A Study on the Authenticity, Symbolism and Radical Style of Sound Narration in Nolan's Films

  • Qiumin Chen Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Nankai University, China
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30560/hssr.v8n4p77
Keywords: Nolan, sound, symbol, digital twin, modernity

Abstract

Nolan's films have a distinct personal style in the handling of sound. His treatment of human voices, background music, and decorative sound effects all have a certain degree of unconventional characteristics. In response to this phenomenon, this article analyzes Nolan's artistic exploration of the sound medium from the perspectives of sound ontology, media narratology, and symbolism. This article attempts to connect the technical principles and aesthetic tendencies in Nolan's films through multidisciplinary approaches such as physical acoustics, electronic engineering, aesthetics, and phenomenology of the spirit, to interpret how he uses sound to express the experiential world, represent emotional values, and construct spatiotemporal cognitive views, and then to explain the avant-garde and modern nature of the aesthetic features of his film sound.

References

[1] ADR stands for additional dialogue recording.
[2] The Hollywood Reporter. (2014, November 15). Christopher Nolan breaks silence on ‘Interstellar’ sound (Exclusive). https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/christopher-nolan-breaks-silence-interstellar-749465/
[3] Christopher Nolan: A showman’s odyssey. (2024, March). Sight and Sound, 34(2).
[4] The PAD sound, also known as the pad tone, is a synthesized timbre created through modulation. It is often used as background music to create a specific atmosphere or emotion. This timbre is similar to the sound of multiple reed instruments playing together in auditory perception. It has a long duration and stable volume, and can blend smoothly with other sound elements.
[5] Binaural beat effect is a specialized technique in audio post-production engineering. It creates a unique auditory experience by sending sound waves of slightly different frequencies to each ear through headphones. When both ears receive these slightly differing frequencies simultaneously, the brain combines them to perceive a new frequency, producing the sensation of pulsating pitch tones.
[6] This music is made up of multiple loops.
[7] It can also be called "Retrograde Canon".
Published
2025-07-25
How to Cite
Chen, Q. (2025, July 25). A Study on the Authenticity, Symbolism and Radical Style of Sound Narration in Nolan’s Films. Humanities and Social Science Research, 8(4), p77. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.30560/hssr.v8n4p77
Issue
Vol 8 No 4 (2025)
Section
Articles
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