Sound in Thriller Movies Analysis 'Panic Room' and 'Catch Me if You Can'

The two films that we have chosen to analyse are 'Panic Room' and 'Catch Me if You Can'. When analysing the sound, we have noticed that the two have both similarities and differences. Firstly, we will analyse the sound and music in 'Panic Room'.

The 'Panic Room' starts off with one instrument which is the cello. This is a low key sound which starts the sequence with a negative feel as it has deep tones which suggests fear. As the cello is playing, we hear the sound of car horns in the background. The music is quite slow paced which builds tension as the scene is set around buildings and skyscrapers in a city. As the title comes in the cello goes very low key which establishes the theme of the film. Ambient sound of wind comes in which adds realism to the external setting. It is followed by the sound of symbols that then introduces the sound of other instruments. Ticking starts at 0.56 seconds in. The ticking represents a time limit which compliments the connotation behind the title which is panic. It makes the audience feel as if they're racing against time. Coinciding with the ticking, a sharp pinging from the violin strings sets a harsh, violent sound. The tone and pace of the music increases which makes the audience feel distressed. A undertone of whistling is used which is very subtle. However, it creates a big effect. Traffic and pedestrians sound effects are played against this harsh music, again as a subtle undertone which isn't supposed to be individually depicted from the music, however it adds to the complexity. A repeat of the symbols is used to set apart the instruments as the cello is being introduced, played along the sound of the ticking. The violin and the cello fade in and out of each other which creates different tones and sets a varied motion. It is also apparent that at the end of the opening sequence an organ has been used as the last instrument of the soundtrack before the non-diegetic dialogue appears.

The second soundtrack we are analysing is from the film 'Catch Me if You Can'. It has a more upbeat feel which is parallel with the pace of the chase. It starts off with a xylophone instrument and a snappy 'shhh' sound effect. There are gaps in between each chime which could represent heartbeats that is relevant to the fear of being chased. The introduction of the violin quickens the pace and the high pitch sets a more positive feeling. This is followed by a saxophone which adds a suspisious, mysterious feel. A piano is playing in time with the saxophone when the name of the director and actors are shown. We hear a clicking sound 6 times within this part of the sequence. This hasty click represents the time ticking away. A flute starts playing against the piano and saxophone. All these instruments playing together makes a larger collaboration of sounds that work well with creating a tension building piece. The violins create a higher pitched and paced sound which elaborates the title. Once the title is shown, the music goes from a mixture of pitches to a leveled pitch. With the introduction of the saxophone, it is also obvious that gender representations are shifted from male to female. This is because the mood of the music the audience hears has gone from a low pitched and nerve-wracking sound to a relaxed, subtle tone. The change of tone then changes again when the crew are introduced. Shortly after the sound of clicking fades down, a beeping sound starts. The short, sharp beep could represent an alarm  or siren, suggesting the character could be late for something. The sound of the music starts to fade  down once the name of the director comes up. The music stops and we hear two clicks and a final key on the piano to round off the piece.

These two soundtracks are different in many ways. However, they also have some similarities. These being, they are both parallel to the visuals they show and both soundtracks are non-diegetic. The instrument that has been used in both soundtracks is a violin which is conventional to the thriller genre. Both soundtracks have also used sound effects such as beeping, time ticking and ambient sounds. Although both soundtracks have similarities, they have differences which can be recognised. For example, the pace of 'Catch Me if You Can' is sustained at a fast level throughout the opening sequence whereas, in 'Panic Room' the pace speeds up after the title has been introduced. Also, 'Panic Room' has diegetic sound such as ambient natural sounds throughout the opening and the diegetic dialogue at the end. Whereas, in 'Catch Me if You Can' it is noticeable that the whole sequence is non-diegetic music with animated visuals. As the music fades down in 'Catch Me if You Can' the visuals fade out to black whereas in 'Panic Room' as the sound fades down the dialogue is introduced so they overlap momentarily.