I
have chosen to write about a scene from “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” In
this scene Johnny Depp
and Benico Del Toro attempt to enter a hotel in Las Vegas whilst intoxicated.
The song “She’s a lady” is playing in
background at the start of the clip, the music is not coming from the car radio
as it is loud and clear, rather than tinny and muffled. The song is used as a sound bridge, it starts
non-diegetic and becomes diegetic as the song cannot be heard by the characters
outside but can be heard in the next scene by the characters inside the casino.
When Depp talks to the woman behind the desk her head turns into a Moray eel
and lurches towards him roaring, this noise in non-diegetic as it does not
exist, only Depp can hear it. Later in the sequence blood starts pouring out of
the ground in Depp’s imagination, the bubbling noise doesn’t exist but Depp can
hear it making it non-diegetic. The music that is playing in the background in
both scenes is mellow and relaxing, the fil maker is trying to support the laid
back relaxed mood in the casino and in the bar.
Depp narrates the scene,
this is a non-linear technique as he is talking about what is happening on
screen as if it were in the past. This reassures the audience that all will be
well, as we are inclined to think that he and his partner are going to get into
serious trouble due to their dream-like state of mentality.
The
diegetic sound in this sequence establishes the setting and adds atmosphere. To
start the scene Depp pulls up to the hotel, sound effects of the handbrake,
screeching brakes and engines are used to make the scene more realistic, also
sound effects of people walking in the street and talking are placed in the
scene to make the fact that they’re in central Las Vegas seem believable. When
the two men enter the hotel/casino more diegetic sound effects are used such as
slot machines paying out and people talking in lower tones with less volume.
The sound is muffled as the scene has transferred inside instead of being clear
, these sound effects make the scene more believable. Due to the fact that Depp
is on LSD in the scene, the voice of a man on the phone is distorted and the
volume is raised so that the audience can focus on it clearer. This voice
distortion is accompanied by a weird on screen special effect where the pattern
on the carpet morphs into the man’s leg, creating a surreal atmosphere for the
audience. Again due to the fact the Depp is intoxicated, the sound of the woman
behind the desk’s breathing is distorted and the volume is again raised which
is irregular and unnatural.
Although only Depp can hear the strange
version of the voices, the sound is still diegetic as other characters on
screen can hear the voices too, just not in a distorted way. Again the scene
changes, a relaxing song is playing and Depp stumbles through the room in a
calmer manner, the music changes the mood of the sequence. New sound effects
are in place, voices are raised again and the chinking of glasses can be heard,
this again makes the atmosphere of the room more believable. When Depp speaks
his voice is high pitched and panicked, a reminder of how messed up he is from
the LSD.
The sequence is
designed to showcase the extreme effects of LSD on the mind, however in a
comical way. Non-diegetic sounds in the extract are used to achieve a level of chaos
and abnormality by enforcing the hallucinations seen by Depp’s character. We as
an audience are able to establish that the LSD has a profound effect on the two
characters by what we see through their eyes and what we hear in correspondence
to those images.
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