The Use of Sound in the Film "Applause" (1929) by Rouben Mamoulian - Essay Sample

Introduction

The "Applause" (1929) is certainly a unique film that applies a track of sound or single channel sound created by one speaker otherwise known as the monaural sound. The director utilizes the mixed monaural sound to produce spatial depth that was not present in the film industry at the time. The music at the backstage forms the defining feature that presents the melodrama that depicts the plot, which is about Kitty Darling (played by Helen Morgan), who is a dancer that is well beyond her prime years. Darling's daughter undergoes grooming as she presents the most realistic replacement to the mother in the performance arena (Power, 2018). It is worth noting that the camera movement is breathtaking, but the spatial design is somewhat phenomenal. The use of sound is simply remarkable. The film's creative an innovative use of sound arguably changed the industry practice and trends and formed the basis of the future use of audio in cinematic productions. Essentially, "Applause" redefined the sound design used in the film industry that led to the evolution of the application of audio in cinema.

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Different Uses of Sound in "Applause"

The director, Rouben Mamoulian, resisted the temptation to restrict the film to the flat dialogue recording that was prevalent at the time (mostly used by Paramount and other prominent studios during that time in history). He moved beyond the conventional filmmaking techniques to capture expertly the vibrant burlesque culture of the characters and the theme of the film. It is worth noting that the production of "Applause" happened during the transition period of the silent film to the sound film (between 1928-19-34). Before the film's release, sound production suffered from various problems that include but not limited to microphone design, vocal pitches of the actor's, camera noise, and projection synchronization (Muntean, 2017). The problems ensured that the shooting of the films mainly occurred within soundproofed locations. However, the director managed to shoot certain scenes in open air and still get the sound right. The director overcame such a challenge to and improved the film's dynamism. For example, in one scene, Kitty sat alone, but the sound of two loves is audible in the background or the hallway. The sound in the background is a point of view referred to as the optical-image standpoint. It is realistic to assume that the audience or the spectator hears the sound or the opinion by Kitty's character.

The director managed to create ambient noises or expressionistic sounds that were abnormally loud to the point that they did overwhelm intimate and ordinary dialogue or conversations. In most cases the film utilizes the cacophony sound reminiscent of the one found in the real world and staged sounds that serve to set the mood for the both the characters and the audience. The replication of the acoustic realism happens in the street scenes where the theater sounds overlap to the streets through the entrance door (Young, 2015). Additionally, the film also uses another sound technique by combining two distinctively recorded tracks to make them a pear as a single track. Such a feat was eerily important since allowed the producers to replace the sound used during recording with the mixed sounds that obviously presented a more polished and refined fidelity. Such permits the producers to blend off screen, on screen, and asynchronous sounds, which was an unconventional technique at the time.

To create depth, Mamoulian used variable loudness off the screen ambient and that of dialogue. Such is consistent with the traditional methods in which the film houses relied on a single source of sound to present the recording of monaural movie. It is worth noting that the existence of the monaural sound mainly relies on the vertical plane, which is often singular. On the other hand, the horizontal plane is often wide and is ideal for the recording of multi-channel stereo. Adjusting the variable of the track at the source accords the director or the producers the opportunity of coming up with spatial depth in the single audio track. The apparent spatial sound dimension in the "Applause" significantly brought the audience close to the appearance of being real or true otherwise known as the verisimilitude. In essence, it brought realness into the entire film and augmented the audience's interaction with the masterpiece. In comparison, the flat images restricted screen realism to a greater degree just as the same way the single-track recording of the monaural sounds. The recording of the multi-track sound dimension adds to the reality of the film similar to the effects of the composition of deep space to the optical image reality. The use of multi-track recording obviously had the propensity of proving unsettling, exh8larating to the audiences that were mainly used to the flat dialogue audio. It may not seem as much today, but in the past it definitely thrilled the audiences due to it being new and a bit peculiar at the time.

Then director defined the burlesque by using song routines and lighthearted comedy. In the film, chubby women that exhibit routines to sleazy and old male audience perform the chorus, which was referred to as the "beef trust." In light of the above narrative that brings out Mamoulian's sonic and visual creativity, that he uses to bring out themes and elicit the audience's feelings (Power, 2018). The director's use of montage juxtapositions such as the sounds and the sights of the famous New York City pushed the film beyond the glamorous facade and created a compelling melodrama. The use of the expressionist effects makes the audience move from the sordid backrooms into a profound panorama of reality. For example, when April returned to New York, Kitty sang a lullaby to comfort her, while April murmured a prayer. The simultaneous recording of the lullaby and the prayer makes everything appear real. The scene is deeply moving as it depicts the comforting power present in genuine human love, care, and affection.

Conclusion

As demonstrated, "Applause" applies both sonic and visual creativity in a manner that encompasses the services of the feelings humanity and themes that builds the plot. The movie manages to create a universe that fits within the screen despite the limited technology present at that time in history. Notably, audio level discontinuity was one of the major problems that bedeviled the industry at the time. Expert directing ensured that the film was a masterpiece. The advancements of the basis of acoustic design and deep space composition led to the masterly integration impressive optical-audio image. The combination of the sound and the optics led to the production of an oddly satisfying film to the audience.

References

Muntean, L. (2017). Deathwatch: American film, technology, and the end of life/Beyond the checkpoint: visual practices in America's global war on terror. Continuum, 31(5), 737-741.

Power, D. (2018). Symphonies of Noise: The Urban Soundscape in Rouben Mamoulian's Applause, City Lights, Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Love Me Tonight. The New Soundtrack, 8(2), 91-101.

Young, P. (2015). Synchronized Sound Comes to the Cinema. American Film History: Selected Readings, Origins to 1960, 1.