Reception and Legacy:
○ Audiences responded with both acclaim and confusion, as the modernist elements
were as novel in cinemas as they were in concert halls.
○ The score's integration of dissonant and atonal music reinforced the film's
unsettling Expressionist visuals.
3. Impact on Film and Music:
○ The Caligari score anticipated the establishment of modernist music in American
concert halls, introducing audiences to Schoenberg and Stravinsky on a scale
larger than any concert setting.
○ Critics like Hugo Reisenfeld hailed the score as a high point in film music for its
contemporary feeling and structural unity.

Key Takeaways:
 ● The Caligari score bridged the gap between European modernism and American
audiences, introducing avant-garde musical trends in a cinematic context.
● The blending of modernist music with Expressionist cinema in Caligari set a precedent
for the use of experimental music in silent film.
● This cross-medium integration highlights the role of cinema as an influential platform for
modernist art during the early 20th century.

Expressionism and Art Cinema in Caligari:

1. Pioneering Art Cinema:

○ The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is often regarded as one of the first "art" films,
notable for its unconventional narrative and visual style.
○ The film aligns with German Expressionism, showcasing distorted,
cubist-inspired sets and a psychologically intense story.
2. Critical Reception:
○ The 1921 U.S. premiere at the Capitol Theatre drew over 70,000 attendees in its
first week, reflecting both fascination and debate over its avant-garde approach.
○ Critics compared the narrative to Edgar Allan Poe's works, highlighting its
macabre themes. Artistic ambitions were praised, while its innovative
Expressionist visuals sparked comparisons to cubist art.
3. UFA’s Role in Promoting Experimental Cinema:
○ German studio UFA supported the production as part of a broader effort to elevate
German cinema on the international stage.
○ Erich Pommer, a key figure at UFA, championed experimental works like
Caligari, fostering a studio system that encouraged artistic innovation (discussed
in Elsaesser’s Weimar Cinema and After).
4. Scholarly Analyses:
○ Mike Budd emphasizes the film’s anti-genre traits as defining its "art cinema"
identity.
○ David Bordwell situates Caligari within the broader context of art cinema’s
formal and narrative innovations.

Music in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari:

1. Original Berlin Score:

○ The film’s Berlin premiere featured a score by Giuseppe Becce, described as
modernist and atonal, though details remain speculative.
2. U.S. Premiere Compilation Score:
 ○ For its U.S. debut, a new score was created by Roxy Rothafel and Erno Rapée.
○ This score incorporated modernist works by Schoenberg and Stravinsky,
alongside classical selections (e.g., pieces by Chopin, Beethoven, and Grieg).
○ The inclusion of Schoenberg and Stravinsky marked an early crossover of
European musical modernism into the realm of film.
3. Significance of the Music:
○ The compilation score unified the narrative with an unsettling modernist
atmosphere, aligning with the film’s Expressionist aesthetic.
○ Critics praised the music’s ability to enhance the film’s avant-garde feel, making
Caligari a landmark in integrating modernist music with cinema.
4. Legacy in Film Music:
○ Caligari set a precedent for the use of modernist music in cinema, influencing the
future of film scoring during the silent era and beyond.

Key Takeaways:

● The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari revolutionized both visual storytelling and film music by
integrating Expressionist art and modernist compositions.
● The collaboration between UFA and artists like Pommer underscored Germany’s
ambitions to position cinema as a serious artistic medium.
● Its U.S. reception highlighted a cultural shift, introducing European modernism to a
broader American audience.

Week 3: David Neumeyer, James Buhler Rob Deemer

Study Notes: Transition to Sound Film (1926–1932)

Introduction to Sound Film

1. Early Transition:
○ Milestone Films:
■ Lights of New York (1928): First 100% talking film.
■ The Broadway Melody (1929): First sound film to win Best Picture,
marking Hollywood’s shift to sound film dominance.
○ By 1930, silent film production in Hollywood largely ceased except for rare
exceptions like Charlie Chaplin (City Lights, 1931).
2. International Adoption:
○ Europe transitioned slower to sound films; some early European sound films
blended silent and talkie elements (e.g., Le Million, 1931).
Challenges in Early Sound Film

1. Technological Hurdles:
○ Early microphones had limited sensitivity and dynamic range, making live
recording of music and dialogue difficult.
○ Multiple soundproofed cameras were used, restricting set-ups and requiring
longer takes.
○ Innovations by 1932 included:
■ Improved microphones and soundproofing.
■ The introduction of microphone booms and better film stock.
2. Aesthetic Adjustments:
○ Balancing dialogue, music, and sound effects was a new challenge.
○ The need for synchronized sound tied effects closely to visual cues.
○ Nonsynchronous sound created ambiguity, requiring differentiation between
diegetic and nondiegetic sound.

Musicals as Early Sound Films

1. Rise of Musicals:
○ Early sound films were predominantly musicals, exploiting popular music for
financial gains.
○ Narrative musicals borrowed the model of The Jazz Singer (1927), incorporating
musical performances as diegetic elements.
2. Technical Simplicity:
○ Using music diegetically reduced the need for rerecording, as live performance
recording on set was common.
○ Rerecording became more feasible after 1930, allowing music and effects to be
added in postproduction.

Impact on Visual and Narrative Style

1. Dialogue and Realism:

○ Close-up love scenes with dialogue often made audiences uncomfortable, as
verbal intimacy was jarring.
○ Music helped resolve ambiguities in emotional scenes, enhancing narrative
clarity.
 ○ Nondiegetic music in love scenes bridged the audience’s emotional distance from
characters.
2. Comparison of Silent and Sound Practices:
○ Silent films treated music as a constant, while sound films used music sparingly,
favoring realism in dialogue and effects.

Production Innovations in Sound Film

1. Sound Departments:
○ Early sound specialists came from telephone and radio industries.
○ Dialogue recording was the primary focus, with effects and music often added in
postproduction.
2. Music Departments:
○ Early sound films relied on Broadway composers and arrangers.
○ Notable figures like Alfred Newman and Max Steiner transitioned from theater to
Hollywood, shaping the sound of feature films.
3. Advances in Recording:
○ Rerecording technology allowed separate recording of dialogue, music, and
effects for postproduction mixing.
○ This innovation made dubbing and foreign language adaptations more efficient,
securing Hollywood’s global market dominance.

Key Innovations in Sound Design

1. Synchronization:
○ Ensuring precise alignment of sound with visuals became a cornerstone of early
sound film production.
2. Intermittent Soundtracks:
○ Films transitioned from continuous silent film music to intermittent soundtracks
with distinct elements (dialogue, effects, and music).
3. Mixing and Nondiegetic Sound:
○ The concept of nondiegetic sound emerged, using music and effects to guide
narrative and emotional tone without appearing in the story world.

Legacy of the Transition Era

 ● Early sound film innovations laid the foundation for modern soundtracks, emphasizing
dialogue clarity, emotional scoring, and creative use of sound design.
● Musicals dominated the early years, serving as a bridge between silent and sound cinema
practices.
● Technological progress in sound recording and mixing revolutionized filmmaking,
expanding creative possibilities and narrative complexity.

Week 3: Eisenstein (Statement on Sound and Film)

Week 4: David Neumeyer, James Buhler Rob Deemer

Study Notes: Musicality of the Soundtrack

Analysis of Sound Design in Trzy Kolory: Biały (White)

1. Sound as Parallelism and Separation:

○ Coin toss: Fast, whirring sound emphasizing speed and parallelism.
○ Breathing: Karol’s deliberate inhale-exhale contrasts with Dominique’s sharper
and faster exhale.
○ Sound crescendo: Dominique’s breath increases in speed and volume, akin to a
musical crescendo.
2. Textures and Sound Layers:
○ Prelude:
■ Starts with monophony (single sound source: spinning coin).
■ Shifts to polyphony as oboe melody competes with breathing sounds.
○ Music vs. Effects:
■ Coin spinning creates a hollow, resonant sound.
■ Footfalls in the train station are reverberant, acting as stingers alongside
suspenseful music.
■ Dialogue:
■ Dominates once characters converse, reverting to a monophonic
texture.
■ Karol’s higher pitch contrasts with Mikolaj’s slower, deeper voice.
3. Sound as Accompaniment:
○ Dialogue foregrounded with sound effects (e.g., gunshot echo, Karol’s loud
breaths, and envelope sounds) acting as accompaniment.
○ Closing moments:
■ Music rises rapidly in tempo and volume, transitioning to the next scene.
4. Narrative Alignment:
○ Slow tempos reflect the emotional tension and suspense in the narrative.
 ○ Volume and timbre contribute to the unease, with restrained textures emphasizing
the characters’ internal struggles.

Analysis of Atonement (2007): Main-Title Sequence

1. Integration of Sound Effects and Music:

○ Opening sounds: Birds chirping against mechanical typewriter noises (carriage
return sound).
○ Typing sounds serve as rhythmic foreground, symbolizing Briony’s character.
2. Counterpoint Between Sound Layers:
○ Music enters with a single piano note, unsynchronized with the typing, creating a
sense of disjunction.
○ As typing stops, music takes over, featuring Briony’s theme.
3. Synchronization and Disjunction:
○ Music and typing synchronize as Briony walks, maintaining a steady rhythm that
mirrors her determined gait.
○ Melody moves at a slower pace than accompaniment, adding emotional
complexity.
4. Narrative Significance of Sound:
○ Typing symbolizes Briony’s personality: brisk, single-minded, and slightly rigid.
○ Abrupt stingers synchronize tightly with visual cues, such as door slams and jump
cuts, reinforcing the narrative.
5. Setting and Character:
○ Manual typewriter sounds anchor the time and place while connecting deeply to
Briony’s identity.
○ The interplay of sound and music highlights Briony’s perspective, creating an
immersive auditory experience.

Key Takeaways on Soundtrack Musicality

1. Sound as Narrative Tool:

○ Patterns in sound design reflect characters’ emotional states and narrative pacing.
○ Crescendos, pauses, and texture shifts align with story dynamics.
2. Polyphony and Monophony:
○ Soundtracks alternate between monophony (single sound focus) and polyphony
(layered competition) to create emotional or dramatic tension.
3. Synchronization and Counterpoint:
 ○ Synchronizing sound with visuals enhances immersion, while counterpoint
between layers adds depth and ambiguity.
4. Sound Design and Characterization:
○ Specific sounds (e.g., typewriters, breathing) become extensions of character
traits or thematic elements, reinforcing storytelling.

Week 5: David Neumeyer, James Buhler Rob Deemer

Study Notes: Soundtrack and Narrative Analysis

Key Concepts and Applications

1. Diegetic vs. Nondiegetic Sound:

○ Diegetic Sound: Originates within the narrative world (e.g., characters’ voices,
environmental sounds).
○ Nondiegetic Sound: External to the narrative world, such as background score or
voice-over narration.
2. Voice-Over Narration:
○ Acts as an external guide, providing context or commentary about the narrative
world.
○ Examples:
■ Casablanca: Historical prologue.
■ Amélie: Adds comedic detachment by presenting a narrator outside the
story.
3. Audio Dissolve:
○ Transition of sound from one diegetic level to another (e.g., piano accompaniment
turning into orchestral music).
○ Most common in musicals, marking a shift to a heightened or idealized world.
○ Example:
■ For Me and My Gal (1942):
■ Starts with diegetic piano.
■ Orchestra gradually replaces the piano, transporting characters into
an idealized romantic moment.
○ Non-Musical Applications:
■ The Apartment: A piano transitions to orchestral strings, representing
romantic anticipation.
■ The Return of the King: Pippin’s song dissolves into a lament, intensifying
the tragic narrative.
4. Mickey-Mousing:
 ○ Music closely mimics or parallels on-screen action, often blurring the boundary
between music and sound effects.
○ Uses:
■ Adds humor (slapstick) or exaggerates drama.
■ Example:
■ Psycho (1960): High-pitched violins mimic the stabbing motion,
intensifying terror.
5. Sweetening:
○ Alteration of sound effects to emphasize significance or evoke an emotional
response.
○ Techniques:
■ Increasing volume or adding distortion.
○ Example:
■ Shakespeare in Love: Crackling fire sound sweetened to underscore the
importance of a burning manuscript.
6. Stinger:
○ Sharp, often dissonant chord or sound used to punctuate dramatic moments.
○ Types:
■ Internal Stinger: Reflects a character’s psychological shock.
■ Example: Casablanca: Rick’s reaction to seeing Ilsa.
■ External Stinger: Emphasizes narrative elements or heightens
melodrama.
■ Example: Darth Vader’s entrance in Star Wars IV: A New Hope.
7. The Acousmêtre (Acoustical Being):
○ A character present in the diegetic world but consistently offscreen, creating a
sense of mystery or power.
○ Characteristics:
■ Can "control" the camera, remaining unseen.
■ Often malevolent but loses power through "de-acousmatization"
(becoming visible).
○ Examples:
■ M (1931): Child murderer remains unseen.
■ The Wizard of Oz (1939): Wizard’s authority diminishes upon being
revealed.
■ Horror Films: Monsters often introduced as acoustical beings to heighten
fear.
8. Acousmatization and De-Acousmatization:
○ Acousmatization: A visible character becomes an offscreen presence,
symbolizing loss of power or relevance.
 ■ Example: The Robe: Emperor Caligula's voice fades as protagonists
depart.
○ De-Acousmatization: An offscreen character becomes visible, often losing their
mystery or authority.
■ Example: James Bond Films: Villains lose their aura of control upon being
revealed.

Applications in Genre and Narrative Techniques

1. Musicals:
○ Sound dissolves transition the narrative to an idealized, romantic realm.
○ Examples: For Me and My Gal, The Apartment.
2. Horror:
○ Use of acousmêtres and mickey-mousing to enhance suspense and supernatural
tension.
○ Examples: Psycho, Friday the 13th.
3. Comedy and Slapstick:
○ Sweetening and mickey-mousing heighten absurdity and comedic timing.
○ Example: The Apartment: Exaggerated typewriter sounds emphasize comedic
rhythms.
4. Drama and Tragedy:
○ Stingers and audio dissolves underscore emotional turning points.
○ Example: The Return of the King: Pippin’s lament bridges the psychological and
the tragic.

Summary of Functions

● Soundtrack elements (music, effects, voice) shape narrative structure, emotional tone, and
audience perception.
● Techniques like audio dissolve, mickey-mousing, and sweetening demonstrate the
interplay between sound and image.
● Innovations like the acousmêtre expand storytelling possibilities, leveraging sound to
evoke mystery, authority, or emotion.

Week 6: Roger Hickman

Week 7: Michel Chion

Study Notes: The Audiovisual Contract and Sound in Cinema

Key Concepts of the Audiovisual Contract

1. Vococentrism and Verbocentrism:

○ Vococentrism: Soundtracks often prioritize the voice, particularly in spoken
dialogue, which dominates over other sounds (music, noise).
○ Verbocentrism: Within vococentrism, the intelligibility of spoken words is
paramount, emphasizing verbal expression over acoustic fidelity.
2. Text Structures Vision:
○ Words on a soundtrack can "guide" audience perception, structuring how they
interpret visual elements.
○ Example: A news anchor's commentary frames the meaning of images, even
when redundant ("three small airplanes").
○ This interplay suggests that film images often act as "ventriloquists," with their
meaning shaped by accompanying text or voiceover.
3. Value Added by Music:
○ Empathetic Music: Reflects and aligns with the emotional tone of the visuals,
amplifying audience connection (e.g., dramatic crescendos in tragic scenes).
○ Anempathetic Music: Contrasts with the visual narrative, maintaining a neutral
or indifferent tone, intensifying emotions through dissonance.
■ Example: The shower scene in Psycho, where the relentless running water
heightens the unease.
4. Sound Influences Perception:
○ Movement and Stasis: Sound inherently suggests motion, whereas visuals can
depict stillness.
○ Speed of Perception: Auditory cues are processed faster and remembered more
distinctly than rapid visual cues, aiding comprehension in dynamic scenes.

Sound-Image Interaction Techniques

1. Sound as a Temporalizer:
○ Sound can impose a sense of time on static or ambiguous visuals:
■ Temporal Animation: Adds a sense of motion or immediacy to an
otherwise static image.
■ Temporal Linearization: Establishes a sequence or progression in visuals
that might otherwise appear disjointed.
■ Vectorization: Creates a sense of anticipation or direction, giving images
a forward-moving narrative.
 ○ Example: The prologue of Persona, where dripping water and footsteps transform
static images into a dynamic time continuum.
2. Microrhythms:
○ Visual details like ripples, smoke, or falling snow interact with sound to create
nuanced temporal effects.
○ Example: Kurosawa’s Dreams uses microrhythms in petals, fog, and snow to craft
a temporal ambiance.
3. Sound-Image Synchrony:
○ Synchresis: The synchronization of a sound with a visual event, which linearizes
and structures the sequence.
○ Example: Sound effects marking kung fu movements clarify fast-paced action
scenes.

Psychological and Emotional Effects of Sound

1. Horror and Disturbance:

○ Sounds evoke fear or unease more effectively when paired with incomplete or
obscured visuals.
○ Example: Kiss Me Deadly uses a woman’s screams and only shows her legs,
allowing sound to amplify the imagined horror.
○ In The Skin, a watermelon-like crunch represents a body being crushed,
leveraging audience imagination for impact.
2. Added Value in Sound Design:
○ Sounds are shaped by context:
■ A single sound can convey comedy (e.g., a slapstick gag) or horror (e.g., a
violent act) depending on the accompanying visuals.
○ Example: Eyes Without a Face: A body’s "thud" becomes horrifying within the
film’s rhythm and emotional tone.
3. Anempathetic Noise:
○ Ambient sounds like fans, running water, or machines continuing after a violent
event create unsettling detachment.
○ Example: Psycho’s running shower after the murder enhances the eerie sense of
indifference.

Cultural and Universal Sound Cues

1. Tremolo and Stridulation:

 ○ Tremolo (vibrating musical tones) and stridulation (insect sounds) evoke tension
universally.
○ Example: The stridulation in Children of a Lesser God mirrors the dramatic
suspense created by a string tremolo in classical music.
2. Cultural Context:
○ The emotional effect of sound depends on cultural codes and audience
expectations. Misaligned or poorly balanced sound can break the immersive
"audiovisual contract."

Reciprocity in the Audiovisual Contract

1. Interdependence:
○ Sound alters how audiences perceive images, and images modify the
interpretation of sound.
○ Example: Gargling in Andrei Rublev is horrifying because it visually signifies
destruction of speech, transforming an ordinary sound into a traumatic one.
2. Verisimilitude and Convention:
○ Audiences connect sounds to events not through realism but through conventions
and synchrony.

Historical Impact of Sound Cinema

1. Sound Stabilizes Film Time:

○ Synchronization fixes the tempo and duration of scenes, making film time
consistent and precise.
○ Example: Tarkovsky’s long takes in sound cinema depend on stable timing and
rhythmic synchronization.
2. Chronography:
○ Sound cinema transforms film into an art of time, adding layers of temporal
structure and emotional resonance.

Key Takeaways

● Sound in film serves as a bridge between motion and emotion, structuring how visuals
are perceived and interpreted.
● Techniques like empathetic/anempathetic music, synchresis, and sound temporalization
are vital in shaping narrative clarity and emotional depth.
 ● The audiovisual contract relies on mutual reinforcement, with sound and image
co-creating the cinematic experience.

Week 8: Forgacs

Summary: Analysis of The Battle of Algiers

1. Background and Collaboration

● Gillo Pontecorvo and Franco Solinas:

○ Collaborated on politically charged films like The Wide Blue Road (1957) and
Kapo (1960).
○ Their partnership with Saadi Yacef, an FLN leader, shaped The Battle of Algiers.
● Saadi Yacef's Role:
○ Yacef proposed the film to showcase the FLN’s struggle, drawing from his 1962
memoir.
○ He sought international legitimacy by involving Italian filmmakers, despite
concerns about narrative control.

2. Production and Creative Decisions

● Yacef’s Memoir vs. Final Screenplay:

○ The screenplay, largely by Solinas, structured the story with a flashback format
and framed it as collective resistance led by Ali la Pointe, an FLN recruit.
○ Pontecorvo emphasized realism through non-actors, authentic locations, and a
newsreel-like aesthetic.
● Representation of Violence:
○ Balanced depiction of violence from both sides, notably the FLN’s bombing
campaign and French torture methods.
○ Controversial scenes, such as a child eating ice cream before a bombing,
emphasized moral complexity, a decision Yacef initially resisted but later
accepted.
● Music and Editing:
○ Ennio Morricone’s score used eclectic styles, blending traditional Algerian music,
action motifs, and classical influences (e.g., Bach).
○ Pontecorvo adopted non-classical editing techniques, replacing veteran editor
Mario Serandrei to achieve a raw, visceral style.
3. Themes and Depictions

● Urban Geography and Resistance:

○ The film contrasts the European city’s wide streets (vulnerable to attacks) with the
casbah’s labyrinthine alleys (ideal for hiding but easily trapped).
○ These spatial contrasts underline the asymmetry of the colonial conflict.
● Colonialism and Anti-Colonial Struggle:
○ Avoids overt propaganda by portraying French paratroopers as competent but
morally compromised and the FLN as disciplined yet ruthless.
○ Highlights the collective effort of the Algerian people while downplaying internal
FLN conflicts or rival nationalist movements like the MNA.
● Inspirations from Neorealism and Soviet Cinema:
○ Influenced by Rossellini’s Rome, Open City (1945) in depicting resistance in an
occupied city and by Eisenstein’s use of collective protagonists and symbolic
imagery.

4. Reception and Legacy

● Perceptions Across Contexts:

○ In Algeria: A nationalistic portrayal despite Italian contributions being
downplayed in some markets.
○ In Italy: Viewed as a critique of colonialism with a “Western” perspective,
sparking debates among leftist critics.
○ Internationally: Lauded for its nuanced depiction of terrorism and resistance,
often interpreted as even-handed.
● Criticism of Historical Omissions:
○ Neglects internal FLN violence, rivalries, and atrocities like the Melouza
massacre.
○ Reduces historical figures to composites (e.g., Mathieu as a composite French
officer) and omits key FLN leaders like Abbane Ramdane.

5. Influence of the Creative Team

● Franco Solinas:
○ Developed the screenplay’s structure and political depth, including Mathieu’s
press conferences and Ben M’Hidi’s speeches.
● Gillo Pontecorvo:
 ○ Shaped the film’s artistic texture through casting, cinematography, and integration
of music with visuals.

6. Comparisons with Other Works

● Para` (Unrealized Project):

○ Pontecorvo’s earlier project Para` focused on French exodus and Algerian
liberation but was rejected by Yacef for being too “Western.”
○ Elements like the flashback structure and crowd dynamics influenced The Battle
of Algiers.
● Queimada (Burn!):
○ Explored similar anti-colonial themes with parallels between characters like Paul
in Para` and Walker (Marlon Brando) in Queimada.

7. Cinematic Significance

● Innovative Style:
○ Combined neorealist authenticity with dramatic stylization, creating a hybrid form
of political cinema.
● Enduring Impact:
○ A milestone in global cinema for its exploration of resistance, colonialism, and
the moral ambiguities of revolution.
○ Frequently cited in debates on the ethics and tactics of liberation movements.