Searching for Diegetic Rhythm
Rhythm is a very fundamentally human concept. If you go back tens of thousands of years, there will be evidence of humans using basic instruments to create rhythm. Professor Danielsen of the University of Oslo says this is because “Rhythm is necessary for understanding events in time, engaging in dialogue, and coordinating and synchronizing ourselves with one another” (Danielsen). So, how does Film capture and utilize rhythm? Film Art discusses how rhythm can build pace and tension, creating a continuous flow of emotion. Using rhythm in this way helps to magnify the emotion of the scene. Consider how John Carpenter’s droning piano helps build the tension of an incoming attack in Haloween(1978). Film art also discusses the contrasting use of rhythm to create a rise-and-fall arc throughout the scene. By matching a scene’s editing to a score’s rises and falls, you can help control the audience’s emotions. Think about times when a film score builds in intensity before mellowing out and the reveal of a seismic piece of information. Another use of rhythm that film art discusses is coordination. This entails matching character actions and cuts that highlight these actions to the rhythm and flow of the score. One example used is the intro to Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and how a cut to a tracking shot matches the building of drums in the score, followed by each cast member being cut to the beginning of each musical phrase. However, one of the most fascinating uses of Rhythm that Film art discusses is how editors can use consistent rhythmic editing to help sync to a viewer’s rhythmic predisposition, bringing them closer to the flow of the Film.
When rhythm is mentioned in Film, it is mostly in the non-diegetic sense or outside of the film’s world. When reading this chapter, I remembered a film that breaks this rule: Edgar Wright’s 2017 film Baby Driver.
But what does it mean for sound to be diegetic vs non-diegetic? Diegetic sound comes from the world of the story, which has many different effects, but the most common recommendation is to make the film world more authentic. Diegetic sound can be used for both sounds, such as a car window breaking or music. However, this diegetic music -usually from a physical instrument, singer, or speaker- is typically used in more intimate or slower scenes. Baby Driver does not abide by this principle and uses diegetic music to increase connection and impact in the Film’s biggest set pieces.
If you start watching from the middle of a scene in this movie, you might stake the claim that the score is diegetic, but watch it from the beginning, and you will see Baby queuing the score on his iPod. Both in world and out, the score acts as a motivating force and a pace-keeper. The rhythmic dedication to the editing, which has many sequences with actions and cuts synced to each individual beat of the score, aiding in building the intensity of emotion in that scene. Not only that, but this style of rhythmic editing helps to engross the viewer more into the character and action of the Film as each cut feels punchier and more impactful on the viewer. But why is it essential that this sound is made diegetic? When we see Baby pull off an expertly timed gear shift or drift to the beat, we, the viewers, are made a part of that action as we can relate to feeling amped up by a favorite song. Furthermore, using diegetic rhythm in this movie gives the viewers an insight into Baby’s character based on how he matches his music to the situation and helps us connect to Baby through a shared musical experience.
Sources cited
A Sense of Rhythm – Why Do We Have It and What Does It Mean to Us? – RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion. https://www.uio.no/ritmo/english/news-and-events/news/2018/a-sense-of-rhythm—why-do-we-have-it-and-what-doe.html. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.
Wright, E. (2017). Baby Driver. Sony Pictures Releasing.