Sounds Are Scary
Sound plays such an important role in film, especially when it comes to the horror genre. Without the loud bangs, piercing screams and tense orchestrations, how else would we know when to shit our pants? Peter Strickland’s second feature Berberian Sound Studio is the only film I’ve experienced where sound plays a more important role than anything shown on screen.
British sound designer Gilderoy (Toby Jones, The Mist, The Hunger Games) has taken a job in Italy to work on director Giancarlo Santini’s (Antonio Mancino, New Tricks) latest Giallo film, The Equestrian Vortex. Originally thought to be working on a film about horses, Gilderoy quickly finds himself out of his depth as the requirements of the film slowly push him to the brink of insanity.
The best way to describe Berberian Sound Studio is as an experiment in auditory filmmaking. Though that probably won’t sell it to many people. Very little happens on screen, but the development of the story takes place using the audio cues created by the main character. Focusing on sound created a tense and chilling atmosphere and even though a single frame of the film within the film is never shown, the horror of it all is easily understood. The concept stayed strong for the most part, but the final moments were more like a subtle fade-out instead of the crashing cymbals the film was building up to.
An ambitious horror film that’s not for everyone, but still one that should be experienced. Especially with the sound cranked up to eleven. Recommended.
Availability: Netflix US, Netflix Canada
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