Theory of the Film: Sound

Bela Balazs discusses sound in its raw, natural form. She discusses how different sounds are heard by people every day, but how our minds drown out the unimportant sounds. However, people can listen to whatever they want to hear if they choose to focus on how many sounds they can hear. If they close their eyes and think about what they can hear, they can paint a picture in their head about their surroundings. The lack of sound, or silence, also plays an important role in the world of sound. Without silence, sound would overwhelm our senses, but thanks to silence, we are able to focus on what is in front of us and are able to relax. Despite sound being around us constantly, it cannot be separated from its acoustic environment without being altered. The sound in its original form only exists within its acoustic environment. That is the beautiful thing about sound, we have so much of it but can only be truly appreciated when we listen to its source.