Monday, January 30, 2012

Blog 4


(Embedding was disabled on this video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeFpM2OEWPs


Part II

This scene from a fistful of dollars is a classic. The man with no name (Joe) goes to a rival gang and asks for an apology. When they ridicule him and attack them, he shoots all four of them dead. As the scene progresses, the listening modes are more easily heard. The sound of the guns and the wind are casual. They are indeed the same sounds that guns and wind do make in real life. The sounds of Joe's boots in the beginning are semantic. They most like are not that distinctive in real life. Sergio Leone most likely wanted those boots to represent the anticipation of this stranger approaching what is essentially four bad guys. Later, this sound of boots against the ground would become the hallmark of western movies. Another principle used in this clip is how space influences sound. As you hear the the boots walk closer and closer to the house, you hear directionality and movement. The sound shows that someone is getting closer and closer. This builds the mood that something important is about to happen. Furthermore, when strings begin to play after Joe is threatened, the audience is very much aware that the showdown is about to occur. This, in a way, is subjective and emotional. There is nothing in nature that says that "if you hear rising strings, action will follow". It is a tool used to by the director to build suspense and rising action. Eventually those strings are cut off with four loud gunshots and the fall of four bodies.





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