by Garene Tay

Created on: September 13, 2008   Last Updated: December 04, 2011

The name Indiana Jones is synonymous with mind blowing adventure. While the latest instalment of the Indiana Jones franchise has just hit the big screen in Singapore, The Temple of Doom released in 1984 made such an impression on me that it remained a source of nightmares since the first time I watched it at the age of 6. The plot of film mainly revolved around Jones thwarting the evil plans of a terrorist cult that resulted in grief and unrest in an Indian village. In my opinion, sound is the most significant element in this film. It effectively sets the mood for each scene and without sound, the film would appear lacklustre despite its spectacular visuals.

Many of the sounds heard are diegetic. Most of the time however, the director, Steven Spielberg would allow the sound to be heard before revealing the source or purpose of it. A good example would be the opening scene where a gong is heard but the instrument itself is only seen after the camera zooms out. The director's approach allows the sounds used to aid in the development of the plot as well as to provide the audience with an idea of what to expect in the next scene.

In this film, sound is used to establish location. At the Shanghai night club, music with a distinctive Asian tone was heard. This allowed the audience to guess the location before it was mentioned. Similarly, when Indiana Jones, Willie and Short Round arrived in India, music with an Indian feel was played. Such use of music displayed the technique of "Show, don't tell" and engages the audience better because they have to pay attention in order comprehend the film. This technique, compared to having every detail pointed out explicitly makes watching the film far more exciting, especially if you can pick up clues and details that others cannot. Most of the sound heard in the film, aside from dialogue would be the background music that plays almost throughout the entire film. The music is instrumental and I feel that there is a particular theme of music to match the visuals and personalities of the main characters. In terms of visuals, music serves as a motif. For example, chases in the film are always accompanied by the same piece of upbeat music that conveys the speed of the action. In scenes where Jones is in danger, the music is stained with high pitched notes similar to the famous tune in the film "Psycho" by Alfred Hitchcock. In terms of characters, there is a particular piece of music that identifies with the character. For example,

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