Xiaorui
Huang
MUS
380 37662 Film MusicFinal Paper
Instructor: Dr. Grasso
Score: 99/100
The
Letter Duet, Freedom, and Acousmêtre:
The Expression of Freedom by the Letter Duet
in the Shawshank Redemption
With
seven Oscar nominations, the Shawshank
Redemption is considered as one of the best movies with themes of imprisonment
and freedom. In this movie, hero Andy Dufresne spends almost twenty years to tunnel
through the wall of prison and eventually escapes from the imprisonment due to
an erroneous judgment. With Andy’s overcoming brutalities of guards,
maltreatment by homosexual rapists, friends’ suicide and being murdered, and warden’s
threats, the freedom theme accumulates gradually throughout the whole movie and
reaches climax when he escapes and again when he meets the other hero Red
again. In this movie, the scene (as “broadcasting scene” in the following text)
where the Andy defies prison rules and broadcasts the Letter Duet from Mozart’s
opera Marriage of Figaro to the whole
prison is one of the most memorable scene that express freedom. How does the music
of the Letter Duet express the notion of freedom to prisoners[1]?
Why is it so effective in doing so? In this essay, I will examine several ways
that prisoners perceive freedom when hearing the Letter Duet. Specifically, the
Letter Duet defamiliarizes the confined conditions of prison to prisoners and
creates a new space-time dimension that transcends the prison. In addition, I
will discuss the role of the music of Letter Duet as an acousmêtre in this film, which relates to its
effectiveness in expressing freedom.
Musicologist
Mary Hunter argues that in the broadcasting scene the Letter Duet expresses
freedom to prisoners through its cultural reference. Hunter claims that the film
purposely, though not overtly, refers to the historical context and contents of
the Marriage of Figaro to convey the
notion of freedom (93). Specifically, “the hope of a “freely loving order” that…
[Countess and Susannah] imagine their letter will achieve” are connected to the
freedom theme in the Shawshank Redemption
(qtd. in Chua 351). Hunter explains that Andy, being a literate banker and the controller
of the prison public address system (PA system) in this scene, broadcasts the notion
of freedom that he receives from the aria to the prisoner body (93). According
to Hunter, the reason why the prisoners who have no knowledge about this aria
can perceive freedom by hearing it is that they receive Andy’s understanding
(including the notion of freedom) from the PA system along with the music. In
other words, these prisoners learn the interpretation of this aria from Andy
through the PA system.
However,
Hunter’s explanation is problematic because she misinterprets the role of Andy in
broadcasting the music. Hunter considers Andy as a transmitter who sends his
own interpretation about the aria to prisoners, which is rather subjective and
contradicts with Red’s narration. Specifically, Andy stays muted during broadcasting
and does not express to others any personal opinions about the music until his
two-week solitary punishment ends. Also Red in his narration in the
broadcasting scene says “I have no idea to this day what those two Italian
ladies were singing about… [but] every last man at Shawshank felt free.” Apparently,
prisoners do not receive Andy’s interpretation about this aria while listening
to the music. Therefore, it is unreasonable to argue that the music express the
notion of freedom to prisoners through its cultural reference because these
prisoners do not understand its content or receive Andy’s understandings about
it from the PA system, yet, they still feel free when hearing it.
Without
its content and cultural context being understood, how does the Letter Duet
express the notion of freedom to prisoners? Slavoj Žižek, a philosopher and
film theory scholar, argues that in this scene prisoners feel free because they
perceive the essence of beauty and freedom in this music through pure listening
(159).
In
two different but interconnected ways that pure listening to the Letter Duet
makes prisoners feel free. First, the music defamiliarizes the
current state of non-freedom that prisoners currently experience.
Music scholar Daniel Chua argues that the acoustic presence of Letter Duet as
an aria from eighteenth century[2]
in a 1950s prison introduces a time gap that disorients prisoners on the
dimension of time and estranges them with the current point of time when they
are imprisoned (348). Also, the sudden acoustic appearance of the aria
introduces a huge contrast between what actually happens (broadcasting the
aria) and what prisoners expect to happen in the prison. Being more or less
institutionalized by Shawshank, prisoners have adapted to the prison routines
that are completely regulated and harshly managed by guards. To some degree,
the broadcasting of the aria does not change their expectation of the prison
but psychologically obfuscates their current existence in a prison and for a
moment make them doubt that whether or not they are in a prison. Therefore,
both the temporal characteristic of the Letter Duet and its acoustic presence
defamiliarizes the current state of being in a prison and make prisoners feel
free.
The second way that the aria expresses freedom
to prisoners without its content understood is that it generates a new
space-time dimension that transcends the prison in both space and time. After
the confusion and defamiliarization at the first moment, prisoners start to
perceive the essence of beauty from this aria, which is shown in Red narration:
“I’d like to think that they were singing about something so beautiful that it
can’t be expressed in words”. This essence is timeless (referring to the time
gap discussed above) and the perception of it reminds prisoners that their
minds cannot be confined (Chua 348). Also in this scene, all prisoners in the
yard concentrate on the music and experience a motionless moment, which
reflects a process that the ongoing flow of time is suspended and surrounding space
of the prison is detached from them. In other words, by conveying a timeless
essence of beauty to prisoners, the Letter Duet creates a space-time dimension
where prisoners transcend their physical existence in the prison and therefore
make them feel free.
In
addition, the effectiveness of the Letter Duet in expressing freedom also
relates to its role as an acousmêtre
for prisoners. According to composer Michel Chion, acousmêtre refers to a voice
that “has not yet been visualized” and “[listensers] cannot yet connect to a
face” (21). In the Shawshank Redemption,
the music of the Letter Duet (both vocal and instrumental) as a whole is a
perfect radio-acousmêtre to prisoners because it is only heard in the
public-address system and remains non-visualized throughout the film. Chion
identifies four characteristics of acousmêtre in movies, namely “ubiquity,
panopticism, omniscience, and omnipotence” (24). In the Shawshank Redemption, ubiquity and omnipotence of the music of Letter
Duet are particularly highlighted in delivering the notion of freedom.
This piece of music is ubtiquitous because
firstly and literally, in the broadcasting scene, it penetrates the whole Shawshank
complex where the major part of the movie narrative happens. Secondly, after
being heard by prisoners, the music “awakens” them from the
institutionalization and reinhabits the timeless essence of beauty and then
freedom into their mind. According to Red’s narration, this process happens to
everyone who hears the music. In this sense, the music inhabits into every
prisoner’s mind and essentially becomes ubiquitous in Shawshank prison.
Besides, the music of the Letter Duet is
omnipotence, which is reflected in Andy’s [3]description
that the music stays in his mind and heart, and is indestructible by outside
forces including the severe punishment of the two-week solitary. Moreover, in
the following narrative, the Letter Duet and the notion of freedom that Andy
gets from it help him survive both mentally and physically through severe
sufferings including Tommy’s death, a two-month solitary, and Norton’s threats,
and eventually support him to escape from Shawshank. Thus, to some degree, the
music of the Letter Duet and the essence of freedom associated with it are
invulnerable in this film.
In
the Shawshank Redemption, in the
broadcasting scene, the Letter Duet does not express the notion of freedom
through its cultural references because the prisoners who perceive freedom by
hearing it do not understand its content. Instead, the Letter Duet convey the
notion of freedom by defamiliarizing the conditions of imprisonments to
prisoners and creating a new space-time dimension that transcends the prison in
both space and time, which are the achieved through prisoners’ pure listening. Moreover, the
effectiveness of the Letter Duet in conveying freedom in this movie is associated
with its role as an acousmêtre
and its characteristics of ubiquity and omnipotence.
Work Cited
Chion,
Michel, and Claudia Gorbman. "The Acousmêtre." The voice in cinema.
[Nachdr.] ed. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001. 17-29. Print.
Chua,
Daniel. "Listening to the Self: The Shawshank Redemption and the
Technology of Music." 19th-century music 34.3 (2011): 341-55. JSTOR.
Web. 4 June 2012.
Hunter,
Mary. “Sentiment and Wit, Feeling and Knowing: The Shawshank Redemption and
Prizzi’s Honor.” Between Opera and Cinema.
Ed. Jeongwon Joe and Rose Theresa. Oxford: Routledge, 2002, 93-120. Print
The
Shawshank Redemption. Dir. Frank Darabont. Perf.
Tim Robbins; Morgan Freeman. Warner Home Video, 1994. DVD.
Žižek, Slavoj. "The Breakout." The fragile
absolute or, Why is the Christian legacy worth fighting for?. Pbk. ed.
London: Verso, 2001. 143-60. Print.
Cuesheet
<The Shawshank
Redemption> Thomas Newman (1994)
0:00:16
When the captioning of
Castle Rock Entertainment presents, a piece of jazzy and blues song (If I Didn’t Care) sung by male solo and
accompanied by guitar and piano starts. It is mild and lyrical, and its tempo
is moderato. At 0:00:58, when the image of film starts with Andy sitting in his
car, the volume of the music decreases. When Andy takes out a gun and some bullets,
a drone by string starts and continues when the image shifts to the scene in a
court. Several dissonant piano chords and some dissonant low string can be
heard in the court scene.
0:02:56
When the prosecution
attorney describes Andy’s wife and her lover and the image of them appears, a
gentle but suspended motive by piano starts. It is in minor key and is
accompanied by the string drone continues since 0:00:16. When the prosecution
attorney interrogates Andy, some dissonant string enters. In addition, the male
vocal (played by radio on Andy’s car) mentioned above can be heard whenever the
image shifts back to Andy’s sitting in the car.
0:09:05
When the bus takes Andy
and other new prisoners to the Shawshank, a polyphonic, dissonant, and slightly
lively motive in minor key by violin starts. Its tempo is moderato. When Red
starts narrates, the volume of the music decreases. The music stops when Hadley
speaks to the prisoner who gets off the bus first.
0:12:05
When Red and his friends
make a bet on which one of the new comers will cry, a suspended, monophonic,
and dissonant motive by string starts. It becomes extremely harsh when Andy
walks into a building.
0:14:21
When new comers get
washed, a drone by string starts. Then a gentle, sorrowful (and even grave),
and muted piano motive enters. Later when prisoners enter their cells, string
enters. The overall texture is homophonic.
0:23:30
When Andy asks Heywood
the dead fat guy’s name, a homophonic, sorrowful, slow, and dissonant motive by
woodwind starts. It is in minor key. Then a motive by synthesizer starts when
Andy takes shower.
0:28:30
When Andy finishes
talking with Red and Red’s narration begins, a dissonant string motive starts.
It is in minor key and of andante tempo.
0:29:04 When prisoners ship cargos
from outsides, a suspended, mysterious, somewhat lively, and slightly amusing
motive by synthesizer starts. It continues as varies prisoners try to send the
rock hammer to Andy.
0:31:23 When Andy gets trapped by the
Sisters and fights with them, a suspended motive by synthesizer at low volume
starts. Later low string and violin enter when Red narrates Andy’s routine
encounter with the Sisters. The music is in minor key and of andante tempo.
0:33:15 When Norton announces the
plan to resurface roofs of buildings, a motive by violin starts. It is
folk-like and slightly relaxing. It is accompanied by guitar.
0:37:25 When Andy gets beer for his
friends through the “deal” with Captain Hadley, and when his friends enjoy the
beers on the roof after working, a lyrical, consonant, and polyphonic violin
motive starts. Later trumpet enters.
0:40:20 When Andy craves a rock at
night in his cell, a sorrowful, gentle, dissonant, and homophonic motive by
synthesizer starts. Then muted piano enters. It is in minor key and of andante
tempo.
0:41:21 A diegetic piece of music in
the movie Gilda when prisoners watch
this movie.
0:44:06 When Andy confronts the
Sisters in the projection room during the movie, a drone starts. Then a
suspended motive by synthesizer and muted piano starts.
0:46:16 When Andy’s friends find
rocks for him to crave, a jazzy, folk-like, and slightly relaxing motive by
violin and guitar.
0:50:55 When guards finish tossing
cells, a sorrowful and homophonic motive by strings and muted piano starts. It
is of moderato tempo.
0:55:39 When Andy asks Norton for
money to expand library, a drone of high pitch starts. Then a dissonant violin
motive in minor key starts at low volume. When Andy writes letters, a motive by
synthesizer starts. And when Andy does tax returns for guards, a slightly
amusing motive by synthesizer starts.
1:00:55 When Brooks is released, a
string drone starts. Then woodwind and muted piano enter. The music is very
sorrowful and grave. It is homophonic, slow, and in minor key. When The image
shifts to Brooks’ life outside the prison, the drone continues and the motives
repeat and vary until Brooks’ suicide.
1:07:47 Andy plays LP of the Marriage
of Figaro and broadcast it to the whole Shawshank complex. It is an aria (Letter
Duet) accompanied by orchestra. Its texture is homophony and its meter is
triple. It is lyrical and consonant. When Norton and guards knock on the door,
Andy turns up the volume.
1:12:19 When Andy talks about music
and hope with his friends including Red, a dissonant, homophonic and slightly
grave string motive starts. It is in minor key and of andante tempo. It is at
low volume.
1:15:06 When Andy receives the poster
of Marilyn Monroe at night in his cell, a suspended, mysterious, dissonant,
unsettling, and homophonic motives by woodwind starts. It is of andante tempo.
1:16:23 Red blows the harmonica for a
single note and stops. Then the scene is mute.
1:17:51 Heywood listens to and sings
Hank Williams’ song in the prison library. The song is a piece of country music
accompanied by guitar. It is relaxing. It continues when Norton announces the “inside-out”
program.
1:24:00 When Tommy arrives at the
Shawshank, a piece of rock (or pop?) music starts. It is energetic and of quick
tempo.
1:26:54 When Andy teaches Tommy, a
drone by string at high pitch starts. Then slightly motive by synthesizer and
string starts. It is in minor key. And it
somewhat “splendid” when the narration of Red introduces what Andy achieves
in the prison.
1:30:14 When Tommy talks to Andy and
Red about the read criminal of Andy’s murder case, a drone by string starts.
1:35:26 When Andy is in solitary, a
sorrowful, duple, polyphonic, and grave motive by string starts. It continues
but becomes slower when the image shifts to Tommy’s being called by Norton to
talk. It is in minor key.
1:39:29 When Norton threatens Andy to
keep helping him, a dissonant, homophonic, and harsh motive by string start.
Then an harsh, ascending string motive enters.
1:42:51 When Andy talks with Red
about Zihuatanejo, a string drone starts. Then a sorrowful and homophonic
motive by muted piano starts in minor key. It is of andante tempo and at low
volume. Later, string enters and take the major part. After that, woodwind
enters.
1:49:00 When Andy shines the shoes of
Norton, a drone by string starts. Then a suspended and homophonic motive by
woodwind starts. It is in minor key and of andante tempo. It continues until
Andy returns to his cell.
1:54:11 When Norton finds out the
tunnel that Andy digs on the wall, a drone starts. When guards search for Andy,
an intense, consonant, duple, quick, lively and polyphonic motive by the whole
orchestra starts.
1:55:10 When Andy starts to dig a
tunnel on the wall, a motive by muted piano starts. It is in minor key and
continues during Andy’s escaping process. Low string enters when Andy crawls
through the tunnel. When Andy gets out of the tunnel and arrives at the sewage,
a dissonant motive by the whole orchestra starts. It is of andante tempo. And
when Andy gets out of the sewage, the volume increases. When he cries into the
air, the orchestra plays several loud chords.
2:00:32 When Andy enters a bank,
synthesizer plays an airy motive at high pitch.
2:02:06 When police comes to the
Shawshank for Norton and Hadley, a tense, quick, dissonant, and polyphonic
motive by synthesizer starts. It is of duple meter. At the same time, string
and piano play some discrete and dissonant chords. The music shifts to string
motive in minor key and at low volume when Norton shoots himself.
2:04:34 When Red receives Andy’s
postcard, a slow, dissonant, and homophonic string motive at low volume starts.
2:05:20 When Red in narration
assimilates Andy to a bird with bright feathers, a sorrowful and gentle motive
played by muted piano starts.
2:08:30 When Reds gets out of the
Shawshank, a drone begins. Then muted piano enter. Later, violin enters when
Red narrates that he has no way to make it on the outside.
2:11:14 When Red follows Andy’s instruction
to find what Andy leaves to him, a lyrical, homophonic, consonant, and slightly
sorrowful motive by woodwind starts. Then string enters and the musical texture
becomes polyphonic. When Red finds the wall, harmonica enters. The music stops
when Red finds the box buried by Andy for him.
2:15:45
When Red reads Andy’s
letter, a peaceful, slow, and harmonic motive by string starts at low volume.
Then woodwind comes in and the music becomes brighter and more lyrical. The
music continues as Red goes to find Andy. Then piano enters in major key. When
Red reaches the beach in Zihuatanejo and meets Andy, violins play at higher
pitches and louder volume. Finally, when captioning starts, the orchestra
enters and plays a polyphonic and consonant piece of moderato tempo. Violins
play the major melody in this piece.
[1] If
not otherwise noted, “Prisoners” in this essay refers to prisoners other than
Andy Dufresne in the film the Shawshank
Redemption.
[2] Although
prisoners may or may not know the exact time of composition of this aria, they
are supposed to know that it does not belong to 1950s. This is because that
firstly, Red knows that the aria is Italian. Secondly, referring to the scene
at 1:11:25, when Andy talks about Mozart, other prisoners can recognize this
name. Thus, here I assume prisoners know that this aria is not from their time
(1930s - 50s) but from an early period.
[3] Note
that the music of Letter Duet is also an acousmêtre to Andy because he is
unlikely to be able to connect the voices in this particular LP to some faces
either.
