M
Movie: 1931, b/w, 117min
Director: Fritz Lang
When the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt.
What role does sound play in M?
In Fritz Lang’s M sound plays a very important role in culminating meaning to the film. The film has both dialogue and silent sequences that are complemented by music of sound effects. Lang treats the sound as if he were editing the visuals. When we are introduced to the murder we speak to Elsie, a young girl who is visible but we only hear the conversation he has with her, we don’t see him. We see his shadow on a poster that is in fact his wanted poster, a brilliant trick on Lang’s part. All of the scenes rely wholly on sound for continuity.
Raffaella -
ReplyDeleteCan you expand on this notion that ambient sound connects the distortion within the silence? How does this sound lend itself to the creation of the overall visual story - does it connect the audience to the visual in a formalist manner - in other words is it forcing the director's POV?