Sound in Thrillers

How is Sound used in Thrillers to create Tension?

In the Thriller television show, Hannibal, both diegetic and non-diegetic sound is used to create tension. In the clip above Hannibal Lecter is treating Jack Crawford to dinner. The non diegetic classical music playing is very sophisticated, like music that would be played in a higher end restaurant, suggesting Hannibal's home made meal is as equally elegant of that of a restaurant. This also sets a very refined tone for the scene. The pace of the music is slow creating a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere for the characters on screen. However, the calmness of the tone of music creates a sense of anticipation for the audience, as we are aware that Hannibal is dangerous and not to be trusted. 
       The idea that Hannibal is not to be trusted is reinforced by diegetic sound of Hannibal cutting his meat.  His knife chopping against his plate makes for a very sinister sound, Hannibal also continues talking whilst completing this action, making his speech appear more menacing. Only Hannibal's cutlery can be heard in this scene, and more specifically only his knife, the sound Hannibal is making therefore dominating the scene, expressing he holds the most power out of the two characters. 

When Jack jokes that the rabbit they are eating "should have hopped faster", Hannibal agrees by saying yes, "he" should have. The fact he uses the word "he" in relation to the rabbit forms suspicion, this suspicion is then confirmed by the dissonance of sound interrupting the character's conversation and leading into a flashback. It is Hannibal's voice that queues this change in music, therefore the harsh, inharmonious strum of strings reflect his character. This unpleasant change in music confirms the grotesque truth that the men are eating a human, not a rabbit. The volume of the music is a lot louder than it had been moments before, making the scene appear more tense. Again, diegetic sound of meat being cut can be heard partnered with the squeamish sound of joints being pulled apart creating quite a large sense of terror. 
         The sound fades out in a droning, echoing way, as if recorded in a tunnel. This oneiric sound treatment obviously used to reflect Hannibal's flashback. This fades quickly back into the melodic music heard moments before, Hannibal using a friendly and playful tone of voice to respond to Jack's remark and also bring the audience back into the reality of his dinner party. Hannibal is both dominating in dialogue, and initiating changes in sound thus reflecting his powerful characteristics and the tension these changes can make. 





In the psychological Thriller, Shutter Island pleonastic sound and pathetic fallacy is used to form a sense of unease. In this scene, detectives Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule are taking shelter in the cementary in the middle of a storm whilst investigating Ashecliffe mental hospital, a mental asylum located on a deserted island. The pathetic fallacy of the storm outside reflects the agitation between the characters, a storm connoting mental conflict, referencing the psychophysical sub-genre of the film. The sound of the external pattering of rain also creates a somewhat enclosed feeling for the characters, as if they are trapped.
      It is Chuck Aule that initiates the pleonastic sound which begins to heighten the anxiety and tension within the scene. As the diegetic sound of his voice grows, a non-diegetic soundtrack can be heard beginning to surface. It consists of a light strumming of a string instrument, the pace very slow creating an uncomfortable juxtaposition between the urgency of Chuck's voice and the moderate sound of the soundtrack. It builds tension around the character of Teddy, as if the soundtrack is a reflection of his emotions and the overwhelming notion of them. 
     An unharmonious drum beat in then added, sounding at a much faster pace than the strumming noise. This creates a struggle within the sound, perhaps symbolising the struggle Teddy is currently having in relevance to what is happening at Ashecliffe and his involvement in being there. The volume of the soundtrack dominates the scene, inferring that Chuck is creating an overcoming sensation by shouting at Teddy, and that it is Chuck that holds all the power within the scene. 
     This is then interrupted by a harsh diegetic sound of the storm outside as the doors blow open. This creates a very impending sense of an attack, as if they have suddenly been exposed. The diegetic sound of the storm is deafening, causing the characters to have to yell over the top in order to be heard, implying the Thriller genre of the film because of the suspense and fear notion caused by the sound of the storm. The use of sound in this clip invokes drama and the battle between sounds refers to the psychological battle the characters face linking to both the main genre and sub-genre of the film.