- Messages
- 14,382
- Location
- Small Town Ohio, USA
Think of any well-respected, classic film. From Casablanca to Dr. Zhivago. Do you remember any character whispering every blasted line? Citizen Kane, widely regarded the best film of all time, brought us a single whispered word: "Rosebud." For EFFECT. The whisper had dramatic purpose.
Time and again I am seeing (and it's not just my Ted Nugent-induced deafness) films (and TV shows) in which the characters are barely bothering to mouth the lines with any discernible sound. Actors do indeed spend no small amount of time learning vocal placement, projection, enunciation, etc. Do they, upon signing a contract, toss it all away? I know that most films now require the actors to re-record all their lines in the studio after shooting, and this seems to encourage very soft deliveries. But for me, it just doesn't play. All I (and my fellow viewers) are getting is frustration at having to back the stupid DVD up and crank the volume trying to get what they are mumbling!
Michael Douglas has placed his voice so deeply in his throat that he can speak very quietly and it works. Ditto Jack Nicholson. They do this for dramatic effect, not simply as The Way They Speak Always. Christian Bale, for example, cannot do this. His voice is highly placed and breathy. Every stupid line in every movie (unless he is specifically shouting) is whispered. Why? Is this somehow "artsy?"
Imagine having to even one time back up a DVD to try and discern what Gable was saying. Or Bogart. Or Hepburn. Certainly William Powell, who was known in Hollywood for his excellent diction.
So, current film makers who read here: SPEAK UP!!!
Time and again I am seeing (and it's not just my Ted Nugent-induced deafness) films (and TV shows) in which the characters are barely bothering to mouth the lines with any discernible sound. Actors do indeed spend no small amount of time learning vocal placement, projection, enunciation, etc. Do they, upon signing a contract, toss it all away? I know that most films now require the actors to re-record all their lines in the studio after shooting, and this seems to encourage very soft deliveries. But for me, it just doesn't play. All I (and my fellow viewers) are getting is frustration at having to back the stupid DVD up and crank the volume trying to get what they are mumbling!
Michael Douglas has placed his voice so deeply in his throat that he can speak very quietly and it works. Ditto Jack Nicholson. They do this for dramatic effect, not simply as The Way They Speak Always. Christian Bale, for example, cannot do this. His voice is highly placed and breathy. Every stupid line in every movie (unless he is specifically shouting) is whispered. Why? Is this somehow "artsy?"
Imagine having to even one time back up a DVD to try and discern what Gable was saying. Or Bogart. Or Hepburn. Certainly William Powell, who was known in Hollywood for his excellent diction.
So, current film makers who read here: SPEAK UP!!!
