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Digging Deeper:  Ah . . . Silence!


In all likelihood, you can remember moments in film that were made funnier because of song lyrics that played at the perfect moment in the film.  You may even be able to remember key lines of dialogue from your favourite films.

But what about silence, when absolutely no sound exists, and all you have to interpret the moment is what you see?  When used carefully, silence, the absence of sound, can affect your understanding of the film significantly.


  View

Watch this video that discusses how directors like Martin Scorsese work with silence to serve a variety of purposes.  The narrator of the video begins by discussing how silence is used to suggest that characters are making decisions.

Remember:  You can add your observations that arose while studying this video to your Elements of Film Handout.

  Note It

While you view the video, consider . . .


  1. According to the speaker in the clip, what is the effect of silence in the scene from Saving Private Ryan (3:20–3:42)?

  2. How do the directors use sound to convey loss in the two different Superman scenes?  Which Superman scene do you prefer?  Why?