Berberian Sound Studio
Year: 2012
Directed by: Peter Strickland
Starring: Toby Jones, Antonio Mancino & Fatima Mohamed
Runtime: 94 mins
BBFC: 15
Published: 15/05/23
Directed by: Peter Strickland
Starring: Toby Jones, Antonio Mancino & Fatima Mohamed
Runtime: 94 mins
BBFC: 15
Published: 15/05/23
Fifty percent of every film is sound, and the importance of it is criminally overlooked by critics and audiences alike. If a film’s sound design is good you probably wouldn’t even notice it’s there, because what you’re seeing sounds the way it should sound. It’s only if the sound design is below par that you’ll realise, and it’ll ruin the entire film.
Every so often a film comes around that explores the unsung heroes of cinema, and reminds the audience of the importance of their profession. But none have presented it in the way that Berberian Sound Studio does.
Gilderoy (Toby Jones) is flown from England to Italy by request of the director of an ‘equestrian film’, for his expertise and unrivalled skill in sound production.
When he arrives however, he finds not a film about horses but instead a ‘giallo’ horror film, wherein the female characters are tortured and killed in obscene and deeply unsettling ways.
Tasked with making the film sound as realistic as possible, Gilderoy frequently clashes with his colleagues and starts to suffer from a psychotic breakdown where the film and reality begin to blur together.
Every so often a film comes around that explores the unsung heroes of cinema, and reminds the audience of the importance of their profession. But none have presented it in the way that Berberian Sound Studio does.
Gilderoy (Toby Jones) is flown from England to Italy by request of the director of an ‘equestrian film’, for his expertise and unrivalled skill in sound production.
When he arrives however, he finds not a film about horses but instead a ‘giallo’ horror film, wherein the female characters are tortured and killed in obscene and deeply unsettling ways.
Tasked with making the film sound as realistic as possible, Gilderoy frequently clashes with his colleagues and starts to suffer from a psychotic breakdown where the film and reality begin to blur together.
Before I get too far into this review I will clarify that I’m not really sure I understood Berberian Sound Studio, and I think a lot of that comes down to the fact that I had to pause the film to go and do something, and I couldn’t return to it for a few hours. By the time I pressed play again, clearly it was at the wrong moment because the final thirty to forty minutes of the film felt entirely different to the first hour or so that I had watched earlier on, and the shift was jarring to say the least. Had I watched the film in a single sitting I’m unsure if the effect would have been the same, maybe I might have understood what was going on at the end of the film a bit more, but I do think the film is open to interpretation enough that even without a definitive opinion of what I witnessed, I feel I can talk about what I enjoyed and didn’t.
To say that Gilderoy suffers a psychotic breakdown I wouldn’t personally consider a spoiler, because there’s no allusion to the idea that once things start to get really weird in the final act that any of what you’re seeing is real. It’s a result of multiple factors being a constant mental drain on the man and his mind eventually just unravelling.
What I really enjoyed about Berberian’s horror is that for the entire film you’re never shown the gruesome footage that Gilderoy is being exposed to. You only ever see the sounds he and the sound crew are making, with the film’s audio track playing in the background for their timing reference.
If you’re of the belief that fruit and vegetables have feelings then I’d advise you steer clear of Berberian Sound Studio, a lot of watermelons, cabbages, and carrots were harmed in the making of this film. It’s really quite entertaining to see how some of the squelchy and crunchy noises for films are made, I mean I always knew it was using methods such as these in the film but it’s different knowing it and then actually seeing it come to fruition. Seeing Gilderoy repeatedly stab a cabbage with a serrated bread knife to get the best sound of someone being cut to pieces is equally fascinating, funny, and frightening. Using the most ordinary of household objects to create some of the most unusual or unsettling sounds really is quite a wonder.
To say that Gilderoy suffers a psychotic breakdown I wouldn’t personally consider a spoiler, because there’s no allusion to the idea that once things start to get really weird in the final act that any of what you’re seeing is real. It’s a result of multiple factors being a constant mental drain on the man and his mind eventually just unravelling.
What I really enjoyed about Berberian’s horror is that for the entire film you’re never shown the gruesome footage that Gilderoy is being exposed to. You only ever see the sounds he and the sound crew are making, with the film’s audio track playing in the background for their timing reference.
If you’re of the belief that fruit and vegetables have feelings then I’d advise you steer clear of Berberian Sound Studio, a lot of watermelons, cabbages, and carrots were harmed in the making of this film. It’s really quite entertaining to see how some of the squelchy and crunchy noises for films are made, I mean I always knew it was using methods such as these in the film but it’s different knowing it and then actually seeing it come to fruition. Seeing Gilderoy repeatedly stab a cabbage with a serrated bread knife to get the best sound of someone being cut to pieces is equally fascinating, funny, and frightening. Using the most ordinary of household objects to create some of the most unusual or unsettling sounds really is quite a wonder.
A large portion of the film’s dialogue is in Italian, and I had the choice of watching it subtitled or not. I opted for the subtitles to get a better idea of what was going on, but I feel that watching it without subtitles, especially if you are unfamiliar with Italian, would add a significant level of anxiety to the proceedings, as Gilderoy himself doesn’t speak Italian and so is often left out of major conversations, or is concerned that his colleagues are talking about him. I can speak from personal experience, being in a room where you don’t speak the same language as everybody else is intimidating, and the way that the film uses that to get under Gilderoy’s skin (and the way Jones’ fantastic physical performance communicates that) is brilliant.
Obviously, a film about sound design has brilliant sound design and a great score. But Berberian also uses silence very effectively. With most horror films it’s what you don’t see that’s scariest, with Berberian it’s what you don’t hear. It’s also quite an assault on the ears at times as it subjects you to ear piercing screams from the female cast members in the sound booths, feedback screeches, a regular low hum, and the sound of tape constantly being spooled. It is overstimulating, and that adds to the discomfort you’ll find yourself in.
Berberian Sound Studio is not a film I can see everyone enjoying, even horror fans. It’s unconventional, and it provides no concrete answers for what transpires. But if you’re after something a bit different, if you want to be made to feel on edge and uncomfortable without ever being shown anything remotely scary, then Berberian Sound Studio is definitely something you should check out. Plus, I mean it’s got Toby Jones in it and that should be enough to sell you on the film as it is.
Obviously, a film about sound design has brilliant sound design and a great score. But Berberian also uses silence very effectively. With most horror films it’s what you don’t see that’s scariest, with Berberian it’s what you don’t hear. It’s also quite an assault on the ears at times as it subjects you to ear piercing screams from the female cast members in the sound booths, feedback screeches, a regular low hum, and the sound of tape constantly being spooled. It is overstimulating, and that adds to the discomfort you’ll find yourself in.
Berberian Sound Studio is not a film I can see everyone enjoying, even horror fans. It’s unconventional, and it provides no concrete answers for what transpires. But if you’re after something a bit different, if you want to be made to feel on edge and uncomfortable without ever being shown anything remotely scary, then Berberian Sound Studio is definitely something you should check out. Plus, I mean it’s got Toby Jones in it and that should be enough to sell you on the film as it is.