The functions of sound with film montage in Alfred Hitchcock’s films

Abstract

Sound with film montage holds a major part in the film making process. Sound includes dialogue, music, voice over and sound effects. Sound is not just a physical sound playing in the background of a film but together with film montage, it create an emotional experience for the audience. Hitchcock in his great films such as The Lodger and Psycho, created the sound for the films with a great emotional purpose, which purpose is to emotionally drive the film montage to show the plot and reactions of the actors to the audience. In chapter one, the functions of sound including information, outer orientation and inner orientation are analysed and put into examples of their use. In chapter two, sound perspective, sound continuity and ground, forming part of sound aesthetics are contrasted with film montage, including Hitchcock’s film Psycho. Hitchcock compares the action of film making to an orchestra where he is a conductor. This theory forms part of chapter three, Alfred Hitchcock’s Orchestration. The theory of filmmaking as an orchestra is further explained by chapter four contrasting the arrangement of music with film montage. Light is another important element in film making, being both physically and emotional important in a film. This concept of light and music is included in chapter five, explaining shadows and other lighting elements contrasting with music. After theoretically outlining the functions of sound with film montage, these functions are analysed in Hitchcock’s film The Lodger, in chapter six. The conclusion of the essay outlines that throughly Hitchcock gave the energy, rhythm and tempo to a film, the same as an orchestra conductor.