Berberian Sound Studio

Despite word of mouth suggesting this was a cracker, Berberian Sound Studio was in and out of cinemas in the blink of an eye and I only just managed to track to down before it was gone. The reasons behind this aren’t especially surprising though. In the lead role we have Toby Jones (credible actor though he is he doesn’t draw in the crowds), director Peter Strickland’s last film was the little seen Katalin Varga, the marketing has been non-existent and whilst the title itself looks intriguing, it’s art house pretensions will put many off. Which is all a great shame as the film itself is a cracker and one of the most original offerings of this (or any other) year. Now, to try and explain what this is all about. Set in the 1970’s, sad sack sound engineer Gilderoy (Jones) ups roots from his dull life living with his mother in England to work on the soundtrack of a giallo horror film being edited in Italy. Clearly out of his depth on a personal level, though not on a professional one, Gilderoy tries his best to lay down the sound effects on the film whilst struggling to cope with a film studio that appears to be short of cash, high on amateurish staff with the whole production only just being held together by manipulative producer Francesco (Cosimo Fusco) and egotistical director Santini (Antonio Mancino). Aside from the opening credits of the film (hilariously called “The Equestrian Vortex”) we never actually see a single frame that Gilderoy is working on, and that, is the crux of the whole (Berberian) film. To quote Strickland himself, “I wanted to make a film where everything that is usually hidden in cinema, the mechanics of film itself, is made visible. Berberian turns this on its head. Here, the film is out of view, and you only see the mechanics behind it". The mechanics in this case being the tools of the trade that Gilderoy and co use to portray the sound of the gruesome antics occurring on screen. The catch being Gilderoy sees it, but we don’t. As the title suggest this is all about the sound of a film, which Strickland utilises not only on the horror front (bodies splattering and torture with a red hot poker being a couple of the audio delights you can “enjoy”), but also in other areas of the (Berbarian) soundtrack from people talking to the rattling of a door handle. It’s an assault on the senses and it’s a triumph. Granted, the premise of a plot driven by sound isn’t a new one (see Blow Out or The Conversation), but this is specifically about film sound. Due to the crispness of the audio I suspect that anyone who now catches up with this on DVD / Blu-Ray will miss out on the full impact of Stricklands “vision”. Moving away from the ear aspect, dark though the film is, it is also surprisingly funny, especially in its depiction of the culture clash between Gilderoy and the inhabitants of the land he has been transported to. It’s British fustiness and attention to detail colliding with Italian machismo and sharp practice. Stereotypes maybe, but it drives the plot, especially as Gilderoy’s reluctance to complain about what is going on around him is clearly a ploy by Strickland to wind up the audience. Acting wise it’s mainly all on Jones’ shoulders, and he has to employ those scapulas on a regular basis as this is a performance that suits him down to the ground as he has to utilise that hangdog face of his on many occasions as his emotions in this film are mainly expressed through actions rather than words. Hats off also to the many unknown stars who appear throughout the film, utilising their larynx’s to compelling, and at times, disturbing effect as they lay down their vocals for the film within a film. As we move towards the climax of the story, a fantastical element is introduced and this may cause grumbling amongst some viewers, but much like many recent films what is actually happening is fully explained and it’s left to the viewer’s discretion to come up with their own conclusions. Strickland’s use of shallow focus throughout the film suggests a dreamlike element to what’s happening almost from the start. Going back to when I first started this site my mission statement mentioned that films are designed to be seen in the cinema and all my reviews are based on seeing productions up on the big screen in all their audio and visual glory. Therefore, if you missed Berberian Sound Studio in the cinema and you fancy watching it, it’s going to cost you a lot of money to build a movie theatre in your home, as, frankly, unless you see this as it was intended to be seen, you’re not going to get the full experience.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
Sit back, look, listen and let Strickland’s film envelope you in all its bonkers glory. Rating: 8/10.