First, it contributes to a greater sense of realism in the viewer. Sound originating from a source within the world of the scene does not indicate does as certainly as music from a non-diegetic source.
Secondly, it can indicate information to the viewer. As the source of the music comes from within the universe of the characters, the music’s presence can be related to things within that universe, very relevantly to the characters themselves. In the same way that knowledge of someone’s musical tastes indicates things about the person, that same intuition largely extends to the viewer’s experience with the character. For example, if a character were to have Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’ as his alarm sound, this may communicate to the viewer that character’s yearning for something ‘better’ than what he has then.
There are as many ways that something within the diegesis can communicate something to the viewer as there are ways that the present can be shaped by the past, and therefore the ways are innumerable.
However, one of the most significant ways that films, period films especially, communicate through diegetic music is information about the era being then depicted. Of this relationship, Wright argued that “for those who lived through that era, familiar examples of its music can have a powerful effect on their reaction to accompanying images, carrying with them not only the musical memories of the day, but the attitudes and mores that were current at the time.” (Wright) A relevant point to note when discussing popular music’s ability to contribute as a part of the film’s diegetic world is that the music that is a part of the film’s score can not function in the same way, and pre-existing music that is not as popular can not not function as effectively in this capacity (in many cases). Popular music can function dietetically where the film’s score and less-popular music can not in that popular music is more likely to arise within the world of the film, and in films where realism matters, this is a relevant point. Also, a capability of the music being a part of the film’s diegesis is that it can relate to other realities in the diegesis, and therefore information can be suggested to the viewer, and often (but not always) this is dependent on the degree of familiarity with the song, and this is more likely to be high if the song is popular. Songs with lyrics are often not consistent with the film’s desired effect for many situations, these situations already having been mentioned. However, songs with lyrics, as popular music usually is, has particular advantages in the ways that it can be applied to films. Of this, Altman writes, “musical modes of meaning-making are typically overwhelmed by popular song’s tendency toward direct linguistic communication. Titles and lyrics so dominate public evaluation of a popular song’s emotive or narrative content that a song rarely signifies separately from its linguistic content.” In his analysis, Altman has outlined the degree to which the meaning the listener derives from lyrical music is dependent on the lyrics themselves. This ability is advantageous for certain applications in films taking effect. As is language’s function, the meaning is made more explicit, and with this reality, it allows meaning to be explicitly conveyed to the viewer, which in film can facilitate the directing of the audience’s attention to specific ideas, a capability that non-lyrical music …show more content…
However, by far the more common method of utilizing music to film effect is with a film score, expressly devised for use in that film. Despite this, there are examples of very excellent films that have relied equally or even primarily on established songs from the canon of popular music to great effect, a notable one is Martin Scorsese’s 1990 mafia film Goodfellas.
Goodfellas is a period film that follows the rise and fall of mobster Henry Hill from his youth to his fifties, tracing his path through his rise in the mafia through to his becoming a rat and entering the Witness Protection Program. Through the depiction of Hill’s ups and downs, popular songs are chosen as a part of the film’s score to effect, capitalizing on the advantages that the utilization of established popular songs have in achieving
Secondly, it can indicate information to the viewer. As the source of the music comes from within the universe of the characters, the music’s presence can be related to things within that universe, very relevantly to the characters themselves. In the same way that knowledge of someone’s musical tastes indicates things about the person, that same intuition largely extends to the viewer’s experience with the character. For example, if a character were to have Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’ as his alarm sound, this may communicate to the viewer that character’s yearning for something ‘better’ than what he has then.
There are as many ways that something within the diegesis can communicate something to the viewer as there are ways that the present can be shaped by the past, and therefore the ways are innumerable.
However, one of the most significant ways that films, period films especially, communicate through diegetic music is information about the era being then depicted. Of this relationship, Wright argued that “for those who lived through that era, familiar examples of its music can have a powerful effect on their reaction to accompanying images, carrying with them not only the musical memories of the day, but the attitudes and mores that were current at the time.” (Wright) A relevant point to note when discussing popular music’s ability to contribute as a part of the film’s diegetic world is that the music that is a part of the film’s score can not function in the same way, and pre-existing music that is not as popular can not not function as effectively in this capacity (in many cases). Popular music can function dietetically where the film’s score and less-popular music can not in that popular music is more likely to arise within the world of the film, and in films where realism matters, this is a relevant point. Also, a capability of the music being a part of the film’s diegesis is that it can relate to other realities in the diegesis, and therefore information can be suggested to the viewer, and often (but not always) this is dependent on the degree of familiarity with the song, and this is more likely to be high if the song is popular. Songs with lyrics are often not consistent with the film’s desired effect for many situations, these situations already having been mentioned. However, songs with lyrics, as popular music usually is, has particular advantages in the ways that it can be applied to films. Of this, Altman writes, “musical modes of meaning-making are typically overwhelmed by popular song’s tendency toward direct linguistic communication. Titles and lyrics so dominate public evaluation of a popular song’s emotive or narrative content that a song rarely signifies separately from its linguistic content.” In his analysis, Altman has outlined the degree to which the meaning the listener derives from lyrical music is dependent on the lyrics themselves. This ability is advantageous for certain applications in films taking effect. As is language’s function, the meaning is made more explicit, and with this reality, it allows meaning to be explicitly conveyed to the viewer, which in film can facilitate the directing of the audience’s attention to specific ideas, a capability that non-lyrical music …show more content…
However, by far the more common method of utilizing music to film effect is with a film score, expressly devised for use in that film. Despite this, there are examples of very excellent films that have relied equally or even primarily on established songs from the canon of popular music to great effect, a notable one is Martin Scorsese’s 1990 mafia film Goodfellas.
Goodfellas is a period film that follows the rise and fall of mobster Henry Hill from his youth to his fifties, tracing his path through his rise in the mafia through to his becoming a rat and entering the Witness Protection Program. Through the depiction of Hill’s ups and downs, popular songs are chosen as a part of the film’s score to effect, capitalizing on the advantages that the utilization of established popular songs have in achieving