The movie Tenet has already received a slew of bad reviews and received a lot of backlash on Twitter. It is currently playing in cinemas around the world. Whether the director, Christopher Nolan, purposely made the film sound as bad as it does, or not, remains to be seen.
Christopher Nolan’s sound design
The sound design in Tenet is an example of Christopher Nolan’s impeccable taste and his careful curating of the film’s soundtrack. Whether you’re watching it on headphones or a high-end auditorium, the sounds and music in Nolan’s films are exquisitely created. However, the film isn’t for everyone. If you’re looking to experience the film in the most immersive environment possible, you’ll need to invest in IMAX or other high-end auditorium.
Among the most important aspects of Nolan’s sound mix are the sound effects and ambience. This is one of his trademarks, and he turned up the volume on the gunshots and explosions in Dunkirk to ensure viewers would experience “shell shock” from the sounds.
Another flaw in the film’s sound design is the lack of dialogue. In some scenes, characters are virtually inaudible, and the dialogue is muffled by the sound effects. As a result, the movie has received widespread criticism about its sound design. Some people have even criticized Nolan’s sound editing.
The storyline
The sound design of Tenet is an area of contention among moviegoers. While some laud its use of sound effects in a backwards, forwards fashion, others say it’s a mistake that muddys the dialogue. Others complain that the film leaves too many questions unanswered in the end. On the other hand, fans of Nolan’s style claim that the film makes sense with its use of sound.
Tenet is a sci-fi movie with a complicated plotline. There are car chases in which cars go backward and forward in time, and a fight scene in which one participant is inverted in time. Nolan has previously used time manipulation in his films, and he employs this technique in this film as well.
The soundtrack of Tenet is complex, which can make the film difficult to follow. This can leave some integral dialogues unheard. Ultimately, it’s up to the viewer to decide whether or not they want to experience the film with subtitles.
The dialogue
The dialogue in Tenet is muddy, and a lot of it is related to cell phone calls, oxygen masks, and the soaring music that accompanies the action. The score by Ludwig Goransson swells so loudly that it is hard to discern the finer points of the onscreen action. For example, in the villain’s final monologue, Kenneth Branagh mentions global warming, but that dialogue is barely audible over the sound of explosions.
Some critics have claimed that the sound quality is terrible. The sound mix is so bad that the dialogue is often drowned out by the soundtrack and explosions. That makes it difficult to follow key scenes and plot points, especially during wind sailing. Luckily, there is a way to make the film sound better.
Tenet has received mixed reviews about its sound design, though. Some champion Nolan’s use of sound effects to emphasize the story, while others have criticized the film for being hard to follow and leaving too many questions unanswered at the end. Nolan’s choice of sound isn’t the only element that will affect the way audiences will perceive the film.
