Greene, L
The Labour of Breath: performing and designing breath in cinema
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Citation (please note it is advisable to refer to the publisher’s version if you
intend to cite from this work)
Greene, L (2016) The Labour of Breath: performing and designing breath in
cinema. Music, Sound, and the Moving Image, 10 (2). pp. 109-133. ISSN
1753-0768
LJMU Research Online
TheLabourofBreath
1
TheLabourofBreath:performinganddesigningbreathincinema
Abstract:
Thepresenceofbreathinfictionfilmisaconsciouschoicebyfilmmakers.Since
the introduction of Dolby sound in the mid 1970s we have experienced a
significant development in the quality of playback systems in cinemas, which
meansthatwearenowmoreclearlyabletohearthebreathingperformanceof
anactor.Theinclusionofbreathoffersatechnologicallyenhancedauralcloseup
ofcharacterswithinthestory.Thisarticlewillconsidertwoostensiblydifferent
examples, The Elephant Man (David Lynch, 1980) and Rising Sun (Philip
Kaufman, 1992), both films are the work of the sound designer Alan Splet.
DrawingfromthesefilmsandarchivalmaterialfromtheSoundMountainsound
effects library, this article seeks to address the role of breathingwithin these
films, considering issues such as: the actor’s breathingperformance; breathing
anddisability; thegenderingofbreath;andthedepictionofdiffering industrial
(19thcenturyEngland)andtechnological(20thcenturyAmerica)environments,
both of which are associated with different levels of air quality. The archival
materialwillbroadenoutthediscussionoftheseelementsillustratingthepost-
productiondesignofbreathandairinthesefictionfilms.
Name:DrLizGreene,
Affiliation:LiverpoolScreenSchool,LiverpoolJohnMooresUniversity
Address: Liverpool John Moores University, Redmond Building, Liverpool, L3
5UG,England.
Email:[email protected]
Telephone:00447521182917
5Keywords–Air,Archive,Breathing,Disability,Gender
TheLabourofBreath
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‘Allthatissolidmeltsintoair’(MarxandEngels1848:11).
Ross Gibson suggests that conscious and deliberate actions by the actor and
editorcanultimatelyshapeourexperienceofbreathingperformancesincinema
(2013:18).Itisimportantandnecessarytoextendthiscollaborationtoinclude
thework of the sound designer. This articlewill focus on the creative choices
made by the sound designer and the post-production sound crew, using close
textual analysis, archival research material and interviews to document the
creative choices made. The post-production sound team’s collective work
enhancesourexperienceofabreathingcharacterinfictionfilm.Withaspecific
focus on two films,TheElephantMan (David Lynch, 1980), the second feature
film that the sounddesignerAlanSplet collaboratedwithDavidLynchon, and
RisingSun(PhilipKaufman,1993)thelastfilmSpletcompleted,Iwilldiscussa
number of instances of breath that feature in sections of the SoundMountain
archive.
IhavechosenheretoanalyseTheElephantManandRisingSun,asthereis
aprominentuseofbreathinbothfilms,Iwilldiscussandproblematizeeachin
turn.However, it is important tonote that these areostensiblydifferent films.
They have significantly divergent approaches to the soundtrack due to their
narrative concerns and generic conventions. I am interested here in exploring
issuesinrelationtotheauteurandthecollaborativeroleofthesounddesigner,
discussingboththe formandcontentofsounddesign in fiction film. Iwillalso
consider thedepictionofdisabilityandgender throughbreath in twodifferent
environments. The ElephantMan is set soon after the industrial revolution in
London,England,andRisingSunissetin1990sLosAngeles,USA,duringanew
digital revolutionwith diminishing oil reserves. The environmental air quality
TheLabourofBreath
3
becomes an important sonic indicator of the concerns of the time, and this is
playedoutthroughthenarrativeandthelabouredbreathingofcharacterswithin
eachfilm.Thusafocusonairandbreathallowsawaytoconsiderthecharacters
andtheirenvironmentsmore fully.This interest inairandbreath isarecently
emergingareaof research in cinemastudiesandbeyond, andyet, in themain,
hasnotbeenconsideredinfilmsoundstudies.1
SoundMountainArchive
Splet alongwith his partner andwife, AnnKroeber,worked together until his
prematuredeathin1994afteralongbattlewithcancer.Kroeberhascontinued
toworkasasounddesignerandsoundeffectsrecordistandshemaintainsthe
sound effects library, Sound Mountain. This is an archive containing their
collective sound works and one that I have drawn from for this article. Splet
worked closely with a number filmmakers including: David Lynch (The
Grandmother(1970),Eraserhead(1977),TheElephantMan(1980),Dune(1984),
BlueVelvet (1986)); Carroll Ballard (TheBlack Stallion (1979),NeverCryWolf
(1983), Wind (1992)); Peter Weir (The Mosquito Coast (1986), Dead Poet’s
Society (1989));andPhilipKaufman(TheUnbearableLightnessofBeing(1988),
1SeeforexampletheWellcomeTrustfiveyearfundedresearchprojectTheLife
ofBreathwhichisaninterdisciplinaryprojectincorporatingthehumanitiesand
sciences,http://lifeofbreath.org/.Seealsosomeinterestingexploratory
chemistryresearchintotheinfluenceofbreathingontheairqualityofcinemas
basedonthegenreofthefilmscreened,‘Cinemaaudiencesreproduciblyvarythe
chemicalcompositionofairduringfilms,bybroadcastingscenespecific
emissionsonbreath’inNaturehttp://www.nature.com/articles/srep25464.
TheLabourofBreath
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HenryandJune (1990),RisingSun(1993)),amongstothers.2These filmsareall
cataloguedandpreservedintheSoundMountainarchive.
InOctober2004aspartofmyPhDresearchintoSplet’ssounddesign,Imade
contactwithKroeberandsheinformedmeofherlibraryofsoundeffectsfromthe
filmstheyhadbothworkedon.Alsocontainedwithinthearchivewasacollection
of sound effects from theAmerican Film Institute (AFI). Splet had compiled this
archivewhileheheadedup the sounddepartmentat theAFI in the1970s.Ona
week long visit to the SoundMountain archive in Berkeley, California, in March
2005, I got an overviewofwhatwas containedwithin the library. I had time to
listen tosomeof theAFIsoundreelsandthe laterSplet/Kroebersound filesbut
this was limited and involved merely an early exploratory investigation. Whilst
there Iphotocopied theBlueVelvet catalogue,but itbecameclear that thepaper
was becoming fragile, and was too delicate to be put through photocopying
machines. On a subsequent visit, in June 2006 using a digital camera I
photographedtheentirecataloguesforallofthefilms.
When Ivisited thearchiveonamonth longvisit in2006, thewhole library
hadnotyetbeendigitised.Kroeberreckonedaboutseventyfivepercenthadbeen
convertedfrom¼inchreelstodigitalsoundfiles.Ionlyhadaccesstothedigitised
versionof the library, somy research is restricted towhatwas available at that
date. IspentthemonthaccessingtheProTools(DigitalAudioWorkstation)files,
listeningtoallthefilesforBlueVelvet,TheElephantMan,Dune,NeverCryWolf,The
BlackStallion,TheMosquitoCoast andTheUnbearableLightnessofBeing. I cross-
checkedthesewiththewrittencatalogueswheretheywereavailableandwiththe
2AlanSpletwonaSpecialAchievementAwardforSoundEditingatthe1980
AcademyAwardsforhisworkonTheBlackStallion.
TheLabourofBreath
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Excel sheets from the library. I made notes of particularly interesting sounds,
repetitions of sounds, miking and processing techniques highlighted in the
recordings,notingSplet’smethodology.
As Iwas about to leaveCalifornia,Kroeberofferedmea copyof the entire
digitisedsoundlibrary.ThisamountedtoaterabyteLaciedrivewithalltheSound
Mountain and AFI ProTools files. I signed a contract with her to use the sound
libraryforresearchpurposesonly.Gettingacopyofthe librarychangedmyPhD
focus, as now I had access to the original sounds created for Splet’s films. I no
longerhadtorelyentirelyonthefinishedfilmsbutcouldaccessthesoundeffect
recordings, and edited, processed andmanipulated sounds, in order to ascertain
Splet’stechniquesandcontributiontotheoverallsoundtrack.
SincegettingacopyofthearchiveIhavecontinuedtoresearchtheindividual
soundsthatwentintocreatingtheoverallsounddesignformanyofSplet’sfilms.
Thearchivehasplayedakey factor in the films I examined formyPhDas some
films are better represented thanothers in the library,whilst some soundtracks
arecompletelyabsent.Lynch’sTheGrandmotherandEraserheadareabsent from
thecatalogueandsoundarchive.
Kroeber compiled sounds created by herself, Splet and Lynch and released
themwithTheHollywoodEdgein2000onathreeCDcollectionentitledSoundsofa
Different Realm. Kroeber is currently compiling a new CD collection for The
HollywoodEdgeofwindsounds.Thepurposeofpreservingthislibraryisforfuture
use in film and game sounds. Kroeber has provided sounds from the library for
someofthebiggestblockbusterproductions.KroeberandIarecurrentlyworking
onaresearchproposaltogettheentirearchivedigitisedandpreserved,andmade
TheLabourofBreath
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accessibleonlinetoHigherEducation institutions in theUKandUSA.Thiswould
beanimmenseresourceforscholarsandstudentsoffilmsound.
Breathingandperformance
Todiscussbreathinfictionfilmitisimportanttostartwiththeworkofthefilm
actor. The breathing actor performs using her/his own breath to produce the
breathforacharacterthat isseenand/orheardonoroff-screen.Thisrequires
the actor to have considerable control and training over her/his own breath.
DavidCarey,avoicetutorattheRoyalAcademyofDramaticArt(RADA),breaks
downtheprocessofbreathingoutliningthedifferencesbetweeninhalationand
exhalationfortheactorandidentifiesthephysicalandcreativeaspectsofboth
partsofthebreathfortheactor’sprocess:
Each in-breath we take is a response to one or all of the
following: the physical impulse which arises as a result of
chemicalmessagesreceivedbythebrainthatthebodyisinneed
of an oxygen/carbon-dioxide exchange; the psychic impulse
whicharisesfromthedesiretogiveformtoaninchoatethought;
and,thepsycho-physical impulsewhicharisesfromtheneedto
express an emotion. Each out-breath is, therefore, the physical
release of excess CO2 into the atmosphere and simultaneously
thepotentialexpressionofthoughtorfeeling.Eachout-breathis
theconcreteeffectoftheseinternaleventsintheexternalworld.
Thus,inspirationisboththephysicalactofinhalingair;anditis
creative motivation. Expiration is both the physical act of
exhalingbreath;and,itistransitiveexpression.(2009:186)
TheLabourofBreath
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Watching an actor perform onscreen can, in turn, influence our breathing
(Gibson 2013: 18). The affective experience of hearing and seeing breath and
breathingincinemachangesusasanaudience.Ifafilmisworkingonusasitis
intendedto,itcanshapeourexperience.DavinaQuinlivanposits:
What is key to the typeof embodiedperception thatbreathing
visuality represents is the involvement of the viewer as a
breathing body, becoming attuned and sensitive to ways of
hearingandseeingthatarealiveandopentotheemergenceof
thebreathingbodyasadiegeticandformalpresenceinthefilm
experience.(2012:171)
Withafocusonhowthebreathingperformancea/effectsusasaudience,
I would like to explore the following three elements of breath: how the actor
breathesonscreen;howtheeditor/sounddesignereditsandmixes thatbreath
foroureyesandears;andhowtheworkoftheactorandeditor/sounddesigner
affectsusasanaudienceexperiencingamediatedperformance.Ultimatelythis
raises the question, what is the a/effect of different types of breathing
performances on us as an audience? Are there issues to dowith, for example,
race, gender, sexuality, age, size, ability and/or disability that need to be
consideredwhenlisteningandwatchingbreathingbodiesperformonscreen?
Toget there it is important to considerwhosebreathingweare talking
about,JudithButlersuggests:
Foraconcretedescriptionoflivedexperience,itseemscrucialto
askwhose sexuality andwhose bodies are being described, for
“sexuality”and“bodies”remainabstractionswithoutfirstbeing
situatedinconcretesocialandculturalcontexts.(1989:98)
TheLabourofBreath
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ToborrowButler’semphasis,itisessentialforustoaskwhosebreathingweare
listening to and forwhat purposes? In this regard, Kevin L. Fergusonmakes a
strikingandboldclaim:
Hereisastrangeriddle,almostthestartofabadjoke:Whatdo
DarthVaderandMarilynMonroehaveincommon?Myanswer:
both are invaded by air, both are victims of insufflation, and
both are blustery representatives of the otherwise unseen
problemthatbreathposestocinema.Oneisaniconofevil,the
otherofsexuality,but in theirbest films, these twoareswept
alongbythesameiconographyofair.(2011:33)
To consider Darth Vader and Marilyn Monroe within the same breath, so to
speak, is an enticing premise to discussmore broadly the role of breathing in
cinema.Monroeoffersabreathyeroticisedfemininevocalisationinmanyofher
roles. Her rendition of ‘Happy Birthday Mr President’ is one of the most
illustrative examples of eroticised breathy performances onscreen. 3 It is
interesting to note that the term ‘breathy’ is used to describe both a problem
withthevoiceandalsoacharacteristicofthevoice(Martin2009:35).Monroe’s
eroticisedbreathyperformanceissubstantiallydifferenttothelabouredbreathy
vocalisations of the menacing, Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones). We
haveaveryconsciousrenderingofbreathwiththecharacterofDarthVader,his
breathing is clearlymarkedasa signifierofadisabledvillainous figurehidden
3Monroeiscertainlynotthefirstactresstobeassociatedwiththistypeof
eroticisedbreathyperformance,MarleneDietrichwouldbeanotherprecursoras
actorandsingerfamousforsuchbreathyperformances.However,itisoutsideof
thescopeofthisarticletodrawoutthehistoricallineageoffemalebreathy
performancesbutitwouldcertainlymakeforaninterestingandimportant
project.
TheLabourofBreath
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behindamask,visualisedintheformofhelmetanduniform.Thevocalisationof
the character of Darth Vader is significantly enhanced in post-production
throughsoundeffects/designtosoundlikeamixbetweenhumanandmachine
breath.
Ferguson’s choice of actor and character are particularly interesting.
MonroeandJones(asVader)bothsufferedwithastutterintheiryouthandthey
tookvocallessonstogetovertheirrespectivespeechimpediments.Toovercome
astutter,apersonneedstoallowmoreairintoher/hisbreathinordertoopen
out the vocal chords. As a consequence both of these actors are considered to
haveairyvocalperformances.ThiscancertainlybeheardinMonroe’sandJones’
roles.Bothactorshave ‘airy’voicesdueto their initialvocaldisabilities,and in
thisarticle Iwillbeexploringwhat is intrinsic inabreathingperformanceand
considering themanipulation, enhancement or replacement of breath in post-
productionbythesoundteam.
Ferguson’s connection between Darth Vader and Monroe’s characters,
posits polarised villainous masculinity and eroticised femininity as the key
breathing tropes in cinema (ibid: 34). There are clearlymany other breathing
examplesinfictionfilmthatfalloutsideofthis.Fergusonhimselfhighlightsthe
importanceof thepresenceofairandbreath in thescience fictiongenre (ibid:
36). Recent films have used the prominent placement of breath for various
purposes,suchas:Gravity(AlfonsoCuarón,2013);MadMax:FuryRoad(George
Miller,2015);Anomalisa(DukeJohnson&CharlieKaufman,2015);Room(Lenny
Abrahamson,2015);TheRevenant(AlejandroG.Iñárritu,2015);Breathe(James
Doherty, 2015); andDon’tBreathe (Fede Alverez, 2016)withmany narratives
TheLabourofBreath
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focussedonthestruggle forbreathduetopanic/anxietyand injury/disability.4
It is to this focusondisabilityand the labouredbreathingofa character that I
willnowturnmyattention.
TheElephantMan
TheElephantManwas the firstmainstream filmdirected byDavid Lynch. The
filmtellsthe‘truestory’ofJohnMerrick(JohnHurt)asthe‘ElephantMan’whois
abusedandtreatedlikeacircusfreakbyhis ‘owner’MrBytes(FreddieJones).5
Merrick is rescued from his harsh existence by the doctor, Frederick Treves
(AnthonyHopkins).TrevessheltersMerrickathisworkplaceinLondonHospital.
Merrick’s physical disabilities included an enlarged skull, skin growths and
tumours, having grown asymmetrically with some extended digits. Merrick
struggledtobreatheduetotheovergrowthofhardenedskinandtumoursonhis
enlarged skull.6Throughout the filmMerrick’s breath is laboured and shallow
depictinghisdifficultiesincompletingeverydaytasksandinteractions.
Compounding his disability, Merrick’s environment is also significantly
polluted. Set in the 1880s, the air is seen to be thick with smog and this
4KevinBLeeinhisvideoessayWhodeservestowintheawardforbestlead
actressin2014breaksdownthebreathingperformanceofSandraBullockin
Gravity(AlfonsoCuarón,2013)andhighlightsthefactthatsheisheardbreathing
for62minutesor75%ofthefilm,whichismorethansheappearsonscreenat
61minutesor72%ofthefilm.5TheElephantMan,knowninDavidLynch’sfilmandmanyotherdocumentsas
JohnMerrick,wasactuallycalledJosephCareyMerrick.Hisstorywastoldinthe
bookTheTrueHistoryoftheElephantManwrittenbyMichaelHowellandPeter
Ford.ThroughoutthisarticleIwillrefertohimasJohnMerrickduetothe
centralityofthefilmtothisdiscussionandtoavoidfurtherconfusion.6MostrecentscientificresearchsuggeststhatMerrickmayhavesufferedfroma
combinationofNeurofibromatosistype1(Nf1)andProteussyndrome(PS),
althoughtherehasbeennoscientificconfirmationofthishypothesis.Therehave
beenrecentstudiesofMerrick’sDNAbutthesetestshaveproveninconclusive.
Formoreonthesetestssee(PaulSpiring2001:104).
TheLabourofBreath
11
blackened air is visually and aurally related to the presence of industrial
machinery and the steam engine. Lynch’s film is in line with the criticism of
industrialisation thatwas prevalent in nineteenth century literature, as in, for
example,CharlesDickens’sHardTimes (1854)which issetslightlyearlier than
The Elephant Man. 7 Both Dickens and Lynch illustrate that the industrial
revolutionhadanenvironmentalimpactontheairquality-thelandandairwere
altered and shaped by industrial pollutants. However, it is the impact on the
peoplewho lived in these conditions that areof central concern.Documenting
theconditionsofworkersatthetime,FriedrichEngelswrites:
The centralisation of population in great cities exercises of
itselfanunfavourableinfluence;theatmosphereofLondoncan
neverbesopure,sorichinoxygen,astheairofthecountry…
The lungs of the inhabitants fail to receive the due supply of
oxygen, and the consequence ismental andphysical lassitude
and low vitality […] And if life in large cities is, in itself,
injurioustohealth,howgreatmustbetheharmfulinfluenceof
an abnormal atmosphere in the working-people's quarters,
where,aswehaveseen,everythingcombinestopoisontheair.
(1845:106)
7ItisinterestingtonotetheconnectionDickensmakesbetweenindustrial
machineryandtheelephant(1854:21).ThisconnectionisalsomadeinLynch’s
film,wherethereisaseriesofcutsbetweenmachinepistonsandthewild
actionsofanelephant.TheartistWilliamKentridgeinhisworkNoItIs!(beyond
themuseum)afivechannelvideoinstallationoftheshortfilmTheRefusalofTime
(2012)makesanexplicitreferencetoDickens’sHardTimesthroughakinetic
sculptureofTheElephantwhichalsovisuallyresemblesthepistonsand
industrialmachineryinLynch’sTheElephantMan.
TheLabourofBreath
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Merrick in Lynch’s film appears as the breathing lungs of this recently
industrialised world. Merrick’s body, already seen and heard as a site of
disability,ismosttaxedbythesteamandpollutionoftherailwaystation.Lynch
inan interviewmakesaconnectionbetweenMerrick’sbodyand the industrial
revolution, connecting explosions in industry to the papillomatous growths on
Merrick’sskin(Lynch2005:103).
When describing the soundscape of The Elephant Man, Michel Chion
suggeststhatthereisadualitytothesoundscreated:
Alan Splet is credited with The Elephant Man’s sound design.
Although Lynch and he did not have the same opportunities for
fantasy that they had enjoyed onEraserhead, they succeeded in
usingthekindofelementsofthesettingwementionedearlierto
introduce the sounds of dull thudding, the hiss and whistles
produced by the steam, and even the sound of a soft wind of
cosmicproportions.Thesesoundsaresignalledtothespectator’s
ear by the device, already applied in Eraserhead, of cutting the
soundpreciselywhentheshotchanges(asinthescenewherethe
night falls in the hospital room). In some scenes, an abstract
cosmic murmur can be heard although the setting in no way
requires it.Thismurmur isalways inapreciseregister,which is
Lynch’sown,evokingintimacy,theworld’svoicespeakinginour
ear.(2006:51-52)
Thewind, steam, hiss,whistles anddull thudding that Chion refers to are the
sounds of noise and air pollution of the industrial revolution. Lynch has said,
‘Industrializationisneveracentraltheme,butitalwayslurksinthebackground’
TheLabourofBreath
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(2005: 114). However, the cosmic murmuring sounds that Splet creates for
Lynchareproducedfor thepurposesofofferingmorethanarealisticmaterial
portrayal of nineteenth century England. These sounds have the effect of
providingaspiritualdimensionwithinthenarrativeandestablishaconnection
between Merrick’s suffering and universal suffering, seen and heard most
distinctly in the opening and closing scene of the film. In a special tribute to
Splet’sworkinMixMagazine,thesounddesignerRandyThomrecallsthisaspect
ofSplet’scontributiontothesounddesigninTheElephantMan:
Even in the darkestmoments ofTheElephantMan,whenAlan’s
19th-century industrial sound atmosphere is at its most
sorrowful, there is something implied in the track as well, the
promiseofjoy.(1995:148)
Thomsuggests thatSpletwasable tocreate ‘apromiseof joy’withinthenoisy
soundscapesof industrialEngland. Splet’smusical ear ledhim to create subtle
differencesinthetonalitiesoftheatmospherictracksthatshiftedtheambiences
fromanindustrialrealitytothatofametaphoricandhopefulsoundscape.8Iwill
come back to this later to discuss how in allowing characters’ to listen in the
railway station scene in The Elephant Man, we the audience are given an
opportunitytolistentothecharactersonscreenlistening,layeringourlistening
ontopoftheirs.Itisinlisteningtobreathandthesoundscapethatthepresence
ofhopeandjoycanbeperceivedinthesoundtrackofthisfilm.
8Spletwasacellistandcontinuedtoplaymusicthroughouthislife.OnPhilip
Kaufman’sfilms,TheUnbearableLightnessofBeing,HenryandJuneandRising
SunSpletwascreditedbothassounddesignerandmusiceditorforthefilms.For
moreonthisseeGreene2011.
TheLabourofBreath
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Chion also makes the connection between Merrick’s breathing and the
portrayalofindustrialEngland:
Anothermajorsoundeffectinthefilminvolvestheinsistenceon
Merrick’s laboured,asthmatic, terrorisedbreathing,wellbefore
we have seen his features hidden under his hood, as if there
were a continuum between the sensation (conveyed primarily
throughthesound)ofthisworn,sufferingbodilymachineryand
thefilm’srenderingofindustry.(2006:52)
InanearlyscenewhenTrevesisseenoperatingonapatient,hecomplainsabout
themachines that cause such accidents and argues that there is no reasoning
withamachine.Treves’commentcontextualisesthenewlyemergentmachinery
andstressestheproblemsinherentwithaburgeoningindustrialsociety.Laterin
the isolationward,Merrick’s breathing can be heard alongside the heightened
soundofthemechanismoftheclocktower.9Thesesoundstogetherremindthe
audience thatevery labouredbreath isvitally important forMerrick’s survival.
Time is ebbing for Merrick, and machine and breath are linked here to
metaphoricallypunctuatethepassingoftime.
ThedifficultiesinherentinperformingMerrickarethatheiscoveredina
hood for the first twenty-four minutes of the film, and that the profound
disfigurement of his face, presented through extensive special effectsmakeup
created by Christopher Tucker, allows for little facial expression. Merrick’s
gaspingasthmaticbreath initiallyneeds toconveyhissufferingbutwhenhe is
unmasked and Treves realises he understands him and can speak, his voice
9InTheElephantMansectionoftheSoundMountainarchiveDavidLynchcanbe
heardcreatingthesoundoftheclocktoweralongsideAlanSpletandAnn
Kroeber.Allthreewereinvolvedinshapingthissound.
TheLabourofBreath
15
becomesacriticalcomponentinexpressinghischaracter.Voiceandaccentwere
essentialinstitchingtheaudienceintolatenineteenthcenturyEngland.
Withoutaccesstothearchive,ChionmistakenlysuggeststhatHurt’svocal
performanceispurelyhisownwork:
Withoutanytechnicalartifice,HurtgivesMerrickanastonishing
falsetto which combines the laboured speech of the
handicapped,theplaintiveintonationsofawhinychildand,once
the elephant man has become fashionable, the accents of high
society. The unusualness of thismixture contributes greatly to
the film. In addition, the naturalness and rhythm of Hurt’s
gesturesareimpressive.(ibid:58)
Chion’sassertionthattherewasnotechnicalartificeisnotcorrect,asalmostall
performances and dialogue tracks are worked on and improved by post-
production sound teams.10All film performances involve technical artifice as
they are all mediated. That is not to undermine what Hurt achieves with his
vocalisationsandthroughthetransformationofhisvoiceinportrayingMerrick’s
changing social position within society. Hurts’ breath and voice contribute
greatly to the film and allow his character to move beyond the hood and
disfigurementand,instead,insisttheaudiencerelatetoandempathisewithhis
suffering.Hurt’sbreathingandstressonwordsareaidedbythedialogueediting
andthesounddesignworkofSpletandhiscrew.
10Mostcinemaindustriesemploypost-productionsoundtoimproveuponwhat
wascapturedonset.TheDogme95movementandMumblecoreproductionsare
examplesofsomepracticesthatdonotengageinextensivepost-production
time;however,thesetypesoffilmarelesstypicalexamplesofcinematicoutputs.
TheLabourofBreath
16
Given that the SoundMountain archive is composed, predominantly, of
soundeffectsandsounddesigncompositions, it issignificantthattherecorded
soundsofHurtbreathingareamongstthesmallnumberofitemstakenfromthe
productionsoundtrackofTheElephantMan.ThereisonlyoneProToolssession
(labelledSyncTakes, reelnumber777),whichcontainsproductionsyncsound
fromthefilm.11Thisincludes:Slate437Takes4-5(TrevesintroducesMerrickto
his newhome,Merrick is heard breathing and slurping through his dialogue);
Slate438Takes1-4(Merricksnoring);Slate452Takes1-2(Merrickbreathing
and whimpering); Slate 461 Takes 1-2 (Merrick’s laboured breathing as he is
chased,wallaof chase, and then full scene for ‘No! I amnot ananimal…’); and
Slate462Takes1-2(shorterslatetopreviousone,startingwith‘No!Iamnotan
animal…’).ThepresenceoftheseitemsinthearchiveindicatethatSpletandhis
team of sound post-production personnel paid particular attention to Hurt’s
breathingperformances forMerrick. Theremaybe a pragmatic reason for the
inclusionofsomeof theseproductionslates.Forexample, forSlate438Take2
the camera can be heard prominently throughout the take ofMerrick snoring,
thesoundofthe35mmcamerawouldneedtobefilteredoutforthefinalfilm,as
itwasasthecamerasoundisnotpresentinthereleasedfilm.ForSlates461and
462thereisgreateremphasisontheclarityofthebreathinthefinalfilmtowhat
is heard in the production track. These slates needed to be cleaned-up - the
background soundof runningwater is reducedbut not totally removed in the
11ItisbeyondthescopeofthisarticletogiveanextensiveoverviewoftheSound
Mountainarchiveandthearchivalprocessesinvolvedinpreservingthislibrary.
However,itisimportanttopointoutherethatallofthemagneticsoundreelsfor
TheElephantManweredigitizedandmadeintoProToolssessions.Allofthe
soundthatwaspreservedfromthesoundeffectsreelsforthefilmwasaccessed
digitally.
TheLabourofBreath
17
finalfilm.Aclean-upwasalsoperformedontheproductiontrackbecauseHurt’s
voice is close to distorting on a number of occasions during these takes;
however,thedistortionisnotpresentinthefilmsoundtrack.12Thebreathcould
beconsideredhereassoundeffectorsounddesignofferingafurthertextureto
thesoundscape.Theclean-upoftheproductiontracksisperformedtoenhance
the audibility of the actor’s voice. From the final film I can surmise that Splet
usedHurt’sbreathandvocalisationstosomedegree,althoughtheextentofthis
useisunclearasthereisnodetailedwrittenaccountofthisinthesoundeffects
catalogueforTheElephantMan.
Within the written catalogue for The Elephant Man is the inclusion of
notes for wind, air, gas and steam recordings - for example, muffled Bunsen
burner for Bytes’ shop, factory steam puffs, gas lamp pressure, kitchen stove
presence,steamforhospitalboilercloseupanddistant,hospitalsteamexterior
andinterior,windforBelgiancircus,morningandnightwindforBelgiancircus,
morningwindTrevesexteriorandinterior(seefigure1and2).Anattentionto
airy sounds ispartof Splet’s aesthetic taste andone thathebroughtwithhim
ontomanyprojects.13
InTheElephantManwehaveaconsciouschoicetoincludeairandother
airy sounds to represent the environment. Alongside breath these aural
12ThenotesforTheElephantManarenotextensiveanddonotincludedetailsof
processesappliedtocleanupsound,perhapsduetothefactthatthisisanormal
post-productionprocessanddoesnotneedtobenoted.Whatisincludedinthe
notesforTheElephantManarethesoundeffectsrecordedandsourcedtobuild
upthebackgroundlayersofthesoundtrack/soundscapeandtheinclusionof
animalsoundsandprocessingofthemother’svoice.13DuringtheextendedproductionperiodofEraserhead,Spletwentawayfor
overayeartoliveinIona,offthecoastofScotlandandthereherecordedmany
reelsofwindsounds,whichareusedinmanyfilmstoday.Kroeberiscurrently
curatingaspecialeditionreleaseofthesewindsfortheHollywoodEdge
collection.
TheLabourofBreath
18
componentsmakeupthesoundscapeofMerrick’sworld.Thepresenceofairhas
meaningincinema,Fergusoncontends,since‘thereisnocaseofairaccidentally
wandering onto the set; air must be summoned up, cast, given a contract,
pampered.Forthisreason,airisneverwastedinafilm—theeffortalonemakes
it meaningful’ (2011: 36). Lynch and Splet spent considerable time in post-
productionworkingon thesounddesign for the film.Spletnotes, ‘OnElephant
Manwespent63consecutivedayswithoneanother(longerthanthedurationof
principalphotography)’(SpletinGentry1984:63).Theextentoftimespenton
sound design for the film is important, as it allowed Splet and Lynch the
opportunitytodesignaworldthatwascomplex,metaphoricandemotive.They
hadauniquecollaborativerelationship,workingverycloselyforlongperiodsin
post-production.14
ThetimeandcreativeapproachundertakenbySpletandLynchtotheedit
and sound design is best exemplified in the climatic railway station scene
mentionedabove.Inthisscenewecanseeandhearaconnectionbeingmadeto
industry, environment, air, steam, breath, with a disabled struggling man
surroundedbyhostilemasses.At(01:43:26)wecanseethetraininthedistance
insideprofilemovingbesidethewatercomingtowardsthecamera.Wehearthe
engine ina judderingconstantrhythm- jadadada jadadada jadadada jadadada.
Afterthisshotthereisahardsoundcuttoanothershotwhereweseethetrain
much closer and from front on. We hear the train at a higher volume to the
previous shot, the rhythm has also changed, now sounding more like -
dadadadadadadadadadadadadadadada. Another picture cut offers a different
14Spletwasalsofortunatetohaveworkedonanumberoffilmsthathad
extensiveperiodsofpost-productionwhichallowedhimtimetoexperimentand
createdetailedsoundscapesthatworkedandmixedwellwiththemusictracks.
TheLabourofBreath
19
sloweddownrhythmofthetrainasitentersthestation.Thevolumeremainsthe
sametothepreviousshotasweseethesteamfromthetrainmovinguptowards
the roof of the railway station. Awhistle and hiss can be heard alongside the
brakesofthetrainastheenginesoundsfadeoutinthesoundscape.AsMerrick
disembarks the train an engine sound re-emerges, the sound develops and
increases in themix, the rhythmbecoming a constant beat as a boy begins to
harassMerrickandfollowshimupthestairs.
JohnMorris’smusicalscorefor‘TrainStation’isfadedin,therhythmand
pacingofthemusicisnowheardinsyncwiththeheightenedsoundofthesteam
engine,which is coming frombelow thebridge.At thispointwe see twoboys
joining the firstboy, theharassmentgainingmomentum innumbersandsonic
elements.AsMerrickmovesawayasfastashecanfromtheboys,heaccidently
knocksagirltotheground,whichgainstheattentionofagroupofmen.Aman
removes Merrick’s hood and it is only at this point that we begin to hear
Merrick’s breath within this scene, his laboured breath becoming more
prominentashemovesdownthestairsasquicklyashecan.Hisbreathingisthe
samepaceandrhythmnowasthemusicalscoreandthejudderingsoundofthe
steam engine. All three sonic elements are layered andmixed together which
heightensthiscrisispointforMerrick.Thevolumeisloudwithinthissequence,
anditisloudforapurpose.
WhenMerrickarrivesatthegatedareaandrealiseshecannotescapethe
men, both the sound of the train and music fade away to the roar of the
approachingmen.Merrick’svoicecuts throughtheirdin.Whenheshouts, ‘No’,
thebackgroundsoundquietensto listentowhathehastosay.Afewfootsteps
canbeheard,butapartfromthisinitialshufflingsoundthesoundtrackoffersa
TheLabourofBreath
20
dynamically different background, it is relatively silent in comparison to the
volumewehavejustheard.Merrickexclaims,‘Iamnotanelephant.Iamnotan
animal.Iamahumanbeing.Aman.Aman.’Somewalla/rhubarbsoundscanbe
heardwhenMerrickcollapsestotheground.
This moment of relative silence and stillness is an important one to
unpick.WithinthisscenewearelisteningtoMerrickexclaimthatheneedstobe
treated just like everyone else,with some human dignity. Butwe are not just
listeningtoMerrick,wearealsolisteningtothemenwhosurroundhimlistening
tohim.Wearewatchingthemandwehearthathiswordsarehavinganimpact
onthem.Althoughhiswordsaresurroundedbyhisslurpingvocalisationandhe
iswheezingforbreath,hehastheabilitytoholdtheattentionofhisaudience.By
creating a scenewith a dynamic range of sound through varying rhythms and
different amplitude, we begin to hear not just the action but also ourselves
listeningintothatverysameaction.15
Merrick’sbreathisprominentthroughoutthisscene,accompaniedbythe
slurpingsoundshemakesashetalks.Withinthislargersequencewehaveheard
Merrick moving in sync with the pace of the train and music. The realist
production sound is minimised; we cannot clearly hear the first boy as he
harassesMerrick rather it is the impressionofharassment that is conveyed to
theaudience.Thebreathing issynchedwithothersounds inorder toelicit the
frantic nature of this chase sequence. What is achieved here is an affective
experiencebasedonseeingandhearingMerrick’sbodybeingchasedandfeeling
15ChionhasspokenaboutthissilenceattheSchoolofSoundwhenhesaid,‘Any
silencemakesusfeelexposed,asifitwerelayingbareourownlistening,butalso
asifwewereinthepresenceofagiantear,tunedtoourownslightestnoises.We
arenolongermerelylisteningtothefilm,weareasifitwerebeinglistenedtoby
itaswell’(2003:151).
TheLabourofBreath
21
thatrhythmandthreat.JoannaWeirOustonoutlinesthistypeofrapidbreathing
asaprimitiveresponsetodanger(2009:95).Wefeelthepanicofthechasewith
Merrick. This is one of the most affective sequences in cinema due to the
attention paid to the editing of breath, the sound of the train and the music,
which are allmixed together.ThroughHurt’s performance, especially fromhis
breathingandslurpingvocalisations,arichillustrationofMerrick’scharacteris
drawn.WemakesomeconnectionwithMerrickthroughhiseyesbutalotofour
empathy comes from hearing the strained vocalisations of his character.
Merrick’s disabled body becomes something with which we can sonically
empathise, and this is due to a well-designed and -edited soundtrack, picture
composition,cut,narrativeandactingperformance.
Splet’s general interest in airy sounds informed theuseof an industrial
atmosphereforthisfilm,whichisfilledwithwinds,steamsandothergassounds.
Theseairysoundsworkexceptionallywellindetailingthepoisonedairqualityof
industrialEnglandinthelatenineteenthcentury,buttheyalsofurthercrystallise
Merrick’scharacterashestrugglestobreathe.Thelayeringandmixingofairand
breathbuild and fadeaway throughout the film, illustrating the temporalityof
Merrick’sshortlife.
RisingSun
Rising Sun, based on the 1992 eponymous novel byMichael Crichton, tells the
storyofJapanesebusinessinterestsintheUSA.Itrepresentsamomentofcrisis
forAmericancapitalismduringthetechnologicalordigitalrevolution.American
business is stumbling in comparison to Japanese corporations and this ismost
keenly illustrated through the depiction of diminishing oil reserves. The plot
TheLabourofBreath
22
centresonthemurderofawhitesexworker,CherylAustin(TatjanaPatitz),ona
boardroomtableinLosAngeles.ThismurderiscommittedbyaJapanesemanin
thebook,andmostlikelybyawhiteAmericanmaninthefilm(thefilmleavesan
elementofambiguityovertherealmurdererofthewoman).16RisingSuninmany
waysplaysouttheracetensionsofmanyAmericancitiesintheearly1990s,but
specificallytheproblemsthatwereencounteredinLosAngeleswherethefilmis
set.17
AswithTheElephantManenvironmentalissuescanbeseenandheardin
thefilm,throughnarrative,genre,cinematography,soundscapeandthebreathing
charactersonscreen.Alongsideconcernsaboutoilreserves,theairandsmogof
thecity figureprominently inthisneo-noir film.Thepresenceofairandbreath
are both literalised and metaphorically applied to the soundscape, and
controllingairandbreathisimportantwithinthenarrative.CaptainJohnConnor
(Sean Connery) can be seen blowing on a mirror disclosing the absence of a
photograph,which isakeyplotpoint.He isalsoseenperformingamartialarts
move on an opponent’s throat that leaves his foe gasping for breath. The air
quality inLosAngelesappears tobesimilarlybreathlessdue to thebuildupof
16Kaufmanadaptedthefilmforthescreen,initiallywiththeaidofCrichtonand
MichaelBackes.AfterCrichtonandBackesquitduetodisagreements,Kaufman
wentontomakesignificantchangesintheadaptation.HecastWesleySnipesto
playacharacter,Lt.Smith,whowaswrittenupasawhitepoliceofficerinthe
book.Kaufmanmadeotherracechanges,predominantlytocreateambiguityfor
theendingofthefilm,muddyingtheconclusionofthecase,leavingitunresolved
overwhokilledAustin.Kaufman’sadaptationisnotasovertlyracistasthebook
butsomeofthemontageandsound/musicchoicesimplicitlydenigratethe
Japanesecommunity,inparticulartheuseofTaikodrummingoverthemurder
sequence.Itisoutsidethescopeofthisarticletodealwiththeracistapplication
ofmusicinRisingSun;however,DeborahWonghaspreviouslywrittenan
excellentpieceonthistopic(seeDeborahWong,2006).17LosAngeleswastobeasignificantfocalpointforracetensionsduetothe
beatingofRodneyKing,andaftertheacquittalofthepoliceinvolved,
subsequentlyleadingtotheLAriotsof1992.
TheLabourofBreath
23
smog in thecity;ahazeofsmog ispresent inallof theexteriordaytimescenes
withinthefilm.
Contemplating the presence of smog in the environment, Steven Connor
notes:
Asindustrialsmokewasaddedtodomestically-producedsmoke,
smogs not only got worse, they began to be identified with
broader fears, about contagion, for example, or the contagious
effects of revolution […] Smog is a ghastly parody of the living
second skin of the atmosphere. It seems to signify the
decomposition of the differences and distinctions that make
meaningpossibleatall. It is thecloudofourunknowing,bitter
asphyxiaofourself-sameness.(2002:np)
Connor isdescribingthepresenceofsmogduringtheFrenchrevolution(1789-
1799),buthisdescriptionalsoprovidesafruitfulwaytoconsiderthesmogofthe
LAriots,representedintelevisionnewsandimagesfromnewspapers,withblack
smokebillowingoutofburntoutcarsandbuildings.DouglasMuzzio,inhiswork
on the American city in cinema, suggests that, ‘Cities, to many Americans, are
dirty, dangerous, and congested, homes of the unhealthy, the immoral, and the
foreign, in short, sinkholes to be avoided, not treasures to be sought or even
problems to be solved’ (1996: 192). Muzzio, drawing on the writings of
sociologists White and White, traces this argument back to leading thinkers,
authorsandwriters,suchasThomasJefferson,EdgarAllanPoe,HermanMelville
and Frank Lloyd Wright, suggesting there has been a bias against the city in
writing and intellectual discussion since the foundation of the American state.
WhiteandWhitesuggestthatcitiesseemtobe:
TheLabourofBreath
24
too big, too noisy, too dusky, too smelly, too commercial, too
crowded, too full of immigrants, too full of Jews, too full of
Irishmen, Italians, Poles, too artificial, destructive of
conversation, destructive of communication, too greedy, too
capitalistic, toofullofautomobiles, toofullofsmog,toofullof
dust[...].(1962:222)
Theconnectioninthecitybetweensmog,dirtandracismareclearlyarticulated
inRisingSun.Therewereanumberoffilmsthatcameoutaboutracerelationsin
LosAngelesaroundthesametimeasRisingSun, suchas:WhiteMenCan’tJump
(RonShelton,1992);BoyzntheHood(JohnSingleton,1991);andGrandCanyon
(LawrenceKasdan,1991).However, it isonlyRisingSun thatmakesanexplicit
connectionbetweenbuiltupcities,smogandracetensions.
InRisingSunAustinisrepresentedasasexworkerwithapreferencefor
sexual asphyxiation. The fact that she is choked to death allows some space
(deeplyproblematicas it is) tosuggest totheaudiencethatshewasaskingfor
thiskindofaction,ifnotmurderitself.AlthoughweareintroducedtoAustinat
the beginning of the film, we are not given much time to connect with her
characterassheismurderedinthetwelfthminuteofthefilm.Hermurderistoa
certain extent dismissed and condonedwithin the narrative due to her sexual
preferences.Laterinthefilm,Kaufmandecidedtouseherbreathassoundeffect
in a number of scenes. In an interview with Gavin Smith, Kaufman takes full
creditatscriptstageforthisuseofasynchronoussound.Whenaskedspecifically
by Smith about his collaborationwith his sound designer - ‘What ideas about
sounddesigndidyoucomeupwithAlanSplet?’-Kaufmanreplies:
Wesley thinkshe’s closing inon themurderer.Andas timegoes
TheLabourofBreath
25
on, itbecomesclear that thingsareclosing inonhimaswell.As
you search the mystery, the mystery searches for you. Sound
beginstocloseinaroundthem.Rightfromthestart,we’rehearing
thewindshieldwiperswiththegaspingsoundofthestrangledgirl
–weusedthegirl’svoice.Thegaspingsoundisevenhiddeninthe
soundoftheoilwells,infrontofwhichSnipesandConneryhave
their confrontation, so that it really is saying, You have to get
going. Even some of those optical wipes have a little sense of
breath. It’s almost like she’s calling from beyond the grave – I
wroteitthatwayinthescript.(1993:40)
Austin’sbreathismixedwiththesoundofwindshieldwipersandoilwells,andis
alsoincludedinthewipesoftheedit.Kaufmanoutlineswhyheusedthevoiceof
the‘girl’afterherdeathasthepolicesearchforhermurderer.Thesoundbecomes
associatedwithLt. Smith (Wesley Snipes) as hepursues the killer.Hehearsher
breathing and later sees her in a flashback; her breathing is present in order to
hauntthesoundscape.Fromanarrativeperspective,problemsarisewiththisuse
ofsoundeffectasthissound,orlatertheimageofAustin,isnotonethatLt.Smith
could have witnessed. There is no link between Lt. Smith’s recall and what he
actuallyheardandsawontherecordedCCTVfootage.Whatisseenandhearddoes
not conform to cinematic conventions of point-of-viewor point-of-audition. This
useofsoundillustratesthatanasynchronousapproachisnotalwayspossible,and
thatsometimesthemetaphorcanbestretchedtoofar.18
InthewrittencataloguesforRisingSun intheSoundMountainarchivethere
18WalterMurchhasnotedthatthemetaphoricuseofsounddoesnotalways
succeedincinema(1994:xx).
TheLabourofBreath
26
areanumberoflistingsforthesoundofwindscreenwipers.Thisisimportantas
thewindscreenwipers are often in usewhen Lt. Smith is in the car, due to the
presence of rain.Moreover, the soundof thewipers becomes central because of
thewayinwhichKaufmanwantedthesoundofthewoman’sgaspingbreathtobe
mixedandsynchedupwith these sounds.Toget thewipersandbreath towork
togetherrequiredexperimentingwithvariousvehiclesandmicrophonedistances.
The breathing and gasping soundswere recorded from at least two voices
(vocalisedbyKroeberandanotherwomannamedinthearchiveas‘Laura’).19This
indicatesthattheactorTatjanaPatitzdidnotprovidethesebreathingsounds.This
isperhapsunsurprisingasPatitzwasbetterknownasasupermodel; in fact, this
washerfirstproperfilmperformance.Herroleissomewhatdismissedinareview
byVincentCanbyintheNewYorkTimeswhenhesays, ‘Ms.Patitzdoesn'tgetthe
opportunity to saymuch, but she's a very attractive victim’ (2003: np).Hiring a
supermodel to act as a sexworker -who is killed offwithin the opening twelve
minutes of the film - limits Patitz’s opportunities to perform amore significant
role.Howeverherbodyisseenondisplaythroughflashbackandherbreathlives
oninthesoundtrackthroughoutthefilm.
Various breath recordings were lined up with different sounds for wipers
andoilwells, andwere thenmixed together and synched topicture.A final edit
effects list is included in the archive with the time and frame numbers to sync
thesebreathingandwipersounds(seefigures3,4and5).Thiswouldhavebeen
intricate work in getting the various windscreen wipers, oil wells and gasping
soundstoworkinsyncwiththepicture.Thesoundsneededtobevariedtoavoid
19Kroeberinformedmeininterviewthatshedidsomeofthesevocalisations
herself(2007:np).
TheLabourofBreath
27
appearing like the same breath and wiper movement repeated over and over
again.Thistypeofsoundeditingisstandardpracticeforsoundeffectseditors.
Although the sound effects are technically well-executed, the narrative
motivationtoincludethemlacksaconnectionwithacharacter’spoint-of-viewor
point-ofauditionasmentionedabove.Thus,asynchronoussoundfallsshorthere.
Thereisnothingtechnicallyorcreativelywrongwiththissound,butthestoryhas
notopenedupagapforametaphoricuseofsoundtooccur.ThesoundofAustin’s
breathintheoilwellsislessobviousand,infact,couldbemissediftheaudience
was not specifically listening out for it. AlthoughKaufman expresses a desire to
create a mystery with this sound, instead it draws attention to the lack of
ambiguityandsubtletypresentinthefilm.
TrailerforRisingSun
The use of Austin’s breath for the trailer of the film is perhaps even more
contentious,asituseshergaspingbreathtocreateaneroticchargetopromotethe
film.ThefirstsoundheardonthetrailerisAustin’sgaspingbreathexaggeratedin
volumetowhatisactuallyheardinthefilm.Thisgaspingvocalisationaccompanies
theappearanceonscreenof theTwentiethCenturyFox logo.When takenoutof
thecontextofthefilmandusedforapromotionaladvertisingtrailer,thebreathy
vocalisations become eroticised without the audience being aware of the
significance of this choking breath. The eroticised breath of Austin is used
throughout the trailer to punctuate the action. This is a cynical use of female
vocalisationthatineffectfetishizesthesoundofawomanassheismurdered.The
dubiousmannerinwhichthegaspingbreathisusedinthefeaturefilmisfurther
compoundedhere,leavingthetrailersoundinglesslikeathrilleroreroticthriller
TheLabourofBreath
28
andmorethatoftheapornographicfilmorsnuffmovie.
Drawing on the work of Linda Williams on hard-core pornographic film
Fergusonproposesthatthesoundofpornographyisthesoundofexhalation:
Theaural landscapeofhard-core films,mainly feminine,serves
to prove to the viewer that pleasure is occurring […] diegetic
sound in the pornographic film is primarily the sound of
exhalation,breath,oftheimmaterialaspectofsexualitythatisso
difficulttoshow—pleasure.(2011:41)
The affect of this repeated use of sound effect in the feature film could prove
disturbing for an audience. To listen to the gasping breath of a woman being
chokedtodeathmixedwithwindscreenwipers,oilwells,andintheopticalwipes
of the edit is to be placed in an uncomfortable position with a fetishized aural
object. For it to be indicated in the narrative that this is her sexual preference
allowsthefilmmakersomescopetoexploitthissound.Butwhenthesoundinturn
becomesthesoundofamurder,andthenisrepeatedlyused,thatsoundcreatesa
significant ideological problem for the film. And when an unknowing audience,
watching a trailer for a film they have not yet seen, hears this sound then the
inclusionofthebreathbecomesevenmoreexploitative.
There is no information about the making of the trailer in the Sound
Mountain archive. James Deaville and AgnesMalkinson’s extensive international
research intothe filmtraileroffersausefulwaytoconsider thetrailer forRising
Sun. They note that it is difficult to find out information about the making of
trailers (2014: 130). The fact that Kaufman takes credit for the sound of the
gaspingbreath in the feature filmmaysuggest that itwashis idea to feature the
breathsoprominentlywithinthefilm’strailer.However,itmightalsobethecase
TheLabourofBreath
29
thatnodiscussionoccurredbetween themakersof the trailer andKaufmanand
the sound team and instead the trailer producers used the breath due to its
narrativeplacementwithinthefilm.
DeavilleandMalkinsonoutlinewhatare the typical sonic featuresofover
100trailersthattheyhaveanalysed,stating:
Theydemonstrateingeneralhowstudiosexploitwhatcouldbe
called a ‘trailer ear’,which, in contrastwith narrative film: (1)
normalizesheightenedaudiopracticesofsaturation,densityand
volume (sonic over-determination as a style feature); (2)
compresses and minimizes traditional thematic/structural
devices like leitmotif and rounded musical forms; (3) elevates
sound to the level of formal element; (4) relies upon aural
montage as a constitutive feature of trailer narrative; and (5)
intensifiestheexperienceoftemporalizationthroughsynchresis
betweensoundandimage.Inotherwords,thetrailerexperience
of the cinematic ear is excessively sonorous, musically
constricted, sequentially constructed, and audiovisually
compressed.(2014:124-125)
ItisclearthattheRisingSuntrailerdoesfallintothecommonsoundscapeofthe
‘trailer ear’, displaying characteristics that are ‘excessively sonorous,musically
constricted, sequentially constructed, and audiovisually compressed’. It will be
interesting to see what happens when this research team approach hybrid
crossoverfilms,whichwasoutsideofthescopeoftheirinitialproject,butIwould
suspect that theRisingSun trailerwouldsound likeotheraction/neo-noir/soft-
porntrailersifsuchahybridcrossoverthreadwereestablished.The‘excessively
TheLabourofBreath
30
sonorous’elementsofthebreaththatareprominentinthetrailerexacerbatethe
useofbreathwithinthefeaturefilm.
As a consequence, the trailer for Rising Sun can be deemed more
exploitative than the feature filmdue to theaural shorthandof the ‘trailerear’.
Deaville and Malkinson suggest that this is understandable due to the time
constraintsoftheform(2014:125).Butitdoesraisethequestionofhowsoundis
used and inwhat context it is played in, as the trailer forRising Sun does not
accountforthebreathbeingheardoutofcontext.Theremaybeethicalquestions
thatarespecifictotheproductionoffilmtrailers.
Conclusion
In Rising Sun the gasping breath is synched precisely in the edit with the
windscreenwipers,oilwellsandopticalwipes.ButunlikeTheElephantMan,there
is no extended sequencewhere those sounds are attached towhat is heard and
experiencedbyacharacterwithinthediegesis,throughpoint-of-vieworpoint-of-
audition.AlthoughKaufmanattachedthissoundandrecalltoLt.Smith,itdoesnot
convince,asSmithdidnotwitnessthismurder,ormoreprecisely,hedidnothear
thissoundcomingfromtheCCTVfootage.Someofthebreathingsoundsarevery
lowinthemix,especiallywhencoupledwiththeoilwells,andthiscouldsuggesta
lackofconfidence inthissoundchoice in themix.Bycontrast,TheElephantMan
uses theeditandsounddesignofbreathing insyncwith thesoundof thesteam
trainengineand thepaceofMorris’soriginal score togivea subjectivepoint-of-
auditionofMerrick’sanxiety.Thebreathingismadeoverthere,mixingwithother
airysoundsanditispurposefullyloud.
TheLabourofBreath
31
RisingSun andTheElephantMan prominentlydeploy the soundofbreath
fordifferentpurposes.Thisbreathingsoundallowsaway forus to thinkabout
genderanddisabilityandatthesametimeexperiencethesocialcontextofthat
soundwithinthebroaderenvironmentalsoundscape.However, it isnotenough
to realise technically great sound. A film needs to be served through the
integration of all of its elements: scriptwriting, direction, actor’s performance,
cinematography, costume, production design, hair and make-up, special visual
effects, editing, sound design and music to create a significantly a/effective
cinematicexperience. Soundalonecannotcreateamystery if there isnospace
forthatmysterywithinthefilm.
Throughmy research into the archive, listening to the sound reels asPro
Tools sessions and reading through thewritten catalogues, I havebeen able to
seeandhearsomeoftheprocesses(documentedinthearchive)undertakenby
Spletandhisteamonthesetwofilms.ForTheElephantMan,Ihavebeenableto
problematize Chion’s assertion that Hurt’s performance was ‘without any
technical artiface’, hearing the clean-up on the production sound for the film,
listening to various takes illustrates the ‘technical artifice’ inherent in sound
design. On Rising Sun, I was able to see and hear the sync points created for
breath,viewtheextentofrecordingscreatedforthecarsandwindshieldwipers,
andlearnaboutthedifferentvoicesthatperformedAustin’sbreathyutterances.
Researchintothesounddesignarchiveallowsforabroadenedunderstandingof
whatthepost-productionsoundcrewintendedforafilm.Someofthisevidenceis
clearlypresent in thearchive,but it isalso throughsomeof themarginaliaand
paraphernaliathatinterestingandcriticalinformationhasbeengarnered.Jaimie
Baroninherworkonarchivalresearchsuggeststhat:
TheLabourofBreath
32
[a]lthoughtheyacknowledgethatthehistorical“real”cannever
beaccessedassuch,NewHistoricistsoftensearchthearchivefor
eccentricanecdotesandenigmaticfragmentsthat interruptand
exceedthehomogenizingforceofgrandnarrativesbygrounding
themselvesinthecontingentandunruly“real”.(2013:110)
Inthe‘eccentricanecdotes’and‘enigmaticfragments’fromSoundMountainIhave
been able to garner some items of interest. Hearing Lynch, Splet and Kroeber
togetheronarecordingcreatingthesoundeffectsfortheclocktoweroffersaway
into reading the auteur and collaborator relationship and how this is
problematizedwithin thiscasestudy.Thisarticleasserts theneed to include the
work of the sound designer in considering how breath is shaped in fiction film.
Through interview and archival research there ismuch to be learned about the
sounddesigner’smethodology.
WalterMurch, inhisbookIntheBlinkofanEye,suggeststhataudiences
holdbackfromcoughingwhentheyareemotionallyandintellectuallyabsorbed
byafilm(1995:71).Theaudienceareliterallyholdingtheirbreathandkeeping
theirbodiesincheckduringheightenedmoments.Whenweexperiencecinema
communallywemaybecomeawareofourownbody,thebodiesoftheaudience
aroundusand thebodiesonscreen. Inherwritingabout theatre,KatyaBloom
suggeststhatthisknowledgeoccurs‘withoutgoingthroughacognitiveprocess’
(2009:237). Wearenotalwaysconsciousofourbreathingbodies.Itwouldbe
exhausting toattend toourownbreathingand thebreathingofothers, as it is
suchaconstantpresenceinourlives.AstheeditorsofBreathinActionsuggest:
At a rate of approximately eighteen times per minute, one
thousand and eighty times an hour and twenty-five thousand
TheLabourofBreath
33
ninehundredandtwentytimesaday,itisnotsurprisingthereis
adesiretoignorethiscomplex,repetitiveactivity.Clearly,tobe
consciousofitatalltimeswouldbeunbearable.(Boston&Cook
2009:13)
And yet, there is clearly something to be gained from paying attention to this
aspectofthesoundtrack.Wecanlearn,aswedofromthesetwoexamples,that
complex details of ethics, narrative, character and the environment can be
distilledsuccinctlythroughthecloseattentiontohowanactorlabourstobreathe
in film and how the sound designer labours to design that breath for the
soundtrack.
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