Chapter 1 discusses the relationship between sound and image in cinema, emphasizing the concept of "added value." It uses examples from Ingmar Bergman's film "Persona" and Jacques Tati's film "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" to illustrate how sound enriches and enhances the visual experience. The author argues that sound adds expressive and informative value to an image, creating the impression that the information or expression naturally comes from what is seen.
This phenomenon is particularly evident in the synchronism of sound and image, where the combination of what is seen and heard forges a strong relationship. The passage also highlights the importance of language and the voice in cinema, suggesting that sound in film is primarily focused on capturing and centering our attention on voices, similar to how the human face directs our eyes in a movie shot. The passage touches on the significance of subtitles in structuring vision and the increasing role they play in film. Overall, the passage explores the illusionary and complementary nature of sound and image in cinema and the added value that sound brings to the visual experience.
The passage discusses the influence of text, music, and sound on the perception and interpretation of visuals in film. It begins with an example of a TV broadcast where the anchor's text adds meaning and structure to the images, demonstrating the concept of added value by text. The passage highlights that words in film guide and structure our vision, creating a ventriloquist-like effect where the images seem to "speak" for themselves but are animated by the words spoken.
Regarding music, the passage explains that it can evoke specific emotions in relation to the on-screen situation. Empathetic music aligns with the tone of the scene and participates in cultural codes for certain emotions, while anempathetic music exhibits indifference to the situation and intensifies the emotions by contrasting with the scene. The passage also mentions cases where music has neither empathetic nor anempathetic effects, serving a more abstract or didactic function.
Chapter 1 goes on to discuss the differences between visual and auditory perception. Sound presupposes movement, while visuals can contain fixed elements. Sound is capable of suggesting stasis, but fixed sounds are rare due to the inherent nature of sound as a dynamic medium. Additionally, the passage notes that the ear processes and synthesizes information faster than the eye, and a rapid sound trajectory can create a clear and recognizable form in a shorter duration compared to a rapid visual movement.
Overall, the chapter explores how text, music, and sound influence the interpretation and experience of visuals in film, adding meaning, emotion, and structure to the on-screen imagery.

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