Salon's Dave Roos examines the single most annoying trend at the movies: "the vaguely ethnic wail." Need to make your sword-and-sandals epic more emotionally powerful? Have some Middle Eastern lady start screaming jibberish. Repeat every 15 minutes. (The ethnic accuracy of the exotic screeching is, it seems, not a concern: Writing the score for "The Passion," composer John Debney "meticulously researched ancient, traditional Jewish music for several days before declaring that it was too boring for words." He used Indian and Arab motifs instead. And wailing.)
Posted by mesh at May 25, 2004 05:10 PM | TrackBackThere's also the "Star Wars Yell," which starts as a dismayed squeal, ascends sharply to a piercing shriek, and then drops back to its original timbre. The "SWY" invariably occurs as a hapless villain or suspicious-looking bystander falls to his or her or its death. You can hear this shriek somewhere in nearly every action/sci-fi/adventure movie made by George Lucas or Steven Spielberg, or some combination thereof. It may also be found in many movies made by their acolytes and imitators, and appears to be the filmmaker's subtle way of acknowledging, and paying tribute to, their geek roots.
Posted by: gosey at May 26, 2004 01:10 PMStill, it's not as cliched as "Carmina Burana". Yet.
Posted by: Francis at May 28, 2004 06:05 AMhilarious.
i had wondered about the ethnic authenticity of that wailing in the passion score, but don't know enough to distinguish.
the artist was interviewed by my local christian radio station and managed to break the third commandment several times before she went off the air, so that was interesting. i preferred the wailing.
Posted by: joy at May 28, 2004 10:17 AM