Movies have become an inseparable part of the human culture, and the themes illustrated are extremely numerous. Morality plays an important role in portrayal of actors and ideas, as it stays central to human culture and everything that takes place.
It is important to keep in mind that the action of movies is greatly connected to the special effects and sounds, more particularly music. The movie “Hancock” is a great example where the moral themes are aided by sounds and music, thus adding to the effectiveness and recognition of the moral code.
One of the major themes of the movie “Hancock” is the inner morality and strength of the person. Hancock has supernatural powers, but the way he uses them is careless and reckless. Most of the time, he drinks alcohol, thus his actions where he saves or helps people are not that noticeable.
The movie starts out with police chasing gangsters who are shooting at police officers and driving at high speeds. At this time, Hancock is sleeping on the bench, and a small boy comes up to him to wake him up. The superhero is apparently drunk, as he has bottles of alcohol beside him. The boy has to point to the TV which shows the police chase, and Hancock seems lazy in his reaction to provide some help.
As he flies into the gangsters’ car, he tells them to keep quiet because his head is feeling uncomfortable. The shoot at him, but he does not care if the bullets hit him. But, once they break his bottle of alcohol, he becomes angry. This shows that even though he is a superhero, he cares more about drinking and his own life, than that of someone else’s.
The careless nature of the city’s superhero has very deep reasons. Later in the movie, Hancock shares that he has lost his memory, and when he woke up in the hospital, there was no one to claim him. He wonders how bad he must have been that not a single person came to the hospital. This illustrates that even when a person is extremely strong on the outside, they can be very vulnerable on the inside.
As a result of such sensitivity in personal life, Hancock’s excuse was not to care. His only way to “survive” and create some form of moral comfort, was to engulf his feelings and care about the world into a shell of drunkenness and lazy time spending. It is made clear that all everyone wants is to have a friend and feel loved. Everything changes when Hancock meets Ray who believes in him.
He understands that in order to let the inner person out, he must deal with his humane side. This lets Hancock realize that his reasons are emotional and in reality, all he wants is to help people. Even though he acts like he does not care, he is still a superhero.
The simple fact that he possesses powers gives him a responsibility to use it for the greater good. Even though it is clear to him, he puts up an act of not caring, thus turning everyone away. Instead of praising his actions, people call him “asshole” which is Hancock’s favorite least liked word.
The use of sound and music is a significant part of the movie. A number of emotional scenes are enhanced by natural sounds and sound effects which add to the intensity or calmness of the situation. As the movie has a lot of action scenes, it is enhanced with both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds and effects.
A different understanding is made for the viewer, as a sound perspective is created through the use of volume, timbre and pitch. The dramatic scene where Hancock is dealing with the gangsters has music which is “flamboyant and fun-liking”.
It represents the carelessness of Hancock, and lack of seriousness in the situation. When he sits alone in his trailer, music sound is low and comforting, diffusing the situation with quiet and determined volume of the sound. The sound mixing and interlay of dialogues and the environmental sounds are also predominant in the movie.
The scene where Hancock is about to rescue people from the bank, prepares the viewer for something to happen. These are extreme sounds which make the viewers doubt, but at the same time root for Hancock. This is a sort of a warning for the viewer that something is about to happen, and the anticipation is created with sounds.
The music is used as an instrument by the manipulation between high or low tones that excite and surprise the viewer. This form of pressure almost always has an immediate effect on the psyche of a person. The mix of anticipation, nervousness for the main characters and the wait for the resolution influence the mind.
There is also music which relates to Hancock’s readiness to act. Now, the sound reflecting changes, as his character is internally fulfilling, showing a progression of emotions. The reasons that led to this sort of environment in Hancock are hardships that he goes through at the realization of his character being never redeemed. The music fill in the gaps where Hancock’s soul is shown violated or hurt.
The movie is inseparable from music and sounds, as there are many fighting scenes and shootouts. Absence of music is also a part of the effect, as it represents the silence that surrounds him, and the quiet determination of his mind and soul. He is focused on the task at hand, and it helps him stay completely silent. The quietness disappears when people start shooting.
The music becomes symbolic when Hancock brings revenge upon those involved in hurting his woman. When Hancock gets into the right environment, he begins to reach success in his self-control and in his personal understanding of the world around. The dramatic scenes where he faces the harshness and cruelty of the society are filled with music that shows how evil some people have become.
This serves as the base for his determination and strong will, to create a safer life for the world he is meant to protect. Throughout the movie, it is possible to see that sometimes he is shown to be sentimental and softhearted. His reason and a kind heart eventually take the right direction. The same principles must be abided by in real life, as these are the highest moral obligations that each person has.
The music in movies and the real world are inseparable from portrayal of life through television. The movie proves that when situations are extreme or intense, music plays a very significant role.