SOUND - THE JOKER 2019 - ANALYSIS

In this post I will analyse the sound work and how it worked with the other parts of the movie to produce a distressing, high tension environment for the audience.

The sound is this scene of the Joker is a very crucial and key feature in making a twisted and unsettling environment. The visual aspect of the shots already does a good job at this with the earie yellow/ green tinge, lights flickering and the fast chopping of shots, however I do not believe the scene would have been anywhere near successful if it wasn't for the work of the sound department.

Firstly, the ambient noise of the train screeching along the railroad adds an unnerving base to the scene, already forcing the audience to become on edge, perhaps making them anticipate the dangerous situation that make occur.

Secondly, the almost constant laughing, whether coming from the Joker or the three men on the train creates an unsettling environment for the audience. This is because all of the other aspects of the movie indicate that something bad or sinister is/ will be occurring, normally people don't link these things with the idea of laughing. This juxtaposition adds an uneasy surrealism to the movie, perhaps mirroring the mental state of the Joker as a twisted, non-typical individual.

The sound helps the audience connect to the characters with in the movie in two ways, firstly by placing them directly in the scene as they are hearing the same diegetic sounds the characters are hearing, connecting one of the audience senses directly to the characters in the storyline. Secondly by making the audience experience the same emotions as the characters in the scene. The creation of this uncomfortable environment could also be a way of mirroring the emotions of the female character who was clearly displeased with the situation which lead to her exit from the scene.