Released: August 15, 1939
Starring: Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, Frank Morgan as multiple characters, Ray Bolger as Hunk & The Scarecrow, Bert Lahr as Zeke & The Cowardly Lion and Jack Haley as Hickory & The Tin Man.
Directed by: Victor Fleming
Sounds in the Movie
There are many things that make a movie a great movie. Most people just see the actors and their performances and do not take into account all the other aspects that help the movie make an impact on the viewers. The actors dialogue, sound effects and music all contribute to a movie’s success or failure.
Dialogue
Dialogue is simply “Characters talking to one another in films” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014, 8.4). It helps convey important information to the audience as well as giving depth to the plot and the characters. In the following clip, Dorothy meets the Wicked Witch of the West for the first time.
By listening to the dialogue in this scene, the viewer can see that the Wicked Witch is angered by the death of her sister and the fact that she can’t have the ruby slippers. Dorothy is obviously frightened by the Wicked Witch. The dialogue informs the viewer that the mood of the scene is scary or frightening. If the dialogue was taken away or altered, I think that the overall effect of the scene would be effected to some point. Without the dialogue, the actors would have to work a little harder at communicating what is happening. The viewer could still see that Dorothy is frightened by the witch by her body language. If the way that the dialogue is spoken changes, like for example if the Wicked Witch talked more like Glinda, the effect of the scene would be unsuccessful. If Dorothy was still acting scared of the witch as she talked light and bubbly, the message would not be conveyed.
Sound Effects
Before sound effects were used in film they were heavily used in radio. Sheet metal was used to create the sound of approaching thunder. “Every film uses sound in some way to draw the audience into the movie and keep it there. In the following clip Dorothy and The Scarecrow meet The Tin Man.
The first feeling that a viewer can feel from this encounter is that the Tin Man is rusty and has been stuck in his position for some time. The squeaking of his metal being greased up by the oil can aid in the actors overall performance. Some of the sounds that are heard in this clip can also be very common in horror films. A viewer might be able to compare this squeaking to the squeaking of an old door in a haunted house. Without the sound effects in this scene, the viewer would not have a complete experience of the movie. Watch this clip without sound and see how you feel about the scene afterword. Are your interpretations the same?
Music
Music is a huge part of film making. Music often plays in the background of certain scenes to help support a certain feeling. Upbeat music is usually used in happy scenes. Music that starts off slow and picks up might be an indication for a scary part of a film. In this clip, Dorothy is trying to find cover from a tornado.
The music in this scene makes me feel like I am on the ride with Dorothy. As the twister starts to drop the house the music becomes more frantic and the tempo speeds up a little bit. You get the feeling that you are spinning around and around like the house. Without this music the audience would still understand the scene, but it would not be appealing to the senses. The music draws you closer to the film and brings you in.
References
Goodykoontz, B., and Jocobs, C.P. (2014). Film: From Watching to Seeing (2nd Ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, INC.
YouTube (2010, Apr. 19) Wicked Witch of the West-The Wizard of Oz. [Video File]. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Leb83bRkXDg
YouTube (2010, June 27). Dorothy Meets The Tin Man (The Wizard of Oz 1939). [Video File]. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-RHfXZkT1g
YouTube (2012, Oct. 8). The Wizard of Oz Tornado [Video File] Retrieved From: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlDroGf7ap8
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