“The Reel Sounds of Violence”

On the Media/WNYC

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Photo: © ImageZoo / Alamy

This segment of National Public Radio’s On the Media program explores the trend of "sound inflation" in violent movie scenes—that is, the increasingly gruesome and exaggerated nature of sound effects that are used for fights and other acts of violence. These effects provide, as Slate editor Daniel Engber puts it, a "potent and precise soundtrack for brutality." In this On the Media segment, cohost Brooke Gladstone interviews Engber about this trend.

Courtesy of On the Media, WNYC Radio.

View/download transcript

33

Analyzing the Writer’s Technique

After listening to The Reel Sounds of Violence, answer the questions below. Then submit your responses.

Question 19.61

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Possible Answer: Gladstone’s interview of Engber focuses primarily on effects and suggests that the trend of sound inflation has had the effect of changing the way the audience responds to cinematic sounds. Sounds have become more gruesome, leading the audience to become desensitized; natural sounds now seem artificial, and the exaggerated artificial sounds seem more "real." Another effect of "sound inflation" is moviegoers "seeing" things that weren’t depicted on the screen.

Question 19.62

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Possible Answer: Comparison-and-contrast, illustration. Engber uses comparison-and-contrast, distinguishing between the "dry" sound effects of earlier films and the "wet" sound effects in today’s films to demonstrate sound inflation. He contrasts the fight scenes in Rocky (1976) with The Fighter (2010), and Raging Bull (1980) with Fight Club (1999). He also employs illustration, using vivid sound clips (for example, from Drive, 2011) instead of statistics or testimony from sound engineers.
34

Thinking Critically about Cause and Effect

Question 19.63

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Possible Answer: Engber does not provide enough support for his claim. He relies mainly on his own reactions and experiences instead of statistics or research. Although he mentions interviewing film critics and sound engineers, he does not include specific evidence from them. Engber might also have provided more examples of sound inflation from scenes other than those depicting fights. A broader range of examples would have made his claim more persuasive.

Question 19.64

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Possible Answer: Engber does not fully investigate other possible causes of sound inflation. He suggests that the audience has simply become desensitized to violent sounds, resulting in the need for more gruesome sounds. However, he could have investigated possibilities like the change in daily noise levels making more graphic sounds necessary, or he could have included details about how the technical process of producing sounds has changed over time.