Man of Aran - Summary and Response

These two film clips were different, not only in the content, but also the feelings that were conveyed through the soundtrack (accompanied by the visuals). In the first clip, the scene showed three men rowing ashore to meet a lady and a boy. Upon reaching the shore, the boat is crushed by the power of the waves. The scene continues to show multiple shots of the people watching the waves crash along the steep cliffs' sides. The second film clip

In the first clip, the soundtrack began with with droning tones, followed by a rhythmic beat. The beat and the tones of the droning noises slowly increased, with added inflection and power when accompanied by image of the waves crashing. Even though the images showed a boat being destroyed, the soundtrack led me to believe that this was a somewhat joyful scene. Yes, the boat was smashed to pieces, but the people were reunited. As the images moved towards those of gigantic crashing waves, the soundtrack implied a feeling of awe with its lush orchestral layers.

In the second clip, the soundtrack felt upbeat, using ascending scales and a quicker tempo to convey this feeling. The notes used were also of a higher octave, which gives way to a bright and airy feeling. I had just come from watching the first clip, in which the waves are accompanied by a feeling of awe, but now the soundtrack was giving a feeling of joy. The clips of the waves seemed to be peaceful, as they were sandwiched in between shots of smiling people.

As the soundtrack began to include horns playing longer notes in lower registers, the clips of the waves began to give a sense of impending doom. When the music stopped, I found myself pulled into the film, as if I were a bystander watching everything happen. I couldn't understand exactly what was being said, but in my experience near the crashing ocean, this is often the case. At times, the dialog was distracting and funny, but I do feel that it was well placed to convey what was happening in the film without being overbearing. The inflection in the voices provided enough key evidence to deduct what was being said when the clarity was low.