The Sound World of the Alienated Film Character

Abstract

Alienation is a concept interpreted from different angles and
used in various areas of human thought: in philosophy, psychology, sociology,
law, and economics. Some theoretical works and those works of art which
center on the phenomenon of alienation, emphasize three main aspects of this
phenomenon: alienation as the loss of essential connections (identification) with
the outside world (society, social group, nature); with close people (the loved
one, family, friends) and, ultimately, with oneself, the true self. It is these aspects
of the understanding of alienation that can also be seen in cinema — an art form
which, perhaps, responds to the problems and events of contemporary reality
in the quickest and most vivid way. Most frequently, the theme of alienation in
the film is based on the development of the artistic image of one — as a rule, the
main —character. Despite the fact that alienation a priori implies the “alienation”
of the actor’s performance and the minimization of expressive means, the ideas
and deep meanings that are very important for the director, the director’s
aesthetic and ethical principles and his or her interpretation of contemporary
problems are often conveyed through the image of the alienated character. The
essay deals with the visual and sound techniques and the semantics of word and
music employed in the process of creating the inner and the outer worlds of an
alienated film character.