Sound in 12 Years a Slave

To what extent is sound important in the film '12 Years a Slave'?

For this to be answered we look at the aspects of sound that are most important in this film. This ranges from music to sound effects, coupled with absence of sound altogether, seen in some of the most powerful and polarising scenes in the film. An example of this is when Solomon is almost lynched and is left hanging from a tree, barely standing up enough to breath. The sound in this scene is present yet absent at the same time. This is because we are left with the diegetic sounds of the faint wind, the noises of the insects and the squelching of Solomon's shoes in the mud but what has been removed is all of the noises which would distract us; there is no music or dialogue. This being especially powerful as this scene lasts 1 minute and 26 seconds without a change in frame, all we are left to be looking at is Solomon struggling for his life, silently. Corrigan and White in The Film Experience state "Sound is a sensual experience that in some cases makes an even deeper impression that a film's visuals . . . sound has helped to make that experience even more immersive." (Corrigan and White, 178) This extract from Corrigan and White applies to many films where music and sounds effects are key features in how a movie connects and tells a story with the viewer however, in 12 Years a Slave the effect of sound is slightly different. Rather than sound giving a deeper impression than a film's visuals, in this case it works to enhance them. You are unable to look away from something so gripping when it's sound gives you no clues as to what is happening. We are left to watch the horrors unfold almost as a bystander, as a part of the film too. In this lynching scene of Solomon this is especially evident, primarily when the other slaves emerge from their rooms and continue their jobs as normal, forced not to interact with Solomon through fear of a similar punishment. We too are in this position; able to look but not touch. In terms of the emotional response that the sound here gives us, or absence of sound, we see the movie stripped back to its roots of simplicity. Our emotional response is linked to that of Solomon's as he is all we have to focus on and empathise with. ". . . feared that the introduction of sound would diminish the visual possibilities of the medium and reduce it to "canned theatre"" (Corrigan and White, 184) The absence of unnecessary sound counteracts this fear and aims to bring film back to it's pre-sound days in historical film development, where the visuals of a film were the primary source of the viewers emotional response.