Sound

  Analysis of Sound In ‘The Strangers’

Sound In any thriller film is a key part in exploiting peoples emotions and reactions by playing scary and tension building music. In this clip the music was particularly important as the audience is hooked by the climax of the film, and wondering what the outcome will be.

In my clip the first sound heard is a non-diegetic sound, meaning a sound that is not part of the film world. The purpose of this sound is to establish the scene as dramatic and tense, this creates a mysterious feel to the scene and creates an atmosphere in which the audience knows something bad is going to happen and puts them on the edge of there seats. The music soundtrack played is slow and dramatic which is gradually building up, it almost sounds like the female characters breathing, which is speeding up as the music does. This makes the audience feel adrenaline and gripped by what is going to happen when this sound reaches its climax. This is a typical convention of a thriller film and is commonly used to set scenes and get the audience interested and enticed by with what’s going on.

The next Sound heard was a diegetic sound this is played at the climax of the scene later on after the non-diegetic soundtrack played to entice the audience. Gradually the tension in the scene has been building up and up then suddenly a blood-curdling scream that kills the non-diegetic build up of sound. This shocks and scares the audience as they have been in suspense for so long now the quiet music has without warning been replaced with a human scream. This causes the audience to jump as the scene unfolds fully and we know exactly what’s going on, this is a classic convention of a thriller film, and is both scary and effective for any audience watching.

The non digentic sound features all through the clip and manipulates the audience to feel anxious and intrigued. the parallel sounds help build bonds with the characters in the film and make us wonder where and what the killer is about to do thus fitting in with enigma of the scene.

Parallel sound is also featured in this clip, when the non diegetic sounds cease the killer comes at the woman with a knife, at the same time as this the music begins to play louder and faster as the woman is unsure whether she will be killed or not. This conventional device is used to inform the audience how to feel almost, and translate what is happening to the viewer. The woman looks scared and frustrated with what is going on and the killer cold and indifferent to her sobs and distress, this makes the audience feel for the woman screaming and this technique manipulates the audiences emotions which is a classic convention of thriller films. The emotions from this technique are fear and empathy for the victims. The technique used gives a bigger impact on the audience and makes them jump, this follows the conventions of a thriller film as the thrill given off makes any audience jump and cower from the scream in fear.

The final sound I analysed was right near the very end and was harder to categorise. The woman at this point is desperate and in need of medical care the phone rings and is her only chance to get help that will save her life. This sound is an on screen sound because we know where it is coming from. In some ways it makes the audience feel empathy for the girl as we just want her to answer the phone and get help. The sound is also a diegetic sound as the ringing of the phone is what’s expected. This is a final tension builder to the audience, which is more subtly building adrenaline and apprehension as to what will happen next. This is fitting for a thriller film as this convention is used at all points of the film to constantly grab our attention then scare us then grab our attention once more.

The hidden meaning behind non diegetic sound is custom made to manipulate the audiences thoughts, feelings and ultimately there response. Slow eerie music would build tension and make the audience have a sense of foreboding. This gives the impression that something bad is going to happen and that the audience should be feeling scared and cautious of the mise- en-scene.
In this scene the iconography's diegetic sound gives a more real fear of what is going to happen. The audience feel more scared because there is a lot more tension and the event of a death is so close it keeps the viewer on the very edge of there seats.

In conclusion, the Sound in this clip built tension and illustrated with graphic realism, the twisted ways in which the killers were inflicting pain on there victims. The sound of the victim’s screams and the stranger’s gunshots give a great yet horrific insight on what is going on and what will happen. The sound makes the audience feel empathy for the victims and as if they’re really in the scene watching and being just as terrified as the victims being tortured on screen.

The Clip Used: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btEQ0cqcaeI