There are three basic categories of sound dialogue, sound effects, and music. Each sound brings a different energy to a film. Dialogue usually happens when characters are conversing with one another. The dialogue is paramount because it is how the audience relates to the story line. A sound effect is but not limited to an explosion in the film or a character playing an instrument in the film. Sound effects make the movie more exciting especially if it is an action film because it makes everything seem real. Music can set the mood for the scene and it extremely important throughout the film. The music is kind of the guide to what is about to happen. For example, if you are watching a movie with what sounds like happy music you can something good is about to happen but if the music is dark and sad something bad is about to happen. Now I am going to analyze these three basic categories of sound and give some examples using the one of the greatest films of all time “The Godfather”.
“The Godfather” utilizes all three basic categories of sound. On the day of Vito Corleone’s daughters wedding many of the partygoers are asking for favors because according to the Italian culture you cannot say no to any request on your daughters wedding day. During these meetings The Godfather conversates with the partygoers listening to their requests and assuring them their requests will be fulfilled. Music is also being used during this wedding. The wedding scene where Mama Corleone gets up to sing a little bit with the wedding band. Singing a traditional Italian song but Mama Corleone is singing it in Sicilian dialect. Sound effects come into play when the oldest son Sonnie gets shot up while paying the toll. While Sonnie is being filled with holes all you hear is guns going off.
The sound is cruel to this movie because of all the action and dialogue. If Sonnie had gotten shot that many times with no sound the shooting would not have not gotten the audiences attention. The sound in the seen were their grandmother is singing creates a happy sort of party time type of mood. The scene were Sonnie gets shot, and all your hear is tommy guns going off convinces me to believe “The Godfather” is well within the genre of a gangster film. All the sound in this film was realistic and believable. I believe all sounds were expected and well played. If you moved any of the three basic categories of sound in this film, it would not feel real.
Resources
Sonny is Killed – The Godfather (4/9) Movie CLIP (1972) HD[Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJU2cz9ytPQ
The godfather best scene [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i96VS_z8y7g
The godfather wedding scene [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wu-CKj1F2w
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