No Country: 2nd Installment

In No Country for Old Men there is a strange juxtaposition between what can’t be seen and what can’t be heard. The door creaks as Chigurh enters Moss' hotel room in the infamous battle scene, but the viewer never sees the door open. He turns the air valve on his captive pistol but his weapon is never seen. Chigurh is never visually in the scene but his presence is still strong. Conversely, what can’t be heard is equally unsettling. Only Chigurh’s footsteps can be heard. He is never heard breathing and when he gets shot he doesn’t even grunt. In each case the same unnerving feeling is achieved.

            The film is a  textbook example of how to use sound. Each element deals with loudness, pitch, and timber. The Coen brothers eliminate speech and music from most of the clip and strip it down to an intense use of noise. The mixing is perceptive. The overall feel is achieved in an intense and artistic way. All of the sounds are diagetic and it improves the overall believability. The attention to detail heightens the quality of the film. It is meticulous in every way. It is never underwhelming even though it is often very bare bones. No Country for Old Men is a superb example of how to successfully and artistically use sound in film.