A Single Man Film Opening- Sound Deconstruction

Sound Deconstruction in a Film Opening

A Single Man (2010)

 

0:00-0:42

The score starts complicated with several strings used in fast high and low pitched sounds with a louder violin layered over it. There is no piano heard in this scene only the strings are audible. The use of these create an image of consuming grief paired with the scene, the overwhelming images shown are contra ting against the stillness of the scene.

0:42-0:55

As the scene becomes clearer and vivid the score also becomes more effective, the tempo increases and the volume also increases. More string instruments are introduced creating more depth as the relationship between the characters is revealed.

0:55-1:30

All non-diegetic sound stops as the man awakens from his dream and you hear his gasp. A clock is heard in the background, making a rhythmic pace that starts the scene, helping the images shown seem like routine. A line of voiceover is heard.

1:30-2:40

The score starts with peaceful music, strings and a piano are heard. This is the introduction to the continuing theme music that includes the single violin and the piano. The score reflects the character that it surrounds (‘George’) who describes himself as ‘slightly stiff but quite perfect George’. This parallels as a simple score for a simple man.

Where the piano played is seemingly happy and neutral, the strings that are layered are sadder in tone, this could represent the outside emotion that he is feeling contrasting to the one he is presenting for everyone else to see.

The diegetic sounds of him showering and shaving etc. are all layered into the scene, this presents the normalcy that the character is clinging too.

2:40-2:50

The music get louder, taking presidency as the voiceover stops and the layered diegetic sounds fade out. The character looks at himself in the mirror. There is the continued contrast in the music- piano is sad, strings are swelling happier sounding, like hope. The pain on his face is subtle but visible as the piano increases in volume.

2:51-3:10

The music fades slightly to change back to become the score not the centre sound, becoming more minimalistic. The voiceover becomes prominent as the character declares ‘just get through the god damn day’.  As the score settles to a more prominent piano piece the tapping of the glass bottle becomes prominent again, almost like a clock in its rhythmic noises.

3:11-3:18

Through the opening scene there is a vision like moment and the score layers under a wind tunnel sound heard. It could also possibly be water in the ears as the character mentions how he feels like he’s ‘drowning’ ‘underwater’. This creates another image of pain in the video as his grief is so prominent that it is effecting his senses and his plight for ‘normalcy’ in the brief moment.

3:19-3:35

The score continues in the same way, the glass tapping sound heard in the background, the continuous pattern continuing until the end of the scene. The continuous melodic theme throughout the scene also accompanying the tapping.

 

Evaluation

The music itself is repetitive- a single melodic theme that is repeated throughout the scene.  A single violin and piano were used with that glass sound, the use of single instruments made the scene more intimate as there was not large orchestra backing the scene making it more complex then it needed to be. The intimacy created helps the scene be emotionally gripping. We could possibly use this method in out coursework to make the scene we will be creating more effective. We could use the idea of a single or two single instruments to produce an atmosphere of confusion and vulnerability as the character awakens in an unknown place, this could also help the opening sequence we are creating to have a closer link to the drama genre we are trying to interpret. Characters in the genre are known or the struggles, physical or mental that they have to overcome and having the correct score will create a dramatic and effective scene.

First Minute

Remaining Time