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280 MUSICAL FORMS
we always feel the need of music with the silent film, even with the most objective, instructional or informative film.
A silent film seen without musical accompaniment makes the spectator feel uncomfortable, a phenomenon which has a psycho-physical explanation. The explanation is that for the silent film the music was not merely an additional instrument for expressing a mood but to some extent a sort of third dimension added to the two dimensions of the screen.
As long as the spectator hears music, he does not become conscious of the fact that the grey film-pictures have only two dimensions and lack real depth; he accepts the image on the screen as a true picture of live reality. But as soon as the moving pictures really become silent, they at once appear flat, the flickering of suddenly bloodless shadows. It is a fact confirmed by much experience that the greater part of the public is not conscious of hearing music in the cinema. They immediately notice, however, when the music ceases. The psychological reason for this is that we never perceive reality by means of one sense alone. What we merely hear or merely see, etc. has no three-dimensional reality for us.
The conclusion to be drawn from this is that music in the film has not only an artistic part to play — it is required in order that the pictures may give the impression of being alive and natural; music gives the pictures atmosphere and represents, as it were, a third dimension. The music provides an acoustic background and perspective. It must never become music for music's sake — as soon as this happens the music detaches itself from the picture and destroys its life.
Every problem of the film opera can be traced back to this nature of film music.
As has already been said, the 'sung' dialogue and 'sung'' dramatic action are not natural; they are strongly stylized forms. Very real feelings can be most realistically expressed in sung dialogues. But the medium of expression will not be natural — it will be stylized and hence out of keeping with the essence of the film. For similar reasons films with rhymed or rhythmic dialogue have not been a success. It has been repeatedly shown in these pages why the illusion of naturalness is more indispensable in the film than on the stage. The film