Sound in Bresson's films is often associated with off-screen space. (In other words, we often do not see what it is that is making the sound we hear.) Why do you think this is? How does the recurrence of off-screen sound reinforce the major themes of "A Man Escaped?"
The off-screen sound in the film makes the viewer concentrate on Fontaine, and also gives you an insight into his thoughts. The majority of the film is following Fontaine in his cell. It gives a realistic, cold, dead feeling to the film. In reality music does not play continuously, but most films use music to tug emotions from the viewers. (not fair) Like the director Bresson says on page 219 "In the prison there is no feeling at all. Things are what they are...the commentary warmed it up by contrast". You hear "dong" of the keys against the rails and you dread the coming guard, you hear the "sloush" of the toliet pails and you realize this everyday activity, you hear the rip of cloth and you feel the tension of his impending escape. The sounds put you in Fontaine's place making you understand his thinking and feeling.
ReplyDeleteIn A Man Escaped the sounds heard off-screen give a sense that one is in prison alongside Fontaine. The sounds of the prison become the soundtrack of the film. “For Bresson the cinema is an art of suggestion, not of explanation, and the noises by their evocative power, play a fundamental role in the creation of the prisoner’s world” (Singerman 218).
ReplyDeleteThe overall theme of escaping is never forgotten because of a minimal musical soundtrack and all the off-screen sounds. The sounds do not distract from the theme but enhance it because they provide a more realistic environment. The sounds such as the guards footsteps, the unlocking and locking of Fontaine’s cell, the bell tower, the train, the bike, the warden and his stick hitting the stairway, and the shooting of the other prisoners all reenforce the setting. These sounds also became a valuable resource to Fontaine in that he learned to improve his hearing so that he could figure out how to escape. At the end of the film when he has descended a wall with a guard patrolling around the conner is able to recognize when the guard has turned around with out even seeing him. It was Fontaine’s hearing and his keen ability for observation that enabled him and Jost to escape.
Written by Zane
What struck me about the sound in Bresson's film started when I read the chapter, and got an idea of how he felt about (and dealt with) sound and the soundtrack. I was incredibly impressed with his use of diagetic sound and and sound that would be outside of the scene, like the Mozart he was partial to at different points in the film. The keys on the bars of the railing added very much to the symphony, and all the other sounds, the footsteps, the coughs of his lookout, I started to feel the intensity of the scene through these sounds. I came to really appreciate Bresson's use of sound of everyday life (as opposed to music) to increase the suspense or affirm the plot. I was also really impressed by the realistic aspect of Bresson's film, even keeping the inspiration for the main character on staff to make sure everything was as realistic as possible, down to the sound of the tapping on the walls. This is the part that makes the soundtrack affirm, more than any other film I've seen, the function of the film. Almost entirely, what we hear is what the prisoner (I forget his name) that actually went through this, feels.
ReplyDeleteS Boester
In the film “A Man Escaped”, Bresson makes good use of sound. Though, much of the sound heard during the movie does not come from within the scene itself, however it appears as a voiceover. The fact of the matter is that the majority of the sound is the expression of Fontaine’s inner monologue. Singerman says on page 219 "In the prison there is no feeling at all.” I believe that it is Fontaine’s audible inner monologue that exemplifies this sentiment of having no feeling at all. Not only is Fontaine alone, but the lack of dialogue is a main factor in showing his complete isolation.
ReplyDeleteAs for actual sounds (as opposed to speech), there were other sounds which attributed to Fontaine’s isolation. These were sounds such as the sounds of the guards’ footsteps, the neighbor’s knocking, and other outside sounds seemed to be taunting Fontaine, keeping his oppressed within his cell. It’s this amazing use of sound that shows just how much sound can add to the sense of seclusion.
Sound, especially off-screen sound, plays an important role in A Man Escaped. There are two types of off-screen sounds worth discussing: voiceover and non-diegetic music (or lack thereof). Both of these sounds help reinforce the themes of the movie while molding a certain mood. Fontaine narrates his actions throughout the entire movie in past-tense voiceovers. This effect takes some getting used to but it plays an important role in strengthening the film’s themes in two ways. First, it provides a subtle reminder that Fontaine, while solitary, is not actually alone. His voiceovers—almost like the voice of God—give his physical character (the character we see) a companion (the voice we hear). Together the two work side by side to escape the prison. Second, the voiceover effect reinforces the title—a man ‘escaped’. A careful viewer will understand that he has already ‘escaped’ and is narrating from the future—from freedom we suppose. There are a lot of ways to interpret this particular effect (among them the Christian divine predestination idea from Singerman), but overall it is safe to say that the voiceover off-screen effect is definitely an important dramatic effect that helps to reinforce the film’s themes.
ReplyDeleteThe second type of off-screen sound, non-diegetic music, is key in setting the mood. Singerman notes that Bresson cannot tolerate “mood music which plays such a prominent role in conventional films.” Bresson says, “No accompanying music, no supporting or reinforcing music” (p. 215). And thus, A Man Escaped is largely without any music, leaving the mood to be bleak and hollow for an audience conditioned to relying on music for mood. It’s a reminder to the audience just how alone Fontaine seems to be—even without the companionship of music. It isn’t till the end that exultant non-diegetic music appears again as Fontaine and Jost triumphantly walk away from the prison. The sudden appearance of music allows the audience to breathe a sigh of relief, releasing all the tension built by the absence of it. Personally, I think the absence of music is a bit too much—it leaves you feeling too empty. Scenes march one behind the other with no music or sign of hope to tie it in between. Surely, Bresson wanted the audience to feel this way—to identify with the bleak drudgery of task after task—but I couldn’t help feeling that the film took too much effort to watch.
Michael Jenkins
I think that Bresson uses off-screen space to appeal to the viewer's imagination to emphasize those aspects which are unseen. Even when watching a film which isn't is imaginatively stimulative as reading a book, a good director will still challenge the audience to use their imaginations. Bresson does this very well throughout the film. The repeated use of the sound of the cell locking and unlocking creates the image in the audience's mind even though we never see the image on-screen.
ReplyDeleteThe repeated use of this sound also serves to highlight the lack of control that Fontaine has over his environment. Fontaine is a fighter by nature. He is not one to acquiesce to his circumstances but one that will try to bend them to his will. The repeated soud of the locking cell conveys to the audience the torture that being imprisoned is to Fontaine. The sound is always louder in comparison to the other sound effects, you always heard the cell locking. This may be a device to put the audience in the mind of Fontaine. To Fontaine, nothing else mattered but his imprisonment so the other sounds of the prison would not have mattered, he would have only heard the sound of the cell locking. This cell locking and unlocking also builds suspense because every time the cell was opened his means of escape would have been discovered and he surely would have been shot.
Sound is important when Fontaine and Jost are escaping as a means to build suspense. When Fontaine cannot determine what is making the squeaking noise when they are trying to escape it creates some foreboding are to what lies ahead. It is somewhat humorous when it just the guard riding a bicycle in a somewhat awkward manner. After it is discovered that it is the guard the squeaking noise allows the audience and Fontaine to know where the guard is located and how long he has to climb across the gap before the guard makes another pass. Sound is used in many various and effective ways throughout the film.
I think that the off-screen sound was the major effect that made this movie so suspenseful. I was so impressed by how intense this movie was--the suspense was perfect.
ReplyDeleteAs Singerman says, the fact that many sounds are off the screen supports the psychology of being a prisoner (219). Everything that happens to a prisoner is outside of his cell and he cannot see what is really causing the noise. Instead, he can only make assumptions, and this factor of the unknown causes more distress than knowing. For example, after his friend in the cell across from him tries to escape, Fontaine and the audience hear gunshots off screen and immediately assume the man escaped has been killed. Also, Fontaine often hears footsteps outside and fears that it is a guard come to bring him down for execution. With the sounds coming from offscreen, they provide much more suspense and intensity.
I think this also relates to something else Singerman had pointed out, that the sounds are subjective and psychological. Fontaine's assumptions determines what he (and by association, the audience) think the causes of the sounds are.
One thing in particular I wanted to mention is the squeaking noise Fontaine and Jost hear when they are trying to escape. Because it recurs, even as they get closer to their goal, the mystery deepens. We know because it was emphasized that it will pop up some day, but because we don't know when that will happen or what it is, we want Fontaine to be even more careful.
--Jessica Geyer
(I don't like this logging in thing, haha)
I think that sound was used, by Bresson, to show reality. We as the audience were a kind of prisoners to the screen, as with most shots were the second prisoner before Jost arrived, and the third after. If we were locked away in a prison, we could only hear the noises outside and around us to possibly "see" what is going on elsewhere. He does make use of shot through only a peep hole, or through the bars show us minor details and instances that happen outside of "our" cell. However, when Fountaine is in his cell he has to rely on his cell mates knocking, or the guards loud footsteps created by their boots, for instance, in order to not get caught, and to know what is happening at all times.
ReplyDeleteIn particular, the worst sound in the movie is how irritating the locks are. They make a very loud almost unreal metallic click turning noise. Just hearing that noise which was like nails on a chalkboard made it really hard to watch. I think that he did this effect to show the realism of being stuck behind something so small and demeaning, but with such a horribly great personality (sound). The locks alone were the first obstacle to overcome, and essentially without guards watching, would be hard enough to get by.
On page 218 of Singerman he states " For Bresson the cinema is an art of suggestion, not of explanation, and the noises, by their evocative power, play a fundamental role in the creation of the prisoner's world." The realism of his world.
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