'Mother!'(2019) by Darren Aronofsky
Film 1: Mother!(2019) Darren Aronofsky
Mother!(2017) is a film by director Darren Aronofsky which centers around a woman, who is dedicated to her older husband, a writer whose ego overshadows his love for his wife. Through the film, ‘Mother’ renovates the house they live in together, which ‘He’ lived in before it burnt down. This happened before the couple met. The couple’s relationship seems to be perfect initially, until a couple turn up uninvited to the house and begin to cause problems.
Initially, Johann Johannsson was drafted as the composer for the soundscape of Mother!, but as production went on, it was clear that a traditional movie score would not work. This is because everything the audience sees, is from the perspective of mother. Music would give things away too much. It’s sort of like having a laughing track in a comedy. Having the film with no music, adds to the feeling of not knowing where the film is going. While there are musical techniques used in the soundscape, these are less in the form of music and more to accentuate things that were already happening visually. For example, creaking floorboards morphing into a baby crying. This isn’t music, but it expresses something that the film is trying to convey. The house is alive and is connected to mother. Another example of this is when rhythmic hammering can be heard and as mother gets more and more anxious, the hammering gets louder and louder. Of course, it could be argued that it is getting louder as she gets closer to the sound source, however it is very deliberate and over the top, making it obvious that this was a very deliberate artistic decision. Drones are heavily used throughout Mother! I believe these are used to add a sort of claustrophobia when Mother feels uneasy. The drone is not present in scenes when she is alone, but calm, however when there is ‘silence’, but she is in distress, the drone plays.
As we see the story unfold from Mother’s perspective, diegetic sound is manipulated as if we are hearing through Her ears. There are multiple points in the film where lots of people are in the house, all talking to each other, however they are muffled and incoherent. This shows how separate she is from everything and gives a sense of isolation. In these situations, when Mother speaks, she is very clear. We can hear her, but none of the other characters are listening. Again, when she is dazed, a low pass filter is used on all audio so that we experience what she is experiencing. There are also individual instances where specific sounds are enhanced, because, they affect mother, therefore they affect us. Early on in the film, before all hell breaks loose and things are uneasy, but not a total nightmare, the husband yells angrily. As he yells, the volume level of his voice gets unnaturally high, and the bottom end frequencies are enhanced. This is effective as it shows how Mother is threatened by him shouting and gives a sense of how powerful he is. Another small, but significant detail is the doorbell ring. This is almost a traditional ‘ding -dong’ however it is slightly off key. Since this is such a well-known sound, this fault is very noticeable and is extremely unsatisfying and gives a sense of something being not quite right, very fitting for the film. The doorbell signifies the presence of someone new, and every time a new person enters the house, the situation gets worse and worse. It is almost a warning sound, a symbol of what is to come. The last example of this which I picked up on is when the baby is killed, and the crowd cut up his body and begin to eat parts of his flesh. This, of course, symbolises the death of Christ, and how ridiculous some religious customs are. Mother sees what they are doing and of course, the audience is along for the ride. She is the only rational person in this situation and sees what is happening for what it really is. It is not a sacred ceremony; it is a bunch of strangers eating her baby. Sound is used here to turn up the gore factor and contribute to this realistic horror scene. As we see the disciples biting down on the boy’s flesh, the squelching and chewing sounds are disturbingly clear. This happens again when the crowd starts to beat and kick Mother for trying to stop them, directly contrasting from earlier when the crowd are speaking, and we can only hear muffled voices.
The film Mother! Is full of metaphors and sound is used to push certain narratives forward. There are many other examples of this, including when the couple are intimate with each other and She is clearly in a state of calm and contentment, the sound of wind through leaves can be heard. It is clear that throughout the film, one of the metaphors is that Mother is ‘mother nature’ and the house she is renovating is the earth. This appears evident again when she is in labour and every time she pushes, the whole house shudders and creaks. They are connected and what she feels, the house feels. Another metaphor which the film enhances through sound is the crowd shouting ‘the poet’. This happens constantly towards the end of the film and is a pretty direct symbol of the mass hysteria of religion.
Mother!. (2018). [film] Directed by D. Aronofsky. Paramount Pictures. USA.
