This week our focus is on the sound in film, and how it affects the theme and the mood of the film. The film I chose to write about, and one which has been a favorite of mine since childhood, is the Wizard of Oz, which was directed by Victor Fleming in 1939. This film is based on a children’s novel by L. Frank Baum, and has been redesigned, recolored, and rewritten by many generations since. The sound in this film, from the dialogue to the sound effects, and especially the music are very much a part of the magic of this adventure.
http://movieclips.com/XngGo-the-wizard-of-oz-movie-somewhere-over-the-rainbow/
In the above-linked clip, the main character, Dorothy Gale, from Kansas is lamenting the humdrum of her everyday life, and wishing for an adventure “Over the Rainbow”. The film is shot in sepia color, and the muted sounds of the scene, with nothing more than the music, and her singing voice heard for the majority of this clip, lend themselves to the overall feeling that she is bored and wistful about her life. Only during one small segment of this scene, when she stares wistfully into the sky, do you hear the diegetic sound of birds twittering in the sky, then you revert back to only music and singing.
http://movieclips.com/kg4sQ-the-wizard-of-oz-movie-were-not-in-kansas-anymore/
Contrast that with the very much lighter, and more intense sound in the above clip, where Dorothy realizes, having come through the tornado, that she is no longer in Kansas. The viewer can very clearly hear the tweeting of birds in the background, as well as other apparently diegetic sounds, and louder, more animated music, creating the feeling that this place is much more ”alive” than her life on the farm. Then, the audience is made aware of a non-diegetic sound, growing in intensity as a bubble slowly moves closer to Dorothy. The first-time viewer is anxious as the music and the extraneous sound grows, as we don’t know what to expect. When the bubble pops, we see it contains Glenda the Good Witch, who has come to welcome Dorothy to Oz.
http://movieclips.com/GNMpo-the-wizard-of-oz-movie-the-cowardly-lion/
This scene, in which Dorothy and her traveling companions, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow meet the Cowardly Lion, has no music in the background, but there is a lot of other sound. This scene is full of dialogue, the lion roars, and the Tin Man rattles as he shakes in fear. Dorothy’s dog, Toto, even has a cameo as he barks at the Lion. The lack of background music makes the audience focus more on what is being said, and that is very important as the Cowardly Lion’s story sets the tone for his trip to the Emerald City, and his realization that he has nothing to fear.
http://movieclips.com/icda-the-wizard-of-oz-movie-im-melting/
In the above clip, which happens near the end of the film, the scene starts with the Wicked Witch, who has been tracking Dorothy and her companions throughout the movie, has them cornered in her castle and is threatening to kill them all. The music is very ominous, and grows in volume and intensity as the scene unfolds. At the point when she sets the scarecrow on fire, you hear a cacophony of sounds, from Dorothy screaming, to Toto barking, and the witch laughing. Just when all of this sound reaches a climax, Dorothy throws a bucket of water to put the fire out, and inadvertently soaks the witch, unexpectedly causing her to melt. The scene ends with the sounds of the witch screaming, as she fades away never to return and a loud hissing sound as the water evaporates her. The gradual weakening of her screams, and the quieting of back ground sounds add to the overall effect of her dying.
http://movieclips.com/oyr6Y-the-wizard-of-oz-movie-theres-no-place-like-home/
In this last scene of the movie, we are back to the gently swelling music, with only the dialogue playing over it, reminding us of the simplicity of her life back at home. She has returned to Kansas after her “dream”, and she is trying to share with those around her what she has experienced. The music is soft, but builds to a crescendo as the movie ends, and brings the story to its natural conclusion. It almost seems that if someone had just the soundtrack to the movie, with the sound effects and the dialogue overlying the music, they wouldn’t even need the visual to be able to appreciate the story.
In this movie, the sound makes a definite contribution to the overall theme and varying moods it conveys. The light-heartedness of the music at times, gives us the clue that this is from the fantasy genre of films. And having certain, unexpected sounds occur, such as when the Good Witch first appears with the growing sound that accompanies it, and when the lion first starts roaring from the forest as Dorothy and her companions are walking the Yellow Brick Road, definitely keeps the viewer on the lookout for strange and exciting twists. I cannot imagine this film with different music or sound, and I think those things have contributed to making it the classic it is today.
References
MovieClips (2015). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from Movieclips: http://movieclips.com/
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. (2014). Film: From Watching to Seeing.San Diego, CA. Bridgepoint Educational, Inc.
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