When I saw the Star Wars reference in Chapter 3 of our textbook I laughed. There has been a marathon of all six episodes on TV yesterday and today. I watched every one of them with my dad. Can you say NERD? But, it is okay. It really helped me to better understand the concept presented when the text mentioned Star Wars; that music is key to the theme of a film.
As I watched every episode I noticed how certain music would play for certain characters, especially Darth Vader. When the action picked up so did the music; it would get louder and created a sense of urgency. When there was a romantic moment between Leia and Han Solo or Anakin and Padme the music would become softer and more elegant. Music sets the tone and creates an atmosphere for a situation. If you had an epic fight scene you would find it odd if the music was fit to inspire tears. Music helps you connect emotionally to a movie. How do you think silent pictures worked? The characters never said anything. Sometimes there would be dialogue written on title cards but that only goes so far. Gestures and facial expressions can sometimes be misread. Music played a large role in how the audience responded to what was happening on screen. If there hadn't been any music, the film would be made primarily of people making funny faces and flailing about.
Have you ever seen a movie, or even a TV show, that didn't have some type of music in it? I can't think of one. Wouldn't it be weird if there was never any music in films or TV shows? I think it would be almost awkward. Would they be as memorable? I don't believe so. Would you be able to relate to them as well? Would you feel sympathy for the characters? Would you feel the love they feel? The pain? Sorrow? Joy? Relief? Probably not. Imagine Darth Vader walking down a hallway in the Death Star. No music is playing at all. I would be thinking something along the lines of: Why is this taking so long? Who is the freak in the space get-up? Why does he breathe like that? Is he supposed to be intimidating? Ha!
No comments:
Post a Comment