Title: Alien (1979)
Dialogue: Dialogue encompasses the verbal communication between characters in a film. Explained by Bill Goodykoontz and Christopher Jacobs (2014), the dialogue of a film is very important because it helps develop the plot, builds the characters, and is a very efficient way of establishing important information that is crucial to the scenes. Without dialogue, audiences may not understand the names of the characters, where or when the scenes are taking place, or the reasoning behind the character’s actions (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).
Sound Effects: The action of a film is greatly enhanced by sound effects, which makes the events in the film sound more realistic. According to Goodykoontz and Jacobs, soundstages, which are large warehouses utilized for building sets, are used for sound effects in many movies. Foley artists often create sound effects using creative ways to match the intended sound effect in the film. An example of this is the crumpling of cellophane to make the sound of fire (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).
Music: Another crucial part of a film is the music. The music enhances the emotions and moods during scenes in a film. Also, it can slightly foreshadow the events to come in the very near future, such as intense music in a horror or action movie before something terrible is going to happen.
Different Categories: All three types of sound are used effectively in the movie Alien (1979), directed by Ridley Scott. The dialogue in the movie is used to exchange important information between the characters and even the space craft that they are flying inside of. Often times the characters in Alien are warning one another of danger and save each other from unfortunate events throughout the film. An example of this is when Ash, played by Ian Holm, attempts to cut an alien critter that is attached to one of the crew member’s face. When he cuts into it yellow fluid spews out and burns a hole right through the floor. Dallas, played by Tom Skerritt, runs through the ship yelling that the fluid will burn right through the hull of the ship. Everyone comes together to locate where it was burning through in an attempt to stop it from making a hole through the entire space craft. If Dallas had not said anything or wasn’t clear about communicating the imminent danger no one would of banded together to help him.
The sound effects in Alien are highly utilized in the enhancement of action in the film. The sound also brought a foreign feel to the technology and alien life forms throughout the film. There are quite a few sounds in the film that are very prominent and most likely was created using Foley. When Brett, played by Harry Dean Stanton, is searching for a cat within the inner works of the space craft there are several creative sounds used. The room where he finds the cat is full of chains dangling from the ceiling and water dripping from above. The chains sound like wind chimes or small musical triangles and are much louder than anything else in the scene which gives a very eerie feeling. At one point Brett stops under a spot in the room where quite a few droplets of water are falling. While he has his hat on, there is a loud sound of the droplets landing on him. It sounds similar to something being tapped quickly on wood to match the expected sound of water hitting the bill of his hat.
The music in the film is mainly used during scenes where danger or disaster is imminent. It adds a horror element to the film and makes the scenes with the Alien much more frightening and suspenseful. As Dallas approached his death in a ventilation shaft, dramatic music was played in the background giving the feeling that something bad was about to happen. The music got faster and louder right before he was attacked by the Alien. After the attack, the music immediately stopped and the scene became quiet giving the hint towards Dallas’ demise.
Impact: The sounds in the movie effectively establish the outer space and horror theme of Alien. The sounds often set a particular mood for scenes. Some scenes in the movie are quiet with hardly any sounds and tend to be calm or sometimes eerie. There are other scenes where there is plenty of loud dialogue at once or where there are loud noises that clash and bang creating an intense mood for the scene. There are sounds in the movie that allow the audience to infer a specific genre for the film. Space craft thrusters and the many beeps from advanced technology feed into the film being science fiction. On the other hand there are many frightening sounds from the alien and the screams of its victims that lead the movie into the direction of horror. The majority of sound effects in the film are exaggerated and unexpected. The sounds are very foreign to our everyday lives which further feeds into the science fiction and horror feel of the movie.
Comparison: If there were no sound effects in the scene where Brett is killed by the alien there would be a lack of intensity behind his death. The noises from the chains and the water droplets bring a very eerie calm before his death. If it did not have this effect it would lack suspense and his death wouldn’t have much of an impact. Also, the noises from the alien would not increase the suspense as it towered over Brett before shooting its second set of teeth into Brett’s head.
Resources:
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From Watching to Seeing (Second Edition) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://student.ashford.edu
IMDb. (2003). Alien (1979). [Image File]. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3357382656/tt0078748?ref_=ttmd_md_nxt
Movieclips. (2015, May 15). Alien (1/5) Movie CLIP – Acid Blood (1979) HD. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/gEqHJ1tomnk
Movieclips. (2015, May 15). Alien (3/5) Movie CLIP – The Alien Appears (1979) HD. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/3YTIMGmZUr4
Movieclips. (2015, May 15). Alien (4/5) Movie CLIP – Dallas Dies (1979) HD. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/CRXyWtv-huc
Scott, R. (Director). (1979). Alien. [Motion Picture]. United States: Brandywine Productions & Twentieth Century Fox
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