The Best of 2005 - Sound Design and Sound Editing

Batman Begins - David Evans, Stefan Henrix and Peter Lindsay

There is a fantastic moment in Batman Begins where Bruce Wayne faces off against his trainer and quasi-sensei, Henri Ducard, on a frozen lake. It is a sequence that works because you can literally “hear” the ice moving underneath them. The sound of the earth changing, a deep rumble, stands as a sonic complement to the change Wayne himself is going through. Later on, less subtle sound effects come into play. We have the sublime “poof” of the shadow organization’s gunpowder, the echoed and scattered rasp of the Scarecrow’s drug enhanced voice and the thoroughly satisfying roar of the Batmobile. The sound in Batman Begins excels because it creates an atmosphere that builds upon Nolan’s concept of hyperrealism. Very few sound effects in the film are inconceivable. Most are simply augmentations of sounds that exist in the real world. But their lush, enhanced bombast helps bring the world of Batman into a realm that is just out of reality’s grasp. And yet each sound is designed to complement the story.
Additionally, the sound editing complements these sounds, making full utilization of them at the most appropriate moments. When the Batmobile revs into and out of frame, the roar of its engines passes us by as well. The horrific screech of bats, the sound of Wayne’s secret fear, only cuts in at the most unexpected of moments. And it is sharp enough to unnerve the audience, as Wayne himself is unnerved.
While other films also succeeded in creating unique soundscapes (War of the Worlds in particular), Batman Begins succeeded in creating a colorful, defined atmosphere that was articulated in every shot, every breath. Plug some earphones in and close your eyes, because Batman Begins is a fine accomplishment in both sound and sound editing.