In the film Clown Train how does sound contribute to the atmosphere of this film? Describe what you heard? Can you make reference to another genre film and how they utilise sound to create tension and a unique filmic space?

One of the ways Clown Train utilises sound to maximise its effect on the viewer is through the use of atmospheric/environmental sound. The dull, underlying drone that permeates the conversation between the two characters creates this sense of unending tension, especially when it comes to the fore during the long breaks in conversation, between lines. However, it is not this sound that causes the most tension. Arguably, it is when the sound is removed altogether and silence is allowed to dominate the soundscape. The abnormality of it immediately struck me as a viewer, highlighting how bizarre and ominous the scene was.

In a similar way, Martin Scorcese’s ‘Shutter Island’ employs sound, or rather, the lack thereof, to build dramatic tension. For example, in the scene where Leonardo Di Caprio’s character walks through the most dangerous part of the asylum, the soundscape consists of virtually only the sound of his match being struck to keep his only source of light alive. The absence of other sounds, aside from the most subtle musical cues, heightens the intensity of the moment and really encapsulates how isolated and vulnerable he is in that scene.