no sound but theradar is one of the most violent contrasts in the film. As thedead man drifts into view through the window, the audiencesenses how alone man is in space. Later when Bowman maneuvers to reenter the shipwithout his helmet, the subtle sounds and whirs of the thecraft become louder. They abruptly give way to loudwarning sirens as he prepares for the worst. Again the sounddesign, built of authentic ambient structures, determines thetone and the overriding texture of the scene. By themselvesthe sounds are nuetral, but contextually they take on greateremphasis. The reason I am exploring the sound in such detail isbecause the musical and ambient parts of the soundtrackare very deliberate. Together they create an aural ensemblethat is greater than the sum of its parts. At many pointsthroughout the film, sound effects and music are usedentirely seperate from each other. On the mission to theClavius crater, we see images of Doctor Floyd talking withthe pilots of the shuttle, yet we cannot hear what they aresaying because all we hear is the music. The musical tracks we hear are placed at very deliberatepoints in the story. The film starts with Richard Strausss ThusSpake Zarathustra. We are presented with a view fromspace and we see the moon the earth and the sun inalignment. Here, the music creates an atmosphere of awe.We are presented with the majesty of the planets. This same piece of music plays as the apemen touch themonolith. Sustained low notes rising in pitch and volumetowards a crescendo. Here, it represents understanding.Later we hear the same piece of music representing yetanother theme, that of rebirth. It is plain to see that Kubrickintended to evoke different emotions and themes with thesame song. Johan Strausss piece The Blue Danube, is usedto similar effect.It represents Humour - (The stewardess, as shetends Floyd, and the advice for the zero gravity toilet) - andit represents the eloquence of the m...
