Psychomusicology, 13,99-118

@1994 Psychomusicology
AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF EFFECTS OF FILM
MUSIC USING QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS
Claudia Bullerjahn
Markus Guldenring
Universitat Hildesheim, Germany
This study investigated the effects of film music by using both standardized
methods (rating scales) and qualitative research methods. An experimental film
of about 10 min duration was created to resemble part of a real feature film
with various interpretations. Three professional film music composers pro-
duced music soundtracks for the film in the style of a thriller, a melodrama and
one other version. For the study, five versions were selected differing in style,
orchestration, use of motifs, and the place and length of the music in relation to
the film. Using bothrating scales and open-ended questions, over 400 subjects
provided information about the relationships between the characters and about
the history and outcome of the events depicted by the film excerpt. Results
indicated that film music polarizes the emotional atmosphere and influences
the understanding of the plot.
An empirical investigation of the effects of film music is to some extent
a thankless task, because everyone believes he or she already knows how
film music works. Almost everybody has experienced film music and music
for television programs or commercials, and such experiences lead to theo-
ries and intuitions. For example, it seems clear that the spectator is some-
times unaware of the film music and that some effects are subliminal. Fur-
thermore, it is generally assumed that film music manipulates people, and
motivates them to behave in certain ways-to buy consumer goods or to vote
for a certain politician. It is also popular opinion that film music adds emo-
tional meaning to pictures. But the precise mechanisms and the subtlety of
influences are absent from this general discussion, and the role of individual
differences and past experience of viewers is typically not considered.
Various research methods provide specific information about the cog-
nitive and emotional effects of film music. Past research has emphasized
the use of the semantic differential. Whereas this technique is well suited
for the investigation of moods, other, more open-ended methods may be
necessary for investigating the effects on interpretation of the plot.
The history of empirical research on the effects of film music began in
1956, with Tannenbaum. He used the semantic differential method he had
developed with Osgood and Suci (1957) to study the effects of background
music in three different portrayals of a drama. Subsequent researchers who
used this technique were Berg and Infante (1979), Gerrero (1969), Lipscomb
(1990) in the U.S.A., Marshall and Cohen (1988) in Canada, Projektgruppe
Filmmusik-Musikwissenschaft UniversiUit GieBen (1979), and Schmidt (1976,
1982) in Germany. Frequently the results provided impressive evidence of
the role that background music played on the emotional meaning of the film.
In Germany, Pauli (1976, p. 104) proposed the three following basic
categories of relation between film music and motion pictures, thus provid-
ing a theoretical framework for research findings (but cf. Pauli 1981, p.
185ff.):
1. Paraphrasing (Paraphrasierung): the specific character of the music
corresponds with the specific content of the picture; the effects are
presumably additive.
2. Polarization (Polarisation): the specific character of the music moves
the ambiguous or indefinite content of the picture toward the charac-
ter of the music.
3. Counterpoint (Kontrapunktierung): the specific character of the
music contradicts the specific content of the picture; thus, the music
conveys irony or comments on the content of the picture in another
way.
In all cases, the music shifts the meaning of the picture. The empirical
investigation ofThayer andLevenson (1983) provides an example of a physio-
logical parallel in their study of effects of background music in which skin
conductance levels were measured.
Other theoretical studies suggest additional functions of film music.
The musicologist Zofia Lissa (1965) and the film composer Norbert Jiirgen
Schneider (1989,1990) suggest approximately 20 functions in all. For ex-
ample, dramatic functions accentuate a cinematic climax and accelerate the
cinematic tempo, while musica) quotations and leitmotifs! provide specific
messages which cananticipate action or illustrate a change of the protagonist's
character before it is visually obvious. In this way, film music may contrib-
ute to the cinematic narration.
Although semantic differential and other rating scale methods have been
used frequently to show systematic effects of music on film meaning, their
use of fixed categories may be restrictive (Mayring, 1990). In contrast, qualita-
tive methods, such as open-ended questions, do not restrict answers by pro-
viding categories of response. Combined with subsequent qualitative con-
tent analysis, this approach can provide data beyond the semantic differen-
tial technique. By examining the answers from open-ended questionnaires,
non-overlapping categories can be constructed post hoc. The resulting com-
plete classification facilitates understanding the effect of film music on
cognitive. function.
Past Qualitative Research
Only a few film music studies have used such qualitative research methods.
Vinovich (1975) asked 100 subjects (20 per experimental condition) to write
their interpretations of two short films. For each film there were five differ-
ent versions-four with music and one without. Each subject saw both films
with one music version. The interpretations, analysed by content analysis,
were categorized into four affect genres and a miscellaneous classification.
The results revealed that the film interpretations significantly depended on
the music. Vinovich accounted for these findings in terms of classical con-
ditioning of the reactions of the spectator/listener to a few musical charac-
teristics. The subject, therefore, was regarded mechanistically ["we have
defined the buttons to push in order to elicit the response" (Vinovich, 1975)].
This approach constrasts with the present view that film interpretation is an
active process determined in part by the individual's experiences and per-
sonality.
Holicki and Brosius (1988) presented a film to nine groups of 160 sub-
jects. The film depicted a conflict between two car drivers, vying for the
same parking place. Three kinds of film music (aggressive, cheerful, calm)
were combined with three kinds of nonverbal reactions from both drivers at
the end of the film (aggressive, cheerful, calm) forming nine conditions in
all. The questionnaire contained seven semantic differentials and one ques-
tion about the expected plot development. Six categories of response (three
for an aggressive and three for a peaceful resolution) and one open-ended
question were provided. The results indicated that the music influenced the
mood of the entirefilm more than did the nonverbal reactions of the pro-
tagonists. However, the nonverbal reactions did determine the interpreta-
tion and evaluation of the situation at the end of film. Thus, the authors
concluded that film music affects especially the emotional components of
film perception. This conclusion may be questioned, because the categories
of response greatly restricted the possible answers. Furthermore, the film
showed a conflict of everyday life that perhaps was too unimportant for
creating a typical film plot.
In a more recent study, Brosius and Kepplinger (1991) created a film
which was underscored with five different soundtracks, twice in the style of
a romantic film (well-known and unknown music), twice in the style of a
crime film (also well-known and unknown music) and once without music.
The use of animated geometric figures instead of human actors eliminated
the influence of familiar appearance and facial expression of the protago-
nists. Two open-ended questions asked the subjects (five groups of 98) to
describe the film action as well as the protagonists. Content analysis re-
vealed significant differences between the music versions. But because the
characters in the film were animated geometric figures, the applicability of
these findings to real feature films may be questioned. The particular selec-
tions of music also raise concerns. The authors chose the soundtrack of
"Goldfinger," assuming that it would be typical for a crime film. The title
song contains text and a leitmotif of the protagonist, James Bond, intro-
duced in the first Bond film. As the series proceeded, this theme was re-
tained. Because it elicits a vast number of associations for people familiar
with Bond films, the Goldfinger theme may have been a poor choice for a
study. However, to be fair, the authors did compare this condition to one in
which the crime music was not familiar. In addition, only the content analy-
sis regarded mood, situation and relationship and negle.cted the influence of
the music on the understanding of the action.
The Present Study
These studies and the associated problems described above inspired the
present study. We produced an experimental film that aimed to be similar to
a feature film (in contrast to Brosius &Kepplinger, 1991) and used original
soundtracks written especially by professional composers as opposed to
other investigations which used familiar music.
Behne (1993), Bordwell (1985), Brosius and Kepplinger (1991), and
Ohler (1990) accept that the spectator/listener has various cognitive schemas
which are potentially activated by film or musical material. Brosius and
Kepplinger further assume that film music, especially typical genre music,
produces schemas which act with other visually induced schemas (typical
plot) to produce the most plausible interpretation. If the pictures are am-
biguous or indefinite, the music takes on more importance in interpreting
the film.
The present study was based on the two following hypotheses:
1. Underscoring changes the interpretation and perception ofa film with
respect to emotional mood of the film, film genre assignment, interpre-
tation of action and anticipation of possible film continuations.
2. Individual differences among spectator/listeners (e.g., personality
features, musical experience and media competence) interact'with
film and music variables in the interpretation and perception of the
film.
The second hypothesis is discussed in a previous publication (Bullerjahn,
Braun & Giildenring, 1993). We note here only that for subjects without
media competence, music enhanced evaluations of the screenplay and ac-
tors. Subjects with musical experience hear music more precisely, andstructural
elements of the music shape their interpretation of film. Subjects without
musical experience, though, are easily influenced by well-known cliches.
Finally, older adults are less aware of background music than younger adults
and prefer scores by earlier composers.
Method
Stimulus Film
A film named "The Joker", about 10 min in duration, was produced by
the "Landesmedienstelle Hannover," drama professors and drama students
of the "Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Hannover." The film is ambigu-
ous and gives the impression of an open-ended segment of a real feature
film. Allusions and cliches throughout the film provide the opportunity for
different interpretations. To allow time for the music to build an effect,
fairly long shots are employed. The dialogue is reduced to a minimum of
trivial communication. Aparallel montage with change of scene stimulates
cognitive effort, because the spectator has to think about possible connec-
tions between actions. At the end of the film, suspense is heightened. A
transcript of editing (Table 1) provides specific information about the con-
tent and style of the film.
Table 1
Transcript of Editing for the Experimental Film llThe Joker"
Running Shot
Shot Time Time Camera Viewpoint/Scene Description
1
O'oott
16" Long shot: railway, passing train from the left to the right
2 0'16
tt
7" Medium shot: first class compartment, man of middle age
(named "elderly man" below) wearing a gray suit
3 0'23" 6" Subjective camerallong shot: view out of the train window
(barren landscape)
4 0'29
ft
6
ft
Title: "Part of the Film"
5 0'35
ft
6
ft
Title: "The Joker"
6 0'41" 5" Subjective camera/long shot: view out of the train window
(see above)
7 0'46" 14" Medium shot: pan through the compartment: hard-shelled
suitcase on the luggage rack, trench coat, elderly man takes
a photo out of his wallet
8 1'00" 8
ft
Subjective camera/extreme close-up: view at a black-and-
white class photograph
9 1'08
tt
10" Medium shot: elderly man in compartment
10 1'18" 12" Subjective camera/long shot: view out of the train window
(see above)
11 1'30" 18" Medium shot: elderly man puts the photo back in his wallet
and takes out a joker card
12 1'48" 11" Subjective camera/extreme close-up: view at a joker card
and its inscription "Good luck" overleaf
13 1'59" 11" Long shot/above eye level: into the background disappear-
ing train
(Continued)
14 2'10" 6" Long shot/below eye level: row of house, bay, pan to the
top and zoom on a window
15 2'16" 40" Zoom-medium long shot: window from inside, pan
through the room: clothes on a sofa, zoom-medium
shot: champagne bottle and glasses on bedside table, alarm
clock
16 2'56" 76" Medium shot: sleeping couple in bed, clock ticking, alarm
clock rings, zoom-medium long shot: woman awakes and
wakes up younger man, pan shot: she gets up and leaves
the room, shower noises
17 4'12" 22" Medium shot/above eye level: younger man lies in bed,
grasps alarm clock, has a look at it, sighs, raises up
18 4'34" 10" Zoom/close shot-close-up: alarm clock
19 4'44" 16" Dissolve/close-up: station clock
20 5'00" 44" Extreme long shot: almost empty platform, into the
foreground incoming train
21 5'44" 10" Medium long shot: elderly man dressed with trench coat
gets off train, loudspeaker announcements (train informa-
tion)
22 5'54" 12" Long shot: elderly man leaves platform and goes to the
escalator down to the concourse
23 6'06" 4" Close-up: subway sign
24 6'10" 14" Medium long shot: elderly man goes down the stairs to
the subway station, milling crowd, babble of voices
25 6'24" 50" American shot: subway comes into station, elderly man
gets in, subway departs
26 7'14" 7" American shot: kitchen, woman dressed with bathrobe
stands at the sink, prepares tea
27 7'21" 4" Medium shot: younger man dressed with bathrobe sits at
the breakfast table
28 7'25" 30" Medium long shot/pan shot: woman sits down to the
younger man and kisses him
(Continued)
29 7'55" 2" Close-up: woman: "Tea?"
30 7'57" 1" Close shot: younger man answers in the affmnative
31 7'58" 1" Close shot: woman: "Would you pass me arol1?"
32 7'59" 7" Close shot: younger man hands her a roll, both at the
same time: 'Thanks," both are laughing
33 8'06" 6" Zoom/close shot-extreme close-up on the tea cup: tea is
poured
34 8'12" 9" Dissolve/long shot: subway (now celestial) comes out of
the background and stops
35 8'21" 3" Close-up: halt sign
36 8'24" 19" Medium long shot/pan shot: elderly man gets off the
subway and goes left
37 8'43" 14" Long shot: street with cobble-stones, elderly man from the
back goes into the background
38 8'57" 1" Close shot: elderly man looks up
39 8'58" 4" Subjective Camera/medium shot/below eye level: zoom
on the same window like shot 14
40 9'02" 11" Medium long shot: Medium long shot: house entrance,
elderly man enters the house
41 9'13" 15" Medium shot/above eye level: stairwell, elderly man
walks up the stairs (pan to close shot), slowly opens the
door to the apartment (door ~ n d l e shuts it
42 9'28" 17" Subjective, moved camera: walk through the corridor to
the kitchen, voices of the couple, zoom/medium long
shot-close-up: face of the woman, slow fade-out
9'45" FILM LENGTH
Music Scores
German composers of film music, Rainer Kuhn (born 1959, documen-
tary films), Eugen Thomass (born 1929, German TV productions) and Peer
Raben (born 1940, complete films of Fassbinder) each produced a crime, a
melodrama and one other indefinite version. The investigation was based on
five of these soundtracks. We chose one crime or thriller version of each
composer, because they represented very different forms of crime genre and
permitted comparison between different composers with the same genre
intention. Furthermore, we selected one melodrama and one indefinite ver-
sion.
The crime version of Peer Raben continously underscores the film with
music except during exchanges of dialogue. It is distinguished by chamber-
music instrumentation (violin, trumpet, bass clarinet, acoustic guitar, pi-
ano, and percussion) and acoustic and electric bass guitar in contrast to all
other versions. Raben created a leitmotif, played by the bass clarinet, for the
elderly man (shot 2, 7, 9, 12, 21, 36). He also composed a leitmotif in triplet
rhythm played by the piano, for the joker card (shot 5, 12, 19, 37) and a
leitmotif played by the violin for the class photograph (shot 8, 19). The
music was recorded by instrumental performers of the Hochschule fUr Musik
und Theater Hannover. The piano strikes harsh, dissonant and mostly arpeg-
giated tension chords (shot 1, 1.0, 22, 24,42) as well as ascending, percus-
sive, dissonant chords (shot 36, 38,40, 41). From shot 40, suspense builds
and, after a sudden withdrawal of the other instruments, leads to a single,
high, loud piano chord as the face of the woman is shown (shot 42).
All other music soundtracks were produced using MIDI synthesizers.
The crime version by Eugen Thomass continuously underscores.1he film.
Sampled winds, strings and percussion create a big-band sound. The film
sequence is framed by a title melody at the beginning and the end (shot 4-5,
11-12,40-42). The music accorded the elderly man (shot 7-10, 20-22, 25,
34) is more dynamic than that accorded the couple. Dissonant chords mark
the cut to the younger man in the kitchen (shot 27). Furthermore, Thomass
musically stylized some sounds, for example, train noises (shot 1, 12) and
the ticking of the clock (shot 17, 18->19).
Rainer Kuhn's thriller version is mainly based on specific sounds, with
occasional organ notes, a rapid, continuous clinking and drum beats at ir-
regular intervals. Only shots in which the elderly man appears are under-
scored by music. A specific motif in the high strings marks the joker card
(shot 12, 25-26, 39) and a rough, hollow sound marks the class photograph
(shot 8). Kuhn rhythmically stylizes the sound of a train. From shot 34 the
tempo grows. The buildup of tension at the end results from sound layering
which flows into a dissonant, loud finale.
The melodramatic version ofEugen Thomass shapes a continuous, catchy
melody in a minor key, rich in sixths and suspensions. A melody played by
piano underscores the appearance of the elderly man. The same melody,
played by strings, underscore the appearance of the couple. The change of
instrumentation always takes place on cuts (shot 19->20, 33->34). An in-
crease of tension is achieved with a faster tempo and a full orchestra sound.
A broad, major final chord ends shot 42.
Rainer Kuhn's indefinite version offers a melodious theme in a pop
idiom. The melody is played by harmonica, flute or piano combined with a
bossa nova rhythm in bass, guitar and percussion. Primarily, only scenes
with the elderly man are underscored by music, although sometimes the
music extends to the following scenes. The station clock obtains a special
significance from the temporary absence of percussion rhythm (shot 19-
25).
Subjects
The film was presented in one of the five experimental conditions (Kuhn's
thriller version, n =97; Kuhn's indefinite version, n =42; Raben's crime
version, n =99; Thomass' crime version, n =108; Thomass' melodrama
version, n =66). We tested 21 groups which consisted of older adults, stu-
dents from different types of schools and from universities, members of
choirs or the police force. They were assigned to the five soundtrack condi-
tions in such a way that group characteristics were distributed relatively
evenly. The 412 subjects ranged in age from 14 to 92 years. Usually about
20 subjects were tested at a time in a session of about 45 min.
Unequal distribution of some individual characteristics (e.g., age) among
experimental conditions, occasionally prevented statistical evaluation re-
garding effects of personal features on understanding the film plot. For this
reason, the number of subjects was extended. The results concerning indi-
vidual differences will be reported by Bullerjahn (1995).
Questionnaire
The questionnaire consisted of four parts. First, personal information
was requested such as sex, age, education, profession, and present mood or
disposition. Second, media competence was examined through questions
about frequency and context of viewing of TV programs, video films and
movies, possession of recorded media, and preferences. The third part con-
tained closed-category questions about the film (e.g., six unipolar rating
scales of mood, 10 choices of genre). It also included the three following
open-ended questions: a.What is the reason for the journey of the elderly
man? b. What is the relationship between the characters? c. How could the
film proceed? Finally, the fourth section contained questions about past
musical experience (e.g., training on a musical instrument, frequency of
playing a musical instrument, concert attendance, frequency of listening to
music and music preferences).
Procedure
For practical reasons, the experiment took place in a room convenient
for each group with the media equipment available at that location. The test
was announced as a study of film perception. One of the two experimenters
delivered a standard text that introduced the subjects to the questions. A
secretary noted any irregularities during the test (for example, exclamations
from participants that might influence the other subjects). Usually the ex-
periment proceeded as follows. First, the subjects received parts one and
two of the questionnaire. After presenting the film, the third part of the
questionnaire was distributed. To prevent the subjects from realizing the
experimenters' specific interests in film music effects, questions about mu-
sical experience were distributed last and on separate pages.
Results
The data are described in two sections, one for closed-category responses
and the other for the open-ended questions for which qualitative content
analysis was employed.
Closed Category Responses
Emotional response. Subjects had judged the mood of the film (Figure
1) on six unipolar rating scales (sad, mysterious, thrilling, sentimental, clear,
vivid) with four levels (very, moderately, somewhat less, not at all). There
were highly significant differences in each of the first four scales depending
on the background music. The melodrama by Eugen Thomass was classified
as the most sad and sentimental, the thriller by Rainer Kuhn the most thrill-
ing and mysterious. Judgments of the indefinite version differed consider-
ably. The crime versions by Peer Raben and Eugen Thomass were perceived
as thrilling. These results confirm Pauli's model: the emotional expression
of music polarizes the perception of an ambiguous film presentation.
Genre. The subjects had selected the genre of the film from a list of 10
items (horror, comedy, sentimental in an idealized regional setting, family
serial, problem, melodrama, science fiction, spy, thriller, crime). The re-
sults indicate a precise, significant classification (Figure 2): up to 72% of
the subjects classified the two crime versions and the thriller version by the
categories crime, thriller and spy film, which were combined under the ge-
neric term crime genre. The thriller version led to the highest frequency of
selection of the thriller category (19%). The melodrama version produced
the highest proportion (30%) for the melodrama category. Two of the an-
swer categories were never employed.
Emotional Response
very
---------------.....
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I
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rather
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not at all
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sad mysterious thrilling sentimental clear vivid
Figure 1. Subject's estimation of the mood of the film.
Classification of Genre
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Crime
Version
Thomass:
Crinle
Version
Thonmss:
Melodnuna
Version
Kuhn:
Thriller
Version
Kuhn:
Indefinite
Version
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Qualitative Content Analysis
The following results originated from the qualitative content analysis
of the replies to the three open-ended questions previously described.
1. Reasons for the journey of the elderly man. About a quarter of the
subjects (n = 100) r ~ p o n to the question "What is the reason for
the journey of the elderly man?" Figure 3 shows the distribution of
five categories (criminal past history, family dispute, class reunion,
business trip, holiday) created by the authors after reviewing the an-
swers. The category family dispute dominates (up to 63%). Regard-
ingPeer Raben's version, the frequency of choosing business trip
(50%) is conspicuous. In this case the class reunion category, origi-
nally included because of the class photograph, was not mentioned.
Of the crime versions, criminal incidents of an earlier time (e.g.,
imprisonment, bank robbery) were described (e.g., criminal past his-
tory) most of all for the thriller (25%). Only the two categories, fam-
ily dispute and class reunion, were mentioned for the indefinite ver-
sion.
2. Intentions of the elderly man. Most of the subjects imagined (Figure
4) that the elderly man was visiting his daughter (melodrama ver-
sion, 72%; Thomass' crime version, 40%). The obvious age differ-
ence between the elderly man and the woman, as well as other aspects
of the plot, led to this interpretation. The melodrama frequently led
to the interpretation of the relationship as the return home of the
elderly man (22%). The versions by Raben and Thomass gave the
impression that the elderly man and the woman are married (15% and
21%, respectively). Most subjects agreed that there was no relation-
ship between the men (64% for the thriller version). In contrast, the
subjects guessed that there was a relationship in the melodrama ver-
sion (26%). Criminal intentions of the elderly man were supposed in
the crime versions (up to 18%) more often than in the indefinite ver-
sion (5%). Spying, blackmail, recovery of debts and murder as an act
of revenge or by contract were mentioned.
Motivations for the arrival of the elderly man diverged and the re-
ported stories differed in every version. The subjects who viewed the
film with the crime genre soundtracks obtained the impression that
the elderly man was a paid killer (up to 16% for the thriller version).
In the version of Raben, suspected adultery on the part of wife came
to the fore (29%). Ameddling father was often supposed for the crime
version by Thomass (18%), while the man's motivation in the melo-
drama was predominantly that of positive memories (36%). Reap-
praisal of the past ranks first (32%) for subjects who heard the thriller
version.
3. How the film proceeds. In guessing the immediate consequences of
the action, the subjects often anticipated a dispute or crisis in the
relationship between the protagonists (in the indefinite version, 58%,
and in Raben's crime version, 27%). The crime version of Peer Raben
often led to the interpretation that a murder is committed in the heat
of the moment (18%) as a result of the woman's adultery. The crime
genre versions provokedmore aggressive continuations of action than
did the indefinite or melodrama versions.
There are significant differences between the reported stories for the
different conditions of musical underscoring. Often, the presumed
end of the film was not described by the subjects and the situation
remained unresolved (66% for the crime version by Eugen Thomass).
In contrast, the melodrama frequently ends in a reconciliation or clarifi-
cation (47%), even if an argument preceded. The final major chord
may indicate a positive resolution of the problem. Typically the "crime
genre" versions led to delay in the escalation of the plot (Figure 5),
primarily in the version of Thomass (52%). The indefinite version
frequently created an open end as well as a stagnation of action (27%
each). In this case the subjects also provided several alternatives of
action (36%) or only responded to questions pertaining to the part of
the film shown to them.
Discussion
The results suggest that each musical soundtrack creates its own par-
ticular type of film and plot. As summarized below, the qualitative content
analysis can distinguish each version from the other.
Peer Raben's crime version induces the character of a studio theatre
play, perhaps because of its chamber-music instrumentation and a tight web
of musical motifs. Family relations, personal concerns and individual fates
move into the foreground. The participants often concurred that the elderly
man was on a business trip. For these subjects, the film was assumed to be
the middle of an entire feature film. The conflict is achieved simply by the
encounter of the three protagonists. The subjects generally suggested that
the increased suspense would be resolved by murder committed in the heat
of the moment.
The crime version by Eugen Thomass presents the film as a typical
detective story such as the German TV serial "Derrick" where every crime
is solved by the inspector. Sometimes, revenge against the young man is
seen as the motivation for the behavior of the elderly man. In other cases,
moral considerations are attributed to the relationship between the daughter
and the young man. In contrast to the other crime genre versions, there are
more positive resolutions of conflict. Justice triumphs here, unlike in the
iii Crhninal Past History
~ Family Dispute
UDIClass Reunion
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KUhn:
Indefinite Version
n=8
KObn:
Thriller Version
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Melodrama Version
n=20
Past I-listory
ThOJllUSS:
Crime Version
n=28
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Crilue Version
n=20
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Raben:
Crime Version
n=89
Thomass:
Crime Version
n=104
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Thomass:
Melodrama Version
n=60
KUhn:
Thriller Version
n=93
KOhn:
Indefinite Version
n=40
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Raben:
Crime Version
n=83
Tholllass:
Critne Version
11=98
Thomass:
Melodrama Version
n=58
KUhn:
Thriller Version
n=86
KUhn:
Indefinite Version
n=37
melodrama. This might stem from the dynamic title melody that frames the
film.
Rainer Kuhn's thriller score resembles contemporary cinema music,
according to statements of persons ranging in age from 17 to 39 years (cf.
Bullerjahn et aI., 1993). The elderly man appears to be a foreigner acting on
the orders of others and has no personal relationship to the younger couple.
This is perhaps explained by the fact that there is a musical motif for the
joker card but not a special motif for him. The film appears to be a parable
about crime and therefore the subjects imagined the most brutal continua-
tions. The subjects often speculated that the film might be the beginning of
a longer piece and that the real adventure would follow this part. This corre-
sponds with the fact that further stories reported by these subjects possess
the greatest number of steps of action and open endings.
Only in the case of all crime genre versions, some subjects supposed an
unexpected twist at the end: The man turns out to be harmless, so that the
spectator/listener feels tricked by the thriller convention. The subjects of-
ten speculated that the film might be the beginning of a longer piece and that
the real adventure would follow this part. This corresponds with the fact
that further stories reported by these subjects possess the greatest number of
steps of action and open endings.
In the melodrama by Eugen Thomass, the theme of family relations
clearly dominated. In most cases, the elderly man visits someone or is re-
turning home. The couple looks forward to the visit with great pleasure
although sometimes an argument follows. The situation is resolved in half
of the cases, presumably because of the final major chord in this version. In
many narrations, the action is completed with the appearance of the elderly
man, the presented film excerpt was thought to end a feature film.
The narratives prompted by the indefinite version of Rain,er Kuhn are
characterized by a stagnation of action and the indecisiveness of the pro-
tagonists. For example, often a person leaves a dispute without clarifying
the problem. Besides frequently giving alternative endings (we evaluated
the first or the marked answer) concerning the continuation of action, sub-
jects often felt that there would be no resolution. The pause in percussion
rhythm during the shot of the station clock emphasizes the importance of the
clock. Some subjects therefore suggested that appointments between the
protagonists are frequently m i s s ~
Some subjects reported stories that differed from the standard 'plots
described above for each music version. It would be interesting to know the
extent to which these differences reflect systematic connections. This can
only be examined in further analyses.
In conclusion, the quantitative and qualitative content analysis methods
together show that film music polarizes the emotional atmosphere and in-
fluences the understanding of the plot.
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Footnote
IThe term leitmotif originates from the writings on opera by Richard Wagner.
Leitmotifs result from the connection of sound and picture so that one can represent
the other.
(Manuscript received March 1993; revision accepted June 1994)