Essay on The Sounds of "Rebel Without a Cause"

Sound is something quite special, impactful, and adds layers of elements and complexity to a film. As with the progression of the movie making medium, sound has grown and changed drastically over the decades. However, sound cues in the form of effects, dialogue, and everything in between, shapes our perceptions of a scene and movie.

Lots of music, fast cuts, fantastic cinematography and superb sets and costumes make it the lively tale it was meant to be. These features also make the film somewhat cartoon-like with a lot of heightened realism. Don't expect to see British people prancing around in tights when you rent this one. Luhrmann creates a world where gun-toting youths sport Hawaiian shirts and beachfront brawls are an everyday event.

Even though the film is essentially a visual experience, the use of sound has become extremely important in modern film. The modern viewer hears a complicated soundtrack that is as meaningful as the image on the screen. Three elements comprise the film's soundtrack: the dialogue, the sound effects, and the musical score. The proper balance and mix of these elements produced the essential emphasis required, which created the desired effects. As explained by Joseph Boggs and Dennis Petrie,

     One of the major themes that are presented throughout the whole entire movie is the dysfunctional relationship between one of the characters and their fathers. The movie portrays father figures as problematic which then shape the actions and the characters themselves as the movie progresses. We can see all three dynamics of the father figure presented through Jim, Judy, and Plato. Through Jim, the father figure that he is presented with is a father who is weak allows himself to be walked on by Jim¡¯s mother and grandmother. Judy¡¯s father, on the other hand, is quite the opposite of Jim¡¯s father in that he is the overbearing, masculine, and insensitive. Lastly, we see the absence of a

The music throughout the film plays a big role in the way it is perceived and the overall tone and message. The directors and producers used background noise and music very wisely in order to convey the emotions of a scene. In the movie, it reaches a certain point where it almost looks as though things are looking up for education. It is when the documentary starts describing the “new acting chancellor of the district of columbia schools”, during this scene the makers want you to really pay attention and become almost shocked by this turn of events. However, they do not only grab your attention by the words and clips shown, but also by the loud, upbeat music that is suddenly played while she is being announced. Also, later in the movie they use this same

The audio although normally overpowered by the visual aspect played a key role in defining and empowering the movie. The music was fast and uplifting during celebration and on

As this was meant to be as realistic as possible, the low budget did them wonders. The color, I believe would also go into the realism aspect, as to my eyes, the colors seemed washed out and bleak. Now finally, the sound, there wasn’t too much out of the norm here. The music did its usual job of setting the tone with the film, but in my honest opinion, it did not add to my emotional experience.

I think it’s filmed well not too many transitions in the film or weird shots from below. Sound effects are normal nothing spectacular or anything that truly stands out. There is little to no music in this movie at all and when there is it’s the same sound and musical noise over and over again which I can stand to you is easily my least favorite part of this film. All the sounds and cinematography put together in this film make for a truly stunning movie that really brings out the feel and time of the movie itself.

Sound provides an excellent descriptor for an audience member. The elements of diegetic and non-diegetic sound can elaborate a scene with size, scope and time passage. As off-screen (non-diegetic) and on-screen (diegetic) sound is portrayed the scene is enhanced to give the viewer a better idea of how they should view the film.

Two components that have an immense impact on the quality and caliber of a film are the editing and sound found within the film. These two aspects alone can make or break a film. In the film The Kings of Summer, directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, these two elements collaborate to highlight certain emotions and key moments in the film’s plot. Some of the sub-elements of these two components that can easily be identified within the film include the flashforward, the flashback, both nondiegetic and diegetic sound, semi diegetic sound, graphic matching and voice offs. Within the film The Kings Of Summer, editing and sound are methodically and tactfully utilized in order to produce a film that is both entertaining and meaningful for the audience.

Without audio, the effect of films on an audience is less powerful and effective. Music/sound can allow an audience to automatically feel and connect with a scene when the scene has music or sound effects. For instance, in the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Burton overlays many scenes with

Another aspect of sound in this film was how it affected the story. By using sound dramatically in certain parts and not using it at all in other parts, sound gave this story an entity of its own. For example, during long stretches of film with mostly dialogue, there was no music played in the background, only a phone ringing in the distance, or the men's voices during their deliberation. These long silences also took place during editing shots of the town and images that surrounded this German city. This dramatic difference in sound was a revelation of how mood can be made by images and sound put together to make an incredible component.

Besides the cinematography, I approve of the music chosen to portray the characters’ emotions in the

Horror films are known for their ability to scare audiences, to get the audience’s hearts racing, their blood rushing. A good horror film will cause viewers to be on the edge of their seats and having their perception of reality distorted as they attempt to understand the unraveling plot of the horror film. The tone of the film aides in the amount of suspense that a horror film produces, since a much darker film will create a more suspenseful atmosphere than one that is more focused on campy monster makeup. But the tone of a film is determined by the sound of the film, or in other words, the score. Sound or music in a horror film, or the lack thereof, make the intense scenes and without the addition

Music can be extraordinarily influential in films, as it has the ability to evoke emotion not displayed by on-screen action. Music used in films can play many roles; it can depict time and place, mood, atmosphere, character, and can be used to underscore the onscreen drama and titles. Alan Silvestri and John Williams successfully manipulate the use of music in film to establish characters (along with their personality, actions and changing emotions), as well as underscore the mood for the entirety of their given films. The contrasts of Silvestri’s “The Feather Theme” with Williams’ “Batman Theme” exemplify the power of music in film.