Gone Girl

917 Words4 Pages
Sound is an often overlooked aspect of film – after all they are called motion pictures and it is a viewer’s first impulse to think of films in terms of imagery. However, in the majority of films, sound is essential to the picture; from speech, to background noise, and often most importantly – the soundtrack. This is no more so true than in David Fincher’s film ‘Gone Girl.’ The soundtrack was a particularly important aspect of the film and this is evident from the very start. The screen is blank, forcing the viewer to focus on the sound: we hear an electronic buzzing noise – it resembles a flute but something is not quite right about it. The audience is immediately on edge. Nick Dunne (played by Ben Affleck) voices over as the scene comes into…show more content…
A leitmotif is a tune that is repeated throughout the film and is often associated with a particular place or person – they act as ‘cues’ for the audience to pay attention. I am going to talk about two particularly important leitmotifs in ‘Gone Girl.’ The first of these two is not associated with a person or a place but rather a time: it occurs whenever there is a flashback. This leitmotif consists of four ascending notes played on various instruments; xylophone, violins or sometimes a piano. Throughout the first few flashbacks of Amy (played by Rosamund Pike) and Nick’s life this tune sounds romantic, fitting in well with their meeting, the engagement scene and the start of their married life. However, as the film progresses and delves deeper into Amy’s diary, things start to go wrong and this is reflected in the music. The best example of this is during the flashback when Nick attacks Amy. At the start of this scene, the familiar four note tune is being played by a string instrument which is traditionally used within love scenes; however, this scene is far from romantic. It is being played in the minor key and gives a hint of sadness to the action – before anything happens the audience is instinctively aware that the relationship is failing. The music steadily builds as they talk and then, as they argue, the electronic sound is introduced below the main track. This buzzing sound builds
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