Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed

Subject: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: Wesley S
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 11:07 AM

This weekend I saw an excellent new movie by the Cohn Brothers. It's called "No Country for Old Men" after the book by Cormic McCarthy. A short plot summary would be that a guy in west Texas is out hunting and stumbles across a drug deal gone bad. Several trucks are surrounded by dead bodies. One truck is loaded with Mexican heroin and one dead body has a satchel with 2.6 million dollars in cash. Our protagonist takes off with the cash and is eventually followed by very bad men who want the money.

There are several things I loved about the movie:

They followed the book very closely and didn't try to "improve" it.

The acting was above average – esp Tommie Lee Jones.

But what I wanted to point out to y'all was that there was no soundtrack music. And I can see that in some movies the lack of background music can make a film better. In this case I felt the audience was allowed to think for themselves. No heavy handed Hollywood types were telling us how we should feel - or that danger was afoot. In one scene our protagonist was holed up in a hotel. You know that a very bad man is in the hotel who wants to kill him and take the money. The audience is put in the position of having to listen very closely to what's happening on the screen. What was that sound? Was it a board creaking – or the footsteps of the killer outside the door? You could hear a pin drop in the theater. The tension was delicious. And music would have ruined it.

Trust me – see the movie for yourself. But be forewarned – it's a bloody and violent film.

I'm trying to think of other films that didn't have background music. "Failsafe" comes to mind. Can you think of any others?

Subject: RE: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: johnadams
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 12:26 PM

Thanks for the heads up on that one. I teach sound design for film and tv and that film could be a really good illustration for my students.

I don't know any other films that don't use music but I did go to a theatre show recently that had no music or background sound effects. All required noises were supplied by the actors. It can all work really well - even if it does take bread out of the mouths of musicians :-)

Subject: RE: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: Maryrrf
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 12:28 PM

I think I recall that Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" didn't have music, but I'm not 100% sure.

Subject: RE: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: Wesley S
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 12:35 PM

Correct - There were some sound effects but no music as such in The Birds.

Subject: RE: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: Micca
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 04:27 PM

It all started with Rififi.....

Subject: RE: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: Jim Lad
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 04:43 PM

I'd heard that Julie Andrews was supposed to do the soundtrack for "Silence of the Lambs" but was cancelled due to schedule conflicts.
There's a haunting scene in "Platoon" which plays out very effectively to Samuel Barber's 'Adagio For Strings'. It haunts.
Dead silence, I think, would have been the only other reasonable choice.

Subject: RE: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: Alan Day
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 05:58 PM

I have major problem with music soundtracks particularly when it continues over actors talking.There is very fine dividing line where the music can completely obliterate what the actors are saying if too loud,Many a good film or play has been ruined for me because of this reason.I suppose subtitles are an option ,but the music is supposed to be there to enhance the performance ,not to make it inaudible.
Al

Subject: RE: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 06:46 PM

During a visit to Canada, I was stunned by the volume of music in certain trans-pond programmes - specifically 'Star Trek, Next Generation'. The episode I saw in Canada was barely audible over the soundtrack. When I saw it again, some 6 weeks later in the UK, the soundtrack was practically missing. It seems the BBC sound engineers tweaked the knobs so that it was less intrusive, for the UK audience.

Now, watching various US shows, I'm noticing that the background volume is rising and I miss more of the dialogue.

There is a place for a soundtrack, but over the denoument is not it!

LTS

Subject: RE: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 07:17 PM

Alan, me, too. I don't want subtitles, I want to *hear* the actors and just be aware of the music.

Subject: RE: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: Alan Day
Date: 23 Nov 07 - 05:35 PM

I did find the last series of Miss Marple particularly annoying,With the back ground music and the new actress playing Miss Marple mumbling her words I just could not follow the script at all.
I have noticed however that the latest Miss Marple the sound was a lot better and I could actually understand what she is saying.
It is nice to know that at least I am not the only one who has difficulty with this annoying trend.
Al

Subject: RE: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Nov 07 - 07:12 PM

Oh, the new, that is McEwan, Miss Marple...yech! She *simpers* and I cannot stand it! The way she plays it is not all what I have ever envisioned as Miss Marple.:-)

Just as we are discussing in another thread about singers not enunciating, I think a lot of acting is very sloppy these days with regards to that, too.

Subject: RE: Film - When a soundtrack isn't needed
From: Jack Campin
Date: 23 Nov 07 - 08:59 PM

I don't think I have ever quite recovered from the genre of Polish avant-garde films of 70s that all seemed to be accompanied by only the sounds of feet stamping on floorboards and crunching slurping jaws.