Sonic representations of the devil in films: multiple voices and minimal music in The Exorcist

Authors

  • Rodrigo Carreiro Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
  • Suzana Reck Miranda Universidade Federal de São Carlos

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-3729.2015.4.20990

Keywords:

Sound design, Pop culture, Film analysis

Abstract

The devil has been, over the centuries, one of the favorite characters of figurative arts, including cinema - that has represented in various ways and in various genres. Their different appearances have been documented and examined in detail, but its sound counterpart has not received the same attention. It is the aim of this essay, therefore, to examine and discuss some of the most influential ways in which the devil has been depicted in movies in sonic terms. We will do this by analyzing the use of voice, music and sound effects in The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973). We choose this film due to the massive influence he had on Devil’s representation in horror cinema of the past five decades.

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Author Biographies

Rodrigo Carreiro, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Rodrigo Carreiro é professor do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. É Mestre e Doutor em Comunicação pela UFPE. Pesquisa principalmente sobre filmes de horror, sound design e análise fílmica.

Suzana Reck Miranda, Universidade Federal de São Carlos

Suzana Reck Miranda é professora do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imagem e Som da Universidade Federal de São Carlos. É Mestre e Doutora em Multimeios pela Unicamp. Pesquisa principalmente sobre música, som e cinema.

References

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WISNIK, José M. O Som e o Sentido. São Paulo: Circulo do Livro/Cia das Letras, 1989.

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Published

2015-09-08

How to Cite

Carreiro, R., & Miranda, S. R. (2015). Sonic representations of the devil in films: multiple voices and minimal music in The Exorcist. Revista FAMECOS, 22(4), 119–134. https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-3729.2015.4.20990

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 4 (2015)

Section

Movie

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