A Man Escaped - the Distinctive Functionality of Film Sound - Movie Review Example

The Distinctive Functionality of Film Sound: “A Man Escaped” By Student’s Name Code + Course Name Professor’s Name University Cite, State Date Film Synopsis The movie: “A Man Escaped”, directed by Robert Bresson, depicts the manner for which musical sounds can be employed within a film to promote different sound techniques. The plot of the film unfolds in France in the early 1940’s. Fontaine, who happens to be resistant fighter and has been arrested by the Germans, has just been imprisoned and condemned to be executed in a latter period. While still serving time and thus, waiting for the commencement of his execution, he devises an escape plan by way of loosening some of the boards covering his cell door and, also generating some few useful ropes. Just as Fontaine, the main character, is about to plan his action another boy dubbed Jost is immediately also assigned to his cell. He goes ahead to plan with him and they both manage to escape. Research indicates that film music can depict a psychological aspect that is far much better than dialogue can stipulate its application (Burt, 1994). Utilisation of film music is most crucial and effective especially in the case where it is planned in advance- when the film is within the scripting phase. It can be efficiently used to provoke the emotions of an audience so that they can relate with the events of the film at hand. Consequently, it has the influence to transform aspects of naturalism within the films into reality (Burt, 1994). In essence, the musical contribution to a given film should be set to generate a supra-reality; which portrays a situation whereby the aspects of literary naturalism are perceptually changed. In this manner, the audience to a film can showcase distinctive insights into a different set of behaviours and motivation that is somehow not possible with aegis of naturalism (Burt, 1994). Following this line of argument, it can thus be said that film music can thus enter into a plot of a given film in a way that adds a third perspective to both visuals and words. The portrayal of music in this manner sets to generate the supra-reality of a rather many-faceted perspective of character behaviour that should be formulated in a way that motivates the composer in the course of selecting scenes that should be executed and thus, those that can be left in a silent manner. While it is important to understand that film music does not possess a catalytic capacity to alter the audiences’ perception of both visuals and words, it however; depicts a significant level of corollary, which defines the effect of image and words upon the music (Burt, 1994). Film Music Analysis: “A Man Escaped” Throughout the entire film, the aspect of musical sounds has been adopted to portray different crucial functionalities. In essence, most of Bresson’s films put much emphasis on sound track since he believes that sound might play a cinematic role just in a similar way as images. In fact, in specific scenes of this film, the director adopts the aspect of sound technique in a much higher position in comparison to the images compelling the audiences to listen carefully and relate with the unfolding of the entire theme. The following are ways through which music sounds has been employed in the film and their meanings; The fundamental aspect that will help direct audiences’ view on the action portrayed within this film solely rests with the commentary that is spoken over by the main character in a musical format. The voice-over, as conducted by Fontaine, is non-simultaneous in nature given that it can be heard later than the real images of the film. The sound could either be internal or external in nature since it cannot be easily established whether the main character is reflecting on past events or recounting them to some other person (Boltz, 2001). The narration of the character serves a distinctive number of roles in this film. For instance, this commentary assists to ascertain the level of action unfolding, given the fact that specific temporal cues could be used to suggest the manner for which Fontaine spend his time in the cell. In most of the cases, the musical sounds have been fairly laid down to depict the aspect of time passage (Boltz, 2001). Indeed, his voice-overs that are coupled with distinctive musical sounds play a significant role in the course of the final phase of the entire escape plan. His voice-over calmly alerts the audience of the level of patience and cautiousness they have been able to depict with Jost in their efforts towards attaining freedom. Through the voice-overs, the audience are able to gather important sets of information that they would otherwise not have known in the first place. For most cases, these musical sounds and narrations have been used to dictate facts for example that specific prison personnel were situated at different quarters of the prison building within certain times of day and night. Markedly, Fontaine also through this sound is able to inform the audience of his impeding thoughts at certain moments in time. A perfect scene example is when he is senselessly beaten and left up for the death but later gains strength and wipes blood away from his face and proceeds to lie down. On the track, his voice is heard indicating that he would have opted for a much quicker death approach. In most of the cases, the doctor assigned to attend him fails to register the thoughts in a visual manner. In yet another instance, the voice-over track is used to correct a much earlier impression that was portrayed in the images. The instance is noted immediately after the sentencing of Fontaine to condemnation and while back at his cell, he flings himself down the bed. Audiences are left to wonder whether the main character is crying but the voice-over track indicate that actually he was indeed laughing in order to relieve himself of the burden beforehand. This way, the commentary and the track help to even deepen the understanding previously allowed for the film narration since it provides a platform for analysing Fontaine mental state at that given moment in time (Boltz, 2001). At a first glance, this commentaries and voice-over tracks might seem inappropriate due to the fact that it inform us on aspects that can also be perceived in the rolling images. In truth, Fontaine describes most of actions while audiences can actually perceive him do them but off course, the adoption of the musical sound does not redundantly support the visuals in place. One fundamental function of the past tense used in both the tracks and commentaries and, also the redundant messages is set to emphasise on the events unfolding within the confinements of the prison cell. Thus, instead of merely showcasing a distinctive series of events within the present term, the musical sounds position the events in their rightful past periods (Boltz, 2001). Certainly, specific scenes have put much emphasis on the musical sounds to reminisce about the events that had already happened. The differences in time that emanate between the aspects of visual images and the voice-over tracks help to postulate the fact that Fontaine is indeed serious with his plans to escape as opposed to waiting for possible future execution. The commentary and the musical sound effects of the film help to direct audience attention towards tiny gestures as well as ordinary objects that help to materialise the escape. The feature further put emphasis on the fact that work alone can never be enough, that the main character and others within the prison facility, can survive the hard times only when they focus their efforts to assisting each other. The integration that exists between the aspect of sound and images in this film is not solely focused on the voice-over commentaries conducted by Fontaine. The director’s effort focusing audience attention on cinematic details has worked well with musical sound effects so that each specific object attains a certain timbre (Boltz, 2001). Following this line of analysis, it can be said that music has been used extensively as auditory motif involving non-diegetic sound in the entire film with most of the aforementioned scenarios fairly integrated with passages from a Mozart mass. The musical effect has been motivated in a much clear and concise manner so that the film’s plot actions reflect a continual set of a religious faith background. Fontaine informs another prisoner that he usually goes down on his knees and pray to God but does expect Him to liberate him. At an immediate glance, it might be impossible to create a consistent level of expectations about the entire musical scenario as it repetition in most of the scenes are likely to take audiences by surprise. For instance, after it has been heard over the credits, the musical effect does not recur for some period of time. For this film, it can be vehemently noted that music has been fairly integrated with voice-over commentaries in order to effectively portray the different scenic within the prison. It has been used to define movements and emotions especially to matters affecting the main character directly. These movements are not only considered to be crucial and important elements to Fontaine’s life within the prison but also they have helped with providing his immediate means of direct contact with most of his inmates. The music, which happens to recur at least seven more times, has been used to emphasise on the aspect of development. Fontaine is able to meet other men, secure their support and later on, engage in a plan to escape. The music recurs whenever Fontaine goes ahead to make contact with other prisoners that are likely to affect their respective escape. On the contrary, washing scenes are not accompanied by any form of music; these depict those scenes for which Fontaine contact has been completely eliminated because another prisoner named Orsini decides not follow the escape route. It however; returns as Orsini makes attempts to secure his freedom through an individual-based escape attempt. It further recurs when yet another prisoner named Blanchet, who once failed to support Fontaine in his escape plans, decides to contribute his blanket to the process of rope making. Significantly, music, in other parts of the film, is directly linked to the actions associated with Jost. It plays the moment Fontaine experiences a dilemma on whether or not to kill Jost or rather take him along the escape. Towards the end of the film, music is played when both Fontaine and Jost escape from the prison building and disappear into the night. It is important that music has been fairly incorporated within the different scenes in a recurring manner to postulate a meaning beyond what the main character informs the audience in a more explicit manner. In the event that audience can set to analyse the recurrences of musical sounds and music, it can be interpreted to indicate a motif that suggests the importance of trust and interdependence amongst the inmates (Prendergast, 1992). Just as it has been used in the film, music is considered to be coloristic in both its intention as well as effects for that matter especially because it fosters the creation of an environment characterised by aspects of both time and place (Prendergast, 1992). The film has used music to serve the purpose of background filler. Within the different scenes in the film, music has been utilised to fill gaps that exists between pauses of a conversation. In most of the times, the functions of the film music has been there but not do to anything more than that as it exists more as a sound as opposed to being portrayed as constructive music (Prendergast, 1992). Despite the fact that it is a filling element as opposed to performing a subordinate role to other elements in the visuals, the filler form of film music is indeed a conscious dramatic element. Pictorially, the setting of the film is characterised by immobility and quietness so that the slow gait of a prison door opening depicts the only indication of life as Fontaine is mostly meditative about his future execution (Prendergast, 1992). It further accompanies a dialogue that sets to assume a definite foreground character trait that resituates a style that depicts a reminiscent of an overall opera; that comes to the foreground in moments in order to comment a dialogue and later, falls back into the background when the proceeding line is uttered. All of these elements have to be accomplished in the manner for which a composer puts up their respective film music and not by a simple knob necessary within a recording room. The composer of the music found in the film fully ascertains how the composer wrote the lyrics around the voice-overs made by Fontaine. Consequently, film music is said to avail an effective way of generating a theatrical build up of a scene and later on, round it off with a degree of finality (Prendergast, 1992). Most notably, film music is set to bypass the human’s normality as well as rational defensive platform. Music has been used in the film to create cinematic dramas in a way that is far much greater of intensity in comparison to other forms of cinematic arts. Regardless of the nature of the film music involved, it is ascertained that it should elicit a gut reaction that should be inaccessible in any other manner (Prendergast, 1992). The film: “A Man Escaped” has utilised music to strengthen some of the weaker scenes in order to bring effective meaning and functionality to the audience. Film music has been used in a way that provokes audiences’ control of their respective rational and rather complicated levels of defence mechanisms. The use of the both narration and voice-over commentaries in the film and its immediate realisation through the cameras in place is deemed to be more complete in a way that does not allow film music to achieve much (Prendergast, 1992). In conclusion, it can be seen that the film has used music and other forms of musical sounds and dialogue in a way that complements the entire film as a whole. Bresson has used film music to serve the purpose of background filler. Within the different scenes in the film, music has been utilised to fill gaps that exists between pauses of a conversation. Film music is also said to avail an effective way of generating a theatrical build up of a scene and later on, round it off with a degree of finality. Fontaine has further devised ways of narrating efficient voice-overs in ways that supplements the thematic expressions as well as cinematic images and words. References List Burt, G. 1994. The art of film music. Northeastern University Press, Boston, MA Bullerjahn, C & Guldenring, M. 1994. An empirical investigation of effects of film music using qualitative content analysis. Psychomusicology, 13, pp.99-118 Boltz, M 2001. Musical soundtracks as a schematic influence on the cognitive processing of filmed events, Music Perception, 18, 4: pp. 427-454. Prendergast, R, M 1992. A critical study of music in films, 2nd Ed. Norton & Company, New York Read More