Oblivious

I think we are oblivious to sound in movies as a society.  The sound come from the screen we say.  It represents what actual sounds are being presented on the screen.  Right?  That's what the moviemakers are meaning to show us.  Right?

So it seems.  When the question of "how has the addition of sound affected cinema" comes up, it is hard to place all the answers into one distinct category.  What is considered cinema?  All movies?  Just artful films?  What makes it artful?  We come back around to the differences we face deciding what art is as a culture or within a given society (ours for example)[implying we are from the same society]{how ethnocentric of me}.  But still it raises the same quandary about what we are initially talking about.  I'll separate it out into two forms:

1) Mainstream Hollywood Style Films.

      Blockbusters.  Big money films that have actors we have seen over and over again.

2) Indie movies, Artistic cinema, and everything betwixt these categories.

      That should about cover it.

The reason I make a distinction from 'everything else' and 'hollywood' is the intention(s) of the film.  I see Hollywood going mainly for a product that is enjoyable, but is still nonetheless mass produced.  And although some films in the "2" category could be placed in this list by rebutting naysayers, let's keep the main purpose of the film in mind.

The second category, in my mind, has a main purpose of presenting ideas or meaning through the medium.  There are going to be similarities in the way they are presented, items 1 and 2 that is, but that is probably due to the familiarity of seeing things, places, colors- all the elements that make up movies/cinema period.  Without them you not watching anything in the first place.  I digress.

So back to the main question, altered to make answering more clear to what direction my opinions flow: Is it good or bad that sound was added to cinema?

Both.  It has forever changed the palette of options for option 2 to convey meaning and shape the images through the audiovisual contract.  So that's good right?  Yeah.  Those who want to not use it are not forced to.  It has just become a custom to the majority.

Mainstream cinema as it is today would have probably never had been born if not for the bustling sounds accompanying the sights we see on the screen.  So if you like action thrillers or sci-fi odysseys- you would probably agree with me that sound has propelled this industry to the hight of entertainment.  That's good in some ways right?  Aside from overcharging to see these movies.

The downside:  Now that this option has been presented- like many options, some may use it for good, some may use it for evil.  Some movies just don't hit the mark.  They are almost satirical compared to more meaningful works, but just like in real life- some people like these too.  So even the downside has it's perks right?

So getting to the end of the horse, I think that the integration of sound to ANY sort of film has been positive.  It all comes down to the choices that are made when creating the film that effect the likability or the hatefulness of a film- not inherently in the sound.

GO SOUND!! WOO!!