Essay #1 (Clip 3)
In this clip, the focus of most of the sounds heard are of metallic or electronic nature. This results in a very strange, unnatural aesthetic which creates multiple moments of tension. Within the first ten seconds of this snippet, a loud buzz pierces the silence which causes the listeners to react similarly to how the character experiencing it would. This sound was followed by abrupt pain or discomfort for the subject, so it seems Tati wanted the listeners to feel just as "shocked" or startled as the character did when he touched the electrifying object.
At the conclusion of this segment, silverware clanking against fine china can be heard outside. It's very quiet compared to the buzz, so it's occupying a space beyond our immediate view of the kitchen to convey how quiet it really is on the inside. This juxtaposition, while the subject browses the room for something, builds tension, because it was previously established that he has no clue what anything does in this kitchen.
Shortly after a long period of clanking forks and knives, which is surprisingly quiet, the man accidentally activates an alarm of some sort. It's much louder than the silverware, but quieter than the shocking buzz. What truly makes it stand out is the length of the sound. It keeps droning on, desperately crying out for anyone listening to feel a sense of urgency. "Why does it keep going? What does it want? Make it stop!" This is what I believe Tati is attempting to elicit from the viewers. This alarm builds tension and perplexes the audience.
At the climax, this sound literally goes out with a bang. A loud screech can be heard, a sound that is significantly more intense than the first buzz, at the climax of the alarm. The loud cry or screech, followed by a comedic popping sound, draws our attention to the object that suddenly appears on screen. It surprises the audience just as much as it did the subject. This object is weird, and the sounds it makes when dropped remind the listeners of a volleyball or basketball hitting a floor but it looks nothing like a sports ball. At the end, when the character finds a glass in the cupboard, he wishes to test his new found understanding of objects in this kitchen by dropping it on the floor like the previous thing. The loud shattering glass symbolizes a shattered reality for everyone watching. Nothing in this world makes sense and this is what Tati was attempting to convey.
