I enjoy reading “Social Space,” though Henri Lefebvre’s writing is a bit too loose to me. It’s hard to catch the entire flow of his thoughts. But one thing he does keep me thinking is the logic of producing space through the production and reproduction of representation, especially visualization. My thoughts started from the “visible” to the “invisible,” then the sounds of “Play Time” (Jacques Tati, 1967) knocked at the door of my mind. Hm…How does sound play its role in representing a place? We often ask: “Hey, how does this place look?” How about “how does this place sound to you?”
How does Paris sound in “Play Time”? I don’t quite remember how any specific scene in the film sounds. It seems that I am more used to “watching” films with a visual dominant logic, which means the images of the film guide my cinema experiences more than sounds. (BTW. A blind lady has just walked by, while I am typing this line. I am wondering how she would feel about Paris in “Play Time.”) But the other night, Glass Phillip came to perform his music on campus and shared one of his perspectives on image and sound in a film: the sound and music in a film would influence how we perceive the image on the screen; however, the absence of image does not influence how you enjoy the sound and music of a film. He suggested us trying to listen to a film without the screen turned on. Did he emphasize the power of sound, because he is a composer? Here I don’t mean to emphasize Glass’ perspective, but to raise my question about the relationship between sound and the representation of a space in a film or in life. This question may be too broad. But perhaps it is good for brain storming as a curious beginner.
Well, back to the question: how does Paris sound to you in the film “Play Time?” The images in this film make Paris look like a boring place with only malls, shops and offices and fancy homes. The sound in the film did play an important, entertaining and inspiring role for my viewing of the film. The electronic sounds of those doors opening and close and the choices of amplifying indoor or outdoors ambient sounds do give me a strong sense of the segregation of private and public space. The absence of human dialogue does invite me to seek for the human communication in this film. The sound of the leather seats bouncing back (like farting) makes me realize how often we neglect the details of sounds as we pass a place in too much a hurry. Then I become aware of how powerful sound could be for Jacques Tati to present his critical idea on the space of Paris. In the film, Paris as a busy city saturated by technology, provide home for distracted and uncritical residents that don’t often listen to each other and don’t look outside the shops or offices.
The sounds and music in “Play Time” are often amplified and demolished, which may not seem “harmonic” to the “normal” experience of a place. Will part of the sound track of the film be unbearable, more like “noises” for some viewers? What is normal then? Does normal mean that you listen to a piano music by the ocean under the beautiful moon? These are my “fragmented” thoughts about sound and place.
