Opinion (2023)

Opinion (2023)

The Deep Impact of Sound: From Silent Film to the Acousmatic Sound

The 2023 science fiction thriller, No One Will Save You, seems to harken back to the days of silent film. There is barely any dialogue in the entire film, which instead, keeps audiences in a state of constant alertness by heightening the mundane sound effects of floors creaking and dial tones, mixed with uncanny noises that indicate a threatening alien presence, against an eerie soundtrack by Joseph Trapanese. Watching the film recently, I couldn’t help but think that perhaps silent film had gotten something right when it comes to sound. Perhaps dialogue muddies the power of sound in a film and, by not bringing the explicit messaging and plot development of speech to a film, the deep impact of everyday and unearthly sound and music could have a greater hold on audiences.

Opinion (2023)

Music, Mixtapes, and Memories

Between main character Hirayama’s (Kōji Yakusho) less-than-talkative demeanour, and his obsession with cassette classics, music is clearly foregrounded in Wim Wenders’ latest film, Perfect Days (2023). It serves a crucial element in Hirayama’s characterisation, both as his mouthpiece and as a conduit for his memories and emotions. As something of a hardcore music-lover myself, who cherishes her Spotify playlists just as much as Hirayama does his cassette tapes, both the film and its main character resonated deeply with me.

Opinion (2023)

A Love Letter to Sisterhood

Close your eyes and face the bright of the sun. Let it burn into your eyelids a hot, vivid, red; let it sear its temporary mark onto your retinas until everything goes white-hot, just a few seconds will do, then turn away, and open your eyes.

Opinion (2023)

Stepping onto the Sound-Stage

Let’s talk about sound. Although it was not the first film to incorporate synchronised sound (that distinction belongs to The Dickson Experimental Sound Film from 1894, despite its flaws), The Jazz Singer (1927) marked the shift from silent films to ‘talkies’. Its immense popularity opened the cinematic landscape to

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