One of my favourite spins on the over-saturated zombie sub-genre of the past several years is the film Pontypool. Set in a radio station in Pontypool, Ontario, the town has been overrun by strange occurrences. Most of the action takes place off screen as the three person crew of the radio station slowly unravel the mystery. Sound is critical in telling the story of Pontypool.
One of the best parts of the film comes when an unexpected french communication accosts the crew. The subsequent translation reveals the dangers of the spoken word, particularly the English language. Confused yet? Well this is certainly not your grandparent’s zombie flick!
The scene is established as a panicked caller phones into the radio station but is largely unintelligible. The announcer, Grant Mazzy, sits patiently trying to understand. The caller’s voice is distant(shown on a laptop’s screen as an erratic sine wave) and the high and low frequencies have been removed so it sounds like we’re listening to him through an actual mobile phone. More though, his voice has a little reverb, hinting he’s hiding in a cramped room. Grant Mazzy responds in his deep and bassy voice as he’s concerned for his caller. The high fidelity of Mazzy’s voice alone is impressive here but its also warm and soothing. You can really understand the casting decision as Stephen McHattie(Grant Mazzy) could certainly be a real life radio personality. What an impressive voice! This scene works so well as the viewer, constrained to the radio station, is forced to imagine the danger the caller is in.
A loud, piercing distorted sound is then heard, providing an alien and otherworldly element. This non-linear sound provokes an emotional response from the viewer and onscreen characters. Mazzy cringes, the producer Sydney and technician Laurel-Ann react violently by ripping their headphones off. The noise is unnatural and unexpected in the confines of the radio station.
When a french voice is somehow transmitted with accompanying static and beeps(and confused looks), its unexpected. The voice is booming, it sounds like the volume has been turned up far too high and is being seriously clipped by the maximum frequency range that can be heard through a radio broadcast. Its hollow and lacks most of the mid-tones of a natural voice. The Foley sounds of keyboard keys and headphones being dropped are helpful as they bring us into the spatial environment of the radio station’s control room. Only the technician Laurel-Ann seems to understand what is being said by the Frenchman.
Reacting to the transmission, the exchange between Sydney and Mazzy is striking as the tonal quality changes quite dramatically. As Sydney asks(rather impolitely) what she just heard, you can hear the characteristics of the control room as her brightly tempered voice is reflected throughout. Its a large room! Well, at least larger than Mazzy’s studio. In the control room, Mazzy’s voice is amplified as its routed through speakers. This is then effectively reversed when Mazzy’s naturally large sounding voice is heard without amplification in the small studio room and Sydney’s voice is played through speakers. Sydney’s voice through control room speakers comes off being far less impressive than the announcer's as it doesn't have the dynamic range of Grant Mazzy’s natural voice. Hearing one room’s rich spatial characteristics then another's immediately after definitely brings us closer to each of the characters.
When we hear the technician Laurel-Ann begin to translate the french transmission, we can still hear Mazzy rambling on in the background. His voice is distant and low in quality as it lacks bass and the higher frequencies of those of Laurel-Ann. When Mazzy leads into the reading of the translation, we witness it from the control room with Sydney and Laurell-Ann. Mazzy’s voice heard through the speaker again is without range. We then flick back across to the studio room with Mazzy. The viewer hears the non-diegetic combination of what sounds like a very low muffled xylophone drumming and a slow high pitched twanging of a violin string. The high pitch sound sets your teeth on edge when accompanied with the thought provoking dialogue provided by Grant Mazzy. A distorted bass note gives a further kick before the announcer gets to the punchline of the translation. A highly effective and powerful moment.
A digital radio alert tone brings us from the announcer’s discourse and the somber music. The alert is flat and has no dimension in the studio and acts as a bridge between the previous act and the next. Multiple ambient sounds and dialogue can then be heard in the background behind Sydney as she talks to Mazzy. Quite a difference to the last two minutes of film which had zero background chatter. This contrast and the ever changing atmospheric nature of the sound further draws the viewer into the story of the radio station and its crew, alone and confused one fateful night, in Pontypool.
Jul 8, 2010
"The Wizard of Oz" Essay
Thought I'd upload my essay for The Wizard of Oz that I wrote for my film school's Film and TV: Beginning to Mid 20th Century history course.
Enjoi! ^_^
Enjoi! ^_^
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
In 1939 MGM produced the musical fantasy The Wizard of Oz. The film is often considered a magnificent piece of art and has since its release become one of the most recognised and adored films in history.
The 1939 film is based on the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The story follows the adventures of Dorothy and her dog Toto as they get swept up from Kansas by a tornado and planted in the middle of a magical fantasy land named Oz. Here Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion and together they embark on a journey to find the Wizard of Oz.
The film differs from its literature equivalent in a few notable ways. Firstly the book is darker in tone and features a variety of creatures, whilst the film most notably, is a musical. The film script was also condensed and parts of the story were rewritten or left out entirely. For instance, Glinda, the Good Witch of the North who pops up at various points in the film is never met or seen until the very end of the book. Also, the Wicked Witch of the West is first introduced in the book only when the gang seek to find and kill her, which was the Wizard’s explicit wish. In the film, the Wicked Witch is constantly making a nuisance of herself, and killing her is merely alluded to.
The film was very much a studio effort as MGM was magnificently placed at the time to spend lavish amounts of money on elaborate sets and costumes not to mention experimental film stock. Lacking a single auteur, The Wizard of Oz is a good example of the studio production in action. It was a genuinely complex collaborative project. The three people that influenced its development the most were Mervyn LeRoy, Victor Flemming and Noel Langley. As the producer, Mervyn LeRoy had stated to MGM executives that Oz was a project that he had dreamt amount making from a young age, his passion for the film got him the job as producer but he lucked out as director due to his lack of experience. Victor Flemming as the main director was largely responsible for realising the film and Noel Langley wrote the adaptation which managed to outline the core structure and feel of the film. The screenplay was a committee job though which employed over half a dozen writers. The film enjoyed the contributions of so many MGM employees and used a large amount of actors, especially with the Munchkin scenes. It really did show the genius of the system at work in Hollywood in 1939.
The Wizard of Oz was the most expensive MGM production to date at its release and although it took another ten years until its rerelease to return a sizeable profit, it has since proven to be a spectacular success. In 1939 it managed to draw in very favourable reviews. The New York Daily said of Judy Garland: “Judy was perfectly cast as Dorothy.” and The New York Herald Tribune also favourable said: “The Wizard of Oz is an amusing and spectacular film.”. This allure seems to have increased to a near transcendent level as website Rotten Tomatoes presently reports a 100% positive response from seventy critical reviews.
In production for over six months, the film went through quite a few directors. Victor Flemming is credited as the director for the film though he was only introduced two weeks into production. Producer Mervyn LeRoy removed the original director Richard Thorpe as his scenes were considered to not have the right fantasy look to them. Victor Fleming as one of the major creative influences behind the film not only managed to draw out the wonderful performances but he also helped shape the script. Victor Fleming left before completing The Wizard of Oz though to replace George Cukor as director for Gone With the Wind. Oddly enough, the same thing occurred after one week of production of The Wizard of Oz when Fleming replaced Cukor. George Cukor as the second director made a major contribution to the film and the look of Dorothy, who was played by Judy Garland. By changing her makeup and costume and by throwing out the cutesy blonde wig that Richard Thorpe introduced, George Cukor created a film icon. The final director, King Vidor, took over for Victor Fleming and went on to direct the sepia Kansas based parts of the film.
Casting was another area that also experienced a few problems. Before primary production, the original Tin Man, Ray Bolger requested to be recast as the Scarecrow, who was being played by Buddy Ebsen. Unfazed, Ebsen became the new Tim Man but soon after developed an allergic reaction to the aluminium powder that was used for the Tim Man’s makeup and had to be hospitalised. Ebsen was replaced by Jack Haley whose memorable performance is the one we now recognise. Jack Haley, Bert Lahr and Ray Bolger as the three main supporting characters The Scarecrow, The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion proved to be memorable and incredible effective. Rumours of other actors considered for the main roles also existed but have since proven to be untrue. Evidence does exist though that suggests Shirley Temple was being considered for the role of Dorothy. This was likely was shut down by Mervyn LeRoy though as he has stated that he wanted Judy Garland to play Dorothy since the start of pre-production.
The Art department infused such life and vibrancy into every shot of the film. This can be seen from the choice of colour to the elaborate costume and set design. By using a powerless pale blue for Dorothy’s dress with the ruby-red slippers the film denotes her struggle to find power and courage. The yellow brick road with its implications of danger warns Dorothy of approaching unknown obstacles. More emotional reactions from the design can be found with the cold blue of the Winged Monkeys and the unnatural green skin of the Wicked Witch. With little inspiration from the drawings from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz novel, artists drew on inspiration from their own childhood. Cedreic Gibbons, who was one of the most important and influential people in the field of art direction in the history of American cinema was head of MGM’s Art department in 1939 and approved every drawing done for The Wizard of Oz. William A. Horning was the actual art director for The Wizard of Oz and for someone who was called brilliant and supremely knowledgeable, he had his work cut out for him. For the film Horning and his staff had to design and build sixty-five sets and additional objects, an amazing accomplishment. The unknown star of the film though was undoubtedly A. Arnold Gillespie. Being the head of MGM’s special effects team for a number of years, he performed an amazing job with The Wizard of Oz. The tornado sequences especially were dazzling and used state of the art special effects.
Hollywood was releasing film after film during the 1930’s to entertain its depression era audience. Musicals especially proved to be hugely popular at the time and MGM certainly shot for the moon with Oz by employing Broadway song writers to work on the songs. For The Wizard of Oz, MGM also used breakthrough lip synch technology at the time. This technology enabled breathtaking and memorable songs to be created and Judy Garland was especially incredible as “Over the Rainbow” is considered to be the most famous song ever written for a film. It wasn’t just the musical numbers that proved to be effective though the entire soundtrack is sublime and constantly noted to be one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. Winning Academy Awards for Best Song and Original Music Score certainly doesn't hurt its reputation either.
The core of the The Wizard of Oz is a journey. Punctuating this journey is the integrated musical and conflicts of the Wicked Witch. Much can be interpreted of the film which is essentially a search for identity. The Second World War broke out two weeks after the The Wizard of Oz’s theatrical release and the current of oppression that could be felt throughout society at the time can be alluded to in the film. The cyclone approaching can be interpreted as a metaphor for the approaching war. The fascist witch with her regimented soldiers could indeed be a nod to Nazi Germany. The movie though had a positive ending in that the tyranny of the witch was overcome imploring for a belief in hope in such dark times. The main problem with interpreting the film in such a way though is with the final Kansas scene. Different from the novel, the movie finds Dorothy awakened at home, the fantasy land of Oz only a dream. Dorothy’s desire of a land far, far away and her subsequent growth and empowerment with the acquiescence of “there’s no place like home”, reduces the meaning and effectiveness of the film. But this is one of a very few criticisms that can be thrown at the film as it is no doubt a success and it succeeds magnificently when its emerged in the enchanted lands of Oz.
The Wizard of Oz’s acclaim wasn't guaranteed and the film is widely known to have been created on the back of the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs(1937). Fantasy was a tricky subject to tackle at the time as it was regarded that viewers would not be able to handle a fantasy film that was depicted in a realistic manner, hence the change to the ending(it was all a dream) of the film. Apart from Snow White, there were a number of other influences at the time that allowed for the film to be created. Launching Orson Welles to fame the previous year, his radio broadcast of H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds opened people’s minds to speculative fiction in an outrageous way. Also J. R. R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit, released in 1937, received unanimously favourable reviews. Because The Wizard of Oz was unlike anything that had come before it though, special care was taken so that its actors that were in heavy costume and makeup remain recognisable. Considering the critical and popular flop that was Alice in Wonderland(1933), which used even more widely known actors, MGM was right to be cautious.
The genesis and creation of The Wizard of Oz was complicated to say the least. The production certainly had its problems but the film with its use of vibrant colour and popular song along with countless unforgettable moments and performances, from cast and crew, will no doubt make the film live on indefinitely as a triumph in cinema.
The 1939 film is based on the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The story follows the adventures of Dorothy and her dog Toto as they get swept up from Kansas by a tornado and planted in the middle of a magical fantasy land named Oz. Here Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion and together they embark on a journey to find the Wizard of Oz.
The film differs from its literature equivalent in a few notable ways. Firstly the book is darker in tone and features a variety of creatures, whilst the film most notably, is a musical. The film script was also condensed and parts of the story were rewritten or left out entirely. For instance, Glinda, the Good Witch of the North who pops up at various points in the film is never met or seen until the very end of the book. Also, the Wicked Witch of the West is first introduced in the book only when the gang seek to find and kill her, which was the Wizard’s explicit wish. In the film, the Wicked Witch is constantly making a nuisance of herself, and killing her is merely alluded to.
The film was very much a studio effort as MGM was magnificently placed at the time to spend lavish amounts of money on elaborate sets and costumes not to mention experimental film stock. Lacking a single auteur, The Wizard of Oz is a good example of the studio production in action. It was a genuinely complex collaborative project. The three people that influenced its development the most were Mervyn LeRoy, Victor Flemming and Noel Langley. As the producer, Mervyn LeRoy had stated to MGM executives that Oz was a project that he had dreamt amount making from a young age, his passion for the film got him the job as producer but he lucked out as director due to his lack of experience. Victor Flemming as the main director was largely responsible for realising the film and Noel Langley wrote the adaptation which managed to outline the core structure and feel of the film. The screenplay was a committee job though which employed over half a dozen writers. The film enjoyed the contributions of so many MGM employees and used a large amount of actors, especially with the Munchkin scenes. It really did show the genius of the system at work in Hollywood in 1939.
The Wizard of Oz was the most expensive MGM production to date at its release and although it took another ten years until its rerelease to return a sizeable profit, it has since proven to be a spectacular success. In 1939 it managed to draw in very favourable reviews. The New York Daily said of Judy Garland: “Judy was perfectly cast as Dorothy.” and The New York Herald Tribune also favourable said: “The Wizard of Oz is an amusing and spectacular film.”. This allure seems to have increased to a near transcendent level as website Rotten Tomatoes presently reports a 100% positive response from seventy critical reviews.
In production for over six months, the film went through quite a few directors. Victor Flemming is credited as the director for the film though he was only introduced two weeks into production. Producer Mervyn LeRoy removed the original director Richard Thorpe as his scenes were considered to not have the right fantasy look to them. Victor Fleming as one of the major creative influences behind the film not only managed to draw out the wonderful performances but he also helped shape the script. Victor Fleming left before completing The Wizard of Oz though to replace George Cukor as director for Gone With the Wind. Oddly enough, the same thing occurred after one week of production of The Wizard of Oz when Fleming replaced Cukor. George Cukor as the second director made a major contribution to the film and the look of Dorothy, who was played by Judy Garland. By changing her makeup and costume and by throwing out the cutesy blonde wig that Richard Thorpe introduced, George Cukor created a film icon. The final director, King Vidor, took over for Victor Fleming and went on to direct the sepia Kansas based parts of the film.
Casting was another area that also experienced a few problems. Before primary production, the original Tin Man, Ray Bolger requested to be recast as the Scarecrow, who was being played by Buddy Ebsen. Unfazed, Ebsen became the new Tim Man but soon after developed an allergic reaction to the aluminium powder that was used for the Tim Man’s makeup and had to be hospitalised. Ebsen was replaced by Jack Haley whose memorable performance is the one we now recognise. Jack Haley, Bert Lahr and Ray Bolger as the three main supporting characters The Scarecrow, The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion proved to be memorable and incredible effective. Rumours of other actors considered for the main roles also existed but have since proven to be untrue. Evidence does exist though that suggests Shirley Temple was being considered for the role of Dorothy. This was likely was shut down by Mervyn LeRoy though as he has stated that he wanted Judy Garland to play Dorothy since the start of pre-production.
The Art department infused such life and vibrancy into every shot of the film. This can be seen from the choice of colour to the elaborate costume and set design. By using a powerless pale blue for Dorothy’s dress with the ruby-red slippers the film denotes her struggle to find power and courage. The yellow brick road with its implications of danger warns Dorothy of approaching unknown obstacles. More emotional reactions from the design can be found with the cold blue of the Winged Monkeys and the unnatural green skin of the Wicked Witch. With little inspiration from the drawings from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz novel, artists drew on inspiration from their own childhood. Cedreic Gibbons, who was one of the most important and influential people in the field of art direction in the history of American cinema was head of MGM’s Art department in 1939 and approved every drawing done for The Wizard of Oz. William A. Horning was the actual art director for The Wizard of Oz and for someone who was called brilliant and supremely knowledgeable, he had his work cut out for him. For the film Horning and his staff had to design and build sixty-five sets and additional objects, an amazing accomplishment. The unknown star of the film though was undoubtedly A. Arnold Gillespie. Being the head of MGM’s special effects team for a number of years, he performed an amazing job with The Wizard of Oz. The tornado sequences especially were dazzling and used state of the art special effects.
Hollywood was releasing film after film during the 1930’s to entertain its depression era audience. Musicals especially proved to be hugely popular at the time and MGM certainly shot for the moon with Oz by employing Broadway song writers to work on the songs. For The Wizard of Oz, MGM also used breakthrough lip synch technology at the time. This technology enabled breathtaking and memorable songs to be created and Judy Garland was especially incredible as “Over the Rainbow” is considered to be the most famous song ever written for a film. It wasn’t just the musical numbers that proved to be effective though the entire soundtrack is sublime and constantly noted to be one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. Winning Academy Awards for Best Song and Original Music Score certainly doesn't hurt its reputation either.
The core of the The Wizard of Oz is a journey. Punctuating this journey is the integrated musical and conflicts of the Wicked Witch. Much can be interpreted of the film which is essentially a search for identity. The Second World War broke out two weeks after the The Wizard of Oz’s theatrical release and the current of oppression that could be felt throughout society at the time can be alluded to in the film. The cyclone approaching can be interpreted as a metaphor for the approaching war. The fascist witch with her regimented soldiers could indeed be a nod to Nazi Germany. The movie though had a positive ending in that the tyranny of the witch was overcome imploring for a belief in hope in such dark times. The main problem with interpreting the film in such a way though is with the final Kansas scene. Different from the novel, the movie finds Dorothy awakened at home, the fantasy land of Oz only a dream. Dorothy’s desire of a land far, far away and her subsequent growth and empowerment with the acquiescence of “there’s no place like home”, reduces the meaning and effectiveness of the film. But this is one of a very few criticisms that can be thrown at the film as it is no doubt a success and it succeeds magnificently when its emerged in the enchanted lands of Oz.
The Wizard of Oz’s acclaim wasn't guaranteed and the film is widely known to have been created on the back of the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs(1937). Fantasy was a tricky subject to tackle at the time as it was regarded that viewers would not be able to handle a fantasy film that was depicted in a realistic manner, hence the change to the ending(it was all a dream) of the film. Apart from Snow White, there were a number of other influences at the time that allowed for the film to be created. Launching Orson Welles to fame the previous year, his radio broadcast of H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds opened people’s minds to speculative fiction in an outrageous way. Also J. R. R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit, released in 1937, received unanimously favourable reviews. Because The Wizard of Oz was unlike anything that had come before it though, special care was taken so that its actors that were in heavy costume and makeup remain recognisable. Considering the critical and popular flop that was Alice in Wonderland(1933), which used even more widely known actors, MGM was right to be cautious.
The genesis and creation of The Wizard of Oz was complicated to say the least. The production certainly had its problems but the film with its use of vibrant colour and popular song along with countless unforgettable moments and performances, from cast and crew, will no doubt make the film live on indefinitely as a triumph in cinema.
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