Sound Effects In The Driver

Drive, an indie film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn illustrates the importance of sounds effects and music to convey the mood in scenes, making the viewer subconsciously believe that the action is realistic. Yet the bass-driven electronic music throughout the scenes with The Driver, paired with little dialogue and prominent engine sounds represent his alienation from the rest of the world. Meanwhile, when he is with Irene, the music becomes warmer and has vocals, contrasting his loneliness that he is overcome with for most of the film. Thus, the careful placement of sound effects and combination with background music allow the viewer to be immersed in the world of The Driver. Just like many sound effects, the sound effects in the movie are not factually acurrate to the movie at all times. As a common sound design tactic, another car was used for the sound effects, and nearly all the sounds were created on a foley stage or digitally. During The Driver’s first getaway, the car itself is silent when idling and pulling away. That is not realistic of a car with a powerful V8 engine, but adds to the sneakiness that The Driver is able to use his skills to do. However, the second that the car is spotted by the police, the calming music and police radio cut out slightly, and the roaring sounds of the engine are heard for the first time in the film. Yet, the car shifts sound like a manual car, while it is obvious that the getaway car is automatic because The Driver’s left hand is on the steering wheel during the shift sounds. However, if the sounds of that car were used, the scenes would be less intense to the audience. The engine’s sounds are also such an important part of the film, as they represent how the externally emotionless driver is feeling. When the car is silent, the viewer can notice that he is being very cautious and trying to hide from the police. Meanwhile towards the end of the movie when he drives away in anger, the engine and shifts are louder and more dramatic than ever before. Therefore, the engine sounds are almost what would be how he would envision them for how he is feeling. The background music throughout nearly the entire film was composed by former Chili Pepper’s drummer Cliff Martinez. Just like many modern film composers like Danny Elfman, Martinez was formerly a member of a rock band, and transitioned into film music with little or no classical training. The songs are very minimalist, driven by synth, and electronic sounding. One of the vocal songs, “Nightcall,” was written by the men behind Daft Punk, and many of the instrumental ones composed by Martinez follow the same theme. However, using the synth, the scenes with The Driver seem dreamlike and unlike the real world just like The Driver’s life. Though it is assumed his night job of being a getaway driver is true, and not just a fantasy, that could not even be real, similar to American Psycho, where the main character very likely was …show more content…
In one of the most gruesome scenes in the film, sound effects and background music are used to achieve the full impact of the scene without having the camera show the violence fully. Initially in the scene, when Irene, The Driver, and a hitman are in the elevator, there is light electronic music playing in the background. As Irene and The Driver kiss, the music stays just as calm and nearly dreamlike, almost as if the scene is happening in The Driver’s imagination. Yet, the moment The Driver sees the gun in the hitman’s jacket and attacks him, the mood suddenly changes. The music cuts out, and the horrific sounds of the man being beaten to death are heard. The realistic sounding squelches as his head is smashed in off camera lets the viewer know what happens to the man. Yet the film only shows a quick shot of his face to not disgust the viewer. This, along with the minimalistic music driven by synth allows the viewer to understand more about The Driver than his limited dialogue is able to