Hearing the movies: music and sound in film history

495 Pages·2010·15.477 MB·English

by  David Neumeyer, James Buhler, Rob Deemer

HEARING THE MOVIES
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HEARING THE MOVIES
Music and Sound in Film History
James Buhler
The University of Texas at Austin
David Neumeyer
The University of Texas at Austin
Rob Deemer
The State University of New York at Fredonia
New York Oxford
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
2010
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Buhler, James, 1964–
Hearing the movies : music and sound in fi lm history / James Buhler, David Neumeyer, Rob Deemer.
p. cm.
ISBN 978– 0–19–532779–3 (pbk.)
1. Motion picture music—H istory and criticism. 2. M otion picture music—A nalysis, appreciation.
3. Motion Picture soundtracks—P roduction and direction—H istory. I. Neumeyer, David. II. D eemer,
Rob. III. T itle.
ML2075.B84 2010
781.5(cid:2)42—dc22
2008051021
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
Contents
PREFACE xv
INTRODUCTION xxi
PART I The Sound Track and Film Narrative:
Basic Terms and Concepts
1
Chapter 1: The Sound Track and Narrative 7
Introduction 7
Basics: Image Track, Sound Track, Narrative 7
Sound Track Components and Narrative 11
Speech 11
Sound Effects 13
Music 16
Example for Sound Track Components and Narrative (1):
Sleepless in Seattle, Second Botched Meeting 20
Example for Sound Track Components and Narrative (2):
Good Will Hunting, Boston Common Scene 25
Summary 31
Exercise 1: Masking 31
Exercise 2: Using an Analysis Checklist 33
Chapter 2: The Musicality of the Sound Track:
Concepts and Terminology 34
Introduction 34
Music and Sound 34
v
vi CONTENTS
Tempo 36
Rhythm and Meter 37
Volume 38
Timbre 4 1
Filters and “Distortion” 41
Pitch 42
Orchestration 43
Timbre and Sound 46
Texture 47
Density and Liveliness 47
Monophony 48
Homophony 49
Melody and Accompaniment 49
Polyphony 49
A-melodic (Accompaniment without Melody) 50
Texture and Foreground/Background Functions 53
Example for Sound Track Analysis Using Musical Terms
(1): Trzy Kolory: Bialy (Three Colors: White), The
Shooting 55
Example for Sound Track Analysis Using Musical Terms (2):
Atonement, Main-Title Sequence and First Scene 58
Summary 60
Exercise 1: Analysis of Sound Track Elements (After
Altman, Jones, and Tatroe) 60
Exercise 2: Using Graphic Displays for Sound (After
Wierzbicki) 61
Chapter 3: Music, Sound, and the Space of Narrative:
Concepts and Terminology 65
Introduction 6 5
Diegetic/Nondiegetic Music and Narrative 66
Example for Diegetic and Nondiegetic Music: Glory,
Boston Party Scene 67
Onscreen/Offscreen Sound and Music 72
Offscreen Sound 72
Onscreen/Offscreen Sound Interaction: Examples 75
Ambiguity of Offscreen Sound: Underdetermination
of Sound 77
Point of View Sound 78
Offscreen Sound and Music in Relation to the Diegesis 80
Voice-over 80
Audio Dissolve 82
Contents vii
Mickey-Mousing: Music as Effects “Sweetener” 85
The Acousmêtre (Acoustical Being) 88
Summary 90
Exercise 1: Using an Events Table 90
Exercise 2: Using an (Updated) Analysis Checklist 91
Chapter 4: Music, Sound, and Time 92
Introduction 92
Transitions: The Sound Bridge and Hard Cuts 92
Sound Advance 93
Sound Lag 94
Sound Link 96
Sound Match 97
Hard Cut 97
Synchronization (“Playing with the Film”) 98
Example for Synchronization: Casablanca, Rick and Ilsa
Meet 102
Counterpoint (“Playing against the Film”) 106
Summary Example for Synchronization and Counterpoint:
Casablanca, After-Hours Scene 108
Summary 110
Exercise: The Commutation Test 110
Interlude: Writing About Film Sound:
Analysis and Description 114
Introduction 114
Analysis Report: Catch Me If You Can 116
Overview 116
1. Background 117
2. Synopsis 117
3. Music Cues 118
4. General Description of the Sound Track Elements
and Their Balance 121
5. General Evaluation of the Sound Track 122
6. Description of Music’s Narrative Functions 122
Response Paper That Describes Music’s Narrative
Functions 123
Compare and Contrast Paper Focusing on Music 125
Concluding Comments 126
viii CONTENTS
PART II Music, Film Form, and Film Style
129
Chapter 5: Music in Film Form 131
Introduction 1 31
Runtime Segmentation 131
Sync Points and Audiovisual Phrasing 137
Examples for Music in Film Form 140
Lady Windermere’s Fan 140
Mildred Pierce 146
Rashômon 151
Psycho 154
The Birdcage 157
The Hours 160
Summary 163
Chapter 6: Music in Main-Title and End-Credit
Sequences 165
Introduction 1 65
Establishing Sequence 165
Meet Me in St. Louis, Titles and Opening Scene 166
Rashômon, Titles and Opening Scene 168
The Sound of Music, Overture and Title Sequence 168
Out of Africa, Prologue and Title Sequence 170
To Kill a Mockingbird, Music in the Main-Title
Sequence 172
Additional Examples 176
End-Credit Music 177
Films From 1939, End Credits 177
Out of Africa, Final Scene and End Credits 179
Bridget Jones’s Diary, End-Credits Sequence 179
Additional Examples 179
Summary 180
Chapter 7: Music in Performance and Montage
Scenes 181
Introduction 1 81
Performance Scene 181
To Have and Have Not, “Am I Blue?” 182
The Sound of Music, “The Laendler” (as Dance Scene) 183
The Sound of Music and Grease, Two Larger Performance
Numbers 185
Additional Examples 186
Contents ix
Montage or Fantasy Scene 187
Gone with the Wind, Montage Sequence in the Prologue
to Part 2 188
Pride & Prejudice, Three Montage Sequences 188
Bridget Jones’s Diary, “Out of Reach” and “I’m Every
Woman” 190
Additional Examples 192
Summary 194
Chapter 8: Film Style and the Sound Track 195
Introduction 195
Style Topics and the Leitmotif 196
Introduction: Theme, Motif, and Motive 196
“Love” Themes 197
The Leitmotif 200
Style Topics 202
Musical Styles 204
Location and Stereotype 205
Style Topics in Rebecca 210
A Note on Sound Topics 213
Summary 214
Chapter 9: Music in Character and Action Scenes 216
Introduction 216
Dialogue Scene 216
Rebecca, Terrace Scene 218
Additional Examples 221
Action Scene 222
Wo Hu Cang Long (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon),
“Theft of the Sword” 222
The Matrix, “Trinity in a Jam” 223
Additional Examples 224
Love Scene 225
Out of Africa, “On Safari: The Second Dinner” 227
Sound of Music, “The Laendler” (as Love Scene) 228
Shadowlands, Four Scenes 229
Summary 232
Interlude: Writing About Film Music:
Interpretation 234
Introduction 234
Developing a Reading (1): Finding a Thesis 235
Thesis Options for Catch Me If You Can 235