FAMST 96 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Gargling, Binoculars
27 Jun 2018
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Professor
PREVIOUS NOTES
Dunkirk evacuation of WWII
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Directed by Christopher Nolan
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FILM NOTES
Sound is paramount in the opening
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Loudness evident
Makes audience feel as if they were in the scene
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Importance of sound perspective
Hearing booms as they get closer
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Planes zooming farther and farther
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Diegetic sounds war-related
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2 - The Sea (one day) title
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Score is deep and low and even sounds like the booms are still happening, even
though we're in a completely different place
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Score is constant as well, not a moment where strings aren't playing
This score contributes to the frantic chaos of the plot
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Rhythm of the score and sounds connected to the rhythm of the scene's
movement
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Slowing down and speeding up of the score as appropriate to the scenes
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Rapid cuts, very low angled on the boat as the man gets towed on the gurney
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Importance of the life rafts? Moment where score speeds up again leading me
to believe something tragic is about to happen
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Blues and greys are the tone of the film
The bright grey and white of the foggy seas
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Uniforms are navy, darker brown, tattered grey
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Cement walls seem almost green
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Dark grey smoke billowing in the distance
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Dialogue is more infrequent than the series of different war sounds
Focusing more on what is happening rather than what's being said
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Lack of sounds lets the audience take in surroundings more
Being surrounded by the sounds
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Focusing on character facial expressions
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More involved in the action of the film rather than hypothesizing so much
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Editing so far = straight cuts.. Nothing too fancy or flowery•
When bombs are dropped on the boat, we get anxious because of the sound
perspective and incoming loudness
Previous movies set me up to expect screaming and crying
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Other sounds cover the terror I expected
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Music quiets down as the boat sinks
End of the terror in this moment, end of lives, end of loudness
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Strong parallels between what we see and what we hear•
Showing the war and evacuations from three different areas
From the air, when we are inside the planes
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From the sea on the boats
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From land where civilians head out to provide assistance
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The music builds up al of the suspense
Infrequent dialogue forces us to call on our expectations
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Perspective from inside the plane at one point as it heads down to the water•
Darkness as the blast takes down the boat
We cant see that water rushed into the boat, but we hear the gargling and
muffled sounds of the people inside
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Quick flashes of light showing people swirling arund as the boat sinks
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Score gives us the sense that time is running out.. Ticking kind of rhythm
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Because there is no light, we have to rely on sound to give us glimpses at what,
specifically, is going on
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Moments of quiet almost seem unrealistic because we are in a war and there's
constant chaos
The silence seems thick and dreamy
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Eeriness of the sea•
Slow zooming in on characters' faces prompting me to wonder what they're
thinking
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Even during dialogue, there is score and prominent beats•
Changing perspectives from different parts of the plane
From the wing
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From the back
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From inside the plane
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Switch in perspective from the plane to the boat where people are
watching the plane go down
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Almost seems 3D or like a simulative ride
Travelling through the smoke
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Changing perspectives as if we were on the wing of the plane
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Being surrounded by sound
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Very immersive film
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Sense of hope emerging when the captain looks through binoculars
"what do you see" .. Met with a grin.. "home"
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Cue cheers and more emotion
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Although the environment is still dark and gloomy, and smoke till appears off in
the distance, the music swells and we see smiles knowing that better is coming
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Quickly turns grim again, another boat bombed from air•
Boats going down, men scattering the waters needing safety•
The hope that seemed so imminent is now gone within a matter of minutes•
Fire swells across the water which seems truly horrific
Jumping from the boat into the water was supposed to be an escape for
safety
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Back to hearing cheers and screams of victory coming from the lines of men on
the shore
Lighter score
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Still emotional because there wasn't victorious moments without grave
loss
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Brighter and more vibrant colors when on land and flying over it•
Narration as "fairytale-esqe" music plays
Victorious
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End of death
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Heroic sense of being
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"Confidence and strength"
Brightness of the sun, first moment we see such brightness (not from
flames)
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Narration is Winston Churchill's address being read from newspaper•
Score entirely stops as we see eye contact•
Lecture 15: Dunkirk (2017)
Monday, May 21, 2018
2:08 PM
Document Summary
Makes audience feel as if they were in the scene. Score is deep and low and even sounds like the booms are still happening, even though we"re in a completely different place. Score is constant as well, not a moment where strings aren"t playing. This score contributes to the frantic chaos of the plot. Rhythm of the score and sounds connected to the rhythm of the scene"s movement. Slowing down and speeding up of the score as appropriate to the scenes. Rapid cuts, very low angled on the boat as the man gets towed on the gurney. Moment where score speeds up again leading me to believe something tragic is about to happen. Blues and greys are the tone of the film. The bright grey and white of the foggy seas. Dialogue is more infrequent than the series of different war sounds. Focusing more on what is happening rather than what"s being said.
