This time I want to analyze a movie that plays a considerable role in the history of world cinema - "The Shawshank Redemption". This movie is a model of drama movies in many aspects, whether it is from The exploration of film and television themes, lens editing, color use, rhythm control and scene scheduling are all remarkable. The actors' acting skills are even more proficient. The combination of Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman is simply perfect. However, in this great movie, we often ignore the use of sound in the film, just like around a shining moon, we often don't care about the shining stars next to it.
We know that when analyzing the sound of a movie, we will inevitably conduct a detailed analysis from the historical background, sound effects, music, and language of the movie’s sound①, and due to the Depending on the type of film, we will analyze the film while distinguishing between musical and non-musical films. The film we analyze here - "The Shawshank Redemption" is a typical drama film and a non-musical film, so We only analyze the four sound types just mentioned.
(1) Music
At the beginning of the film, as the camera zoomed in, we heard the melodious male jazz music, which was gentle and comfortable. This actually set the tone of the film. Laying the foundation heralds the film’s pacing and thematic healing. The background music appears again later in Shawshank Prison. When the film appears looking down at Shawshank Prison from bottom to top, the high notes of the violin and the low tone of the cello unify the film's sound and image, and also provide the basis for the subsequent prison survival. Sets a pathos tone. And when the perspective of the picture moves from left to right, the addition of wind instruments at this time is unified with the scheduling of the camera. This is the detail of a meticulous movie.
As for the background music of the next section, what we hear is what happened when Red helped Andy transport contraband. The fast-paced and lively string music revealed this behavior from behind. some of its phenomena. First, this behavior is very common in prisons, and second, the fast-paced transportation shows that this process requires people with skilled movements to complete.
In another piece of background music, we began to feel that Andy was different. At the beer party Andy won through his knowledge, melodious orchestral music gradually sounded, reflecting Andy's smiling face, linking the gentleness of the orchestral music with the freedom in life. Later, the process of the inmates looking for stones for Andy was replaced by Scottish organ and slow-paced guitar music. The two complemented each other and reflected the friendship and cheerful rhythm among the inmates.
The story develops to Andy preparing to build a library. In the process of sending letters, the background music of the film powerfully assumes a part of the narrative language. In the smooth progress, it is accompanied by Red's The narration connects the advancement of time and Andy's efforts, making it more humorous and interesting, and the situation becomes better and better.
However, the story began to change when Lao Bu was released from prison. After Lao Bu was released from prison, his life was unexpected. In the slow and unfamiliar piano sound, Lao Bu's lonely life slowly flowed. Finally coming to the end of his life in sad self-deprecation...
After that, when Andy worked hard to get the construction of the library, the first thing he did was to play on the gramophone The opera was put on, and when he turned on the prison speakers, the sound of freedom filling Shawshank Prison awakened the beauty in every prisoner's heart. The film uses such a plot to effectively illustrate the huge role of sound in the film. . And Red's mellow narration also soothes the hearts of the moviegoers in his singing.
When the film entered the climax, a strange but calm orchestral music sounded, symbolizing the quietness and unusualness before the storm. At the same time, Red's monologue announced his inner anxiety and the upcoming crisis. Something big happened, and the sudden thunder was a reminder. When the truth was revealed by Red, it highlighted the arrival of the climax and the ups and downs of the film's plot, arousing the viewer's desire to search for the truth. When Andy escapes from Shawshank in the orchestra, the climaxes of the two overlap, making Andy's path to rebirth more obvious.
Finally, when Red was looking for Andy's location, the gentle orchestral music sounded again, and the harmonica sound interspersed in the middle also revealed the theme of Red's harmonica skills and his own redemption. As the strings gradually became louder, Rhett finally met Andy on the beach. The kindness and friendship were fully reflected in the symphony at the end of the film.
(2) Language (dialogue, monologue)
The film mainly uses Red as the first person to tell such a story about redemption. It must be said that Morgan Freeman’s tone He is really suitable as a narrator, with a gentle and slow tone and an elder-like tone. It is really easy for him to tell such a persevering story, but it is really difficult for others to do it. The first-person narration actually plays a great role in the film. On the one hand, the film has a long time span, and on the other hand, it has the function of recording historical facts. Therefore, Morgan's narration in this tone gives the film a sense of history.
There is one scene that uses language to highlight the speaker's identity and subtext, and that is the section where the warden lectures. There is no music, only his words echo through the prison, which not only represents the confinement of the prison, but also symbolizes the absolute authority of the warden with silent solemnity.
Another thing worthy of our attention is Red’s three parole applications in the film. In the first monologue, we can clearly feel Red’s eagerness to get out from Red’s words. desires, without really caring about whether they have changed. When applying for the second time, Rhett looked calm, his tone was gentle, and he looked nonchalant, but he could not hide his inner despair (although he pretended to be indifferent and sincerely repentant in his tone), and the content of his words was also He only focused on his true repentance, but the repeated sentences also showed the suspicion that he was concealing it. Finally, it is Rhett's third application. Why was it passed this time? We noticed that in his monologue, his expression and content were completely consistent. The perseverance in his eyes and the toughness in his words had already transformed Rhett's heart. Express your complete repentance.
We gradually know Andy’s abilities in the movie, but what are his abilities? I think we can tell that through a discussion between Red and Andy about the warden's money laundering. During the conversation, Rhett kept asking Andy a lot of questions in a curious tone, but Andy told Rhett his methods in a calm tone, as if talking about household matters. Such a conversation uses a contrasting technique to reveal Andy's image of being calm and meticulous, far-sighted and resourceful.
(3) Sound effects
This movie is also very good in sound effects. For example, there is a scene where the prisoners of Shawshank applaud to welcome the "newcomers". The two elements of warm applause and mocking laughter overlap with the addition of new prisoners in the prison, which in itself deepens the absurdity of the clip, satirizing the boredom in prison and the wasted years, especially Red. The fun of helplessness in prison was further reflected in the discussion with fellow inmates about which new inmate would cry first on the first day.
Sometimes the sounds of animals can also have a considerable effect. For example, the two calls of the bird in Lao Bu's arms are very telling. When it first called, the bird was still a fledgling, and its high-pitched and immature call brought a bit of life and vitality to the tightly closed Shawshank. But the second cry symbolizes sadness and confusion, because Old Boo is leaving Shawshank, but Old Boo, who has been in prison for 50 years, no longer wants to leave. He is not nostalgic for this prison, but just used to the life here. When he gets outside, he There will be fear and discomfort. But the original young bird has become an old bird, and the traces of time and the despair of the bird's cry are deeply pressed in Lao Bu's heart.
Another more representative one is the section where the warden plans to shoot Tom. Because of Tom's words, Andy hopes to get out of prison, but at this time he threatens the warden's "corruption plan", which of course is not allowed by the warden. When Captain Hadley shoots When Tom was killed, four consecutive piercing gunshots and the barking of dogs in the distance showed the coldness of the prison and the insidiousness, cunning and selfishness of the warden using a unique realistic approach. At this time, the silent gunshots and the barking of dogs in the darkness are silent accusations against this dark prison and system.
As for other small details, we can taste the meaning. For example, when the warden threw stones at the poster, the echo in the pipe was like a mosquito flying out of hell. It not only stung the nerves of the characters in the movie, but also stung the nerves of the moviegoers; when Andy escaped from prison, the sound of lightning that night became his indispensable assistant; when Rhett told about Andy's escape from prison, The camera stayed on Andy's pickaxe that was about to be flattened, and the sound of the flash highlighted the word miracle; finally, in the scene where the warden committed suicide by swallowing a gun, a deafening gunshot even more It was announced that Shawshank's greatest authority was driven off the altar.
(4) Historical Voices
As for this point, it can actually be seen in several places in the movie, and most of them are also in Red’s narration. This has been analyzed in the language part of the movie. We won’t analyze it anymore, but there is a piece of music in the film that is worthy of our attention: in the library built by Andy, Haywood listened to Hank Williams’ records, which found a specific historical era for the film. The coordinates, coupled with the subsequent description of the Kennedy incident, are even more reflected in this sense of the times.
The above is just some meager analysis I made. In fact, for this great movie, this is only one of several factors that make it excellent, but it is precisely this factor that makes this movie become Give it a helping hand on the journey to one of the world's greatest movies.
Documentary source: ① "Understanding Movies" (USA) (Louis giannetti) Chapter 5: Sound