The Importance of.... Voice-over
During a scene in Adaptation(2002) famous scriptwriting guru Robert Mckee (played by Brian Cox) bells out the following to a packed lecture theatre whilst the lead character is right in the middle of a voiceover: _01.jpg)
This film paved the way for a number of other movies which would use this device to great success including most notably Lolita, The Usual Suspects, Fight Club and American Psycho. Films are not always restricted to one narrator either; sometimes a blend of voices helps to create a more interesting narrative. THE MULTIPLE NARRATORS About a third of the way through Martin Scorseses Goodfellasafter having been sucked into the glam of the mafia by protagonist Henry Hill the narration suddenly changes to highlight the thoughts and feelings of lead female character Karen who will he will later go on to marry. This narrative switch is far from just a stylised technique but is actually effective in a number of ways. To start with, we gain a greater appreciation as to why she is falling for Henry and we are able to see the impact that his character has from the point of view of someone else. Secondly, it distinguishes Karen as a main character without having to gesture towards any evocative camera shots or grand entrances. And perhaps most importantly it enables us to see the scenes from different gender perspectives sometimes to comic effect and other times as the result of a more dramatic moment or scene. The use of multiple narrators can also be manipulated in order to try and deceit the audience and show scenes in different ways. If done well it can give the film richer characters and help make the story more complex or interesting. On the other hand?
I feel that these three forms highlight why the voice-over is a useful experiment if executed effectively. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article however these forms are rare and are usually driven by expert filmmakers and writers. When less skilled movie makers try and handle voice-over it can turn very pear shaped indeed. The most common mistake that really grinds on me is when the narration dumbs down the emotion so that we are hearing things that we can already decipher from the images on screen. This is the common practice of screenwriter Eric Roth who leaves his footprints all over this particular voice-over crime in both Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The latter case is particularly irritating. In one scene Benjamin returns home and we can see in his face that it feels different; that strange nostalgic sensation when you return to a place that is both familiar and comforting and yet at the same time both oddly surreal and alien. A lot of people can relate to this feeling and the actual images on screen sell the moment well. Then however, the film forces in some dialogue to stretch the point further. Fair enough but we get the point now. But wait, no the icing on the cake, the sentimental voice-over has to be kick in just for the sake of the four people who didnt happen to pick up on what was happening on screen: 
Another pet annoyance is when voice-over is used to carry a political message that the film on its own merit didnt succeed in making. Even more irritating in some regards is when a film such as Oliver Stones Platoon actually does sell a message well within its content but then has to verbally remind you of this message at the end of the film with a voice-over that carries little emotional weight and feels disconnected from the rest of the footage. But while more often than not voice-over is indulgent, easy and condescending there are certainly examples of films that highlight the device as an art form; as a way in which to add layers to characters and the drama and genuinely heighten the excitement and intrigue of the story. These are rare cases but they are still worth treasuring. Thanks for reading and please return this same time next week when this feature will be investigating the pros and cons of visual effects.
"And god help you if you use voice-over in your work, my friends. God help you. Thats flaccid, sloppy writing. Any idiot can write a voiceover narration to explain the thoughts of a character.He is certainly not alone in that thought. Voice-over is a device which me and my fellow scriptwriting students were persuaded never to use during our time at university. Echoing Mckees words the lecturers explained that it was pretentious, lazy and just an excuse to try and cover up poorly developed characters and plot holes. I did not necessarily agree with them but I could certainly relate to what they were saying as all too often there are examples of films copying what makes the voiceover device repetitive and tiresome rather than copying the techniques that can help to make it a success. Voiceovers are of course commonly associated with documentary filmmaking due to the fact that real people arent being scripted and so the documentary needs that necessary structure in order to fill in some of the gaps to make the content more interesting and presentable to the audience. With a script however you can word the characters how you want them too and so the theory is that the voice-over device for the big screen is not needed. Such a naive outlook however fails to consider the numerous ways in which the voice-over can bring great perspectives and dynamics to the cinematic medium as well as help play around with audiences perceptions of the characters and the story. I would like to investigate a few different voice-over techniques which I think help highlight its value in cinema: THE CONTRADICTORY VOICEOVER For me, the film Badlands, directed by Terrence Malick is perhaps the finest example of the form. This is because the content that we are seeing and the words that we are hearing appear to contradict one another and help to highlight the idealised view of the lead female character. Holly begins an affair with a much older man who is essentially a killer but as they begin a road trip on the run she speaks about the whole thing being a great romantic adventure as if she is involved in one of the fantasy stories that she obsessively reads:
In the stench and slime of the feedlot, he'd remember how I looked the night before, how I ran my hand through his hair and traced the outline of his lips with my fingertip. He wanted to die with me, and I dreamed of being lost forever in his arms....Her poetic and rich language is used perfectly to show just how young she is and how little she really understands about the world around her. The story is being driven from her perspective and so in spite of all the murders and chaos we are still being sucked into their world and relate to their sense of freedom. As soon as the romantic edge dies down however the voice-over follows suit which is done in expert fashion to show that Holly is beginning to see the situation for what it really is. One step onwards from this type of voice-over is where the narrator is deluded to an extent that not only do their thoughts contradict the action taking place but where we are not even sure if the action on screen is actually taking place at all. This leads us onto the next category: THE UNRELIABLE NARRATOR Whereas the contradictory voice-over seen throughout Badlands is used primarily to reveal character and perspective, the unreliable narrator is a more dramatic form that will lead to a surprising plot twist. Its first and perhaps finest example dates back all the way to the 1920 German film The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari. For those who think proper filmic storytelling didnt begin until the emergence of Citizen Kane, I would certainly recommend checking this film out. The Cabinet tells the story of three characters who are trying to investigate the truth behind the deranged Dr. Caligari and his sleepwalking friend Cesare who are connected to a series of murders in a German mountain village. After warming to the character and his journey through use of a voice-over that helps us to identify with him the story is then turned on its head when we realise near the end that the narrators account may not be as honest as he would have had us believe.
This film paved the way for a number of other movies which would use this device to great success including most notably Lolita, The Usual Suspects, Fight Club and American Psycho. Films are not always restricted to one narrator either; sometimes a blend of voices helps to create a more interesting narrative. THE MULTIPLE NARRATORS About a third of the way through Martin Scorseses Goodfellasafter having been sucked into the glam of the mafia by protagonist Henry Hill the narration suddenly changes to highlight the thoughts and feelings of lead female character Karen who will he will later go on to marry. This narrative switch is far from just a stylised technique but is actually effective in a number of ways. To start with, we gain a greater appreciation as to why she is falling for Henry and we are able to see the impact that his character has from the point of view of someone else. Secondly, it distinguishes Karen as a main character without having to gesture towards any evocative camera shots or grand entrances. And perhaps most importantly it enables us to see the scenes from different gender perspectives sometimes to comic effect and other times as the result of a more dramatic moment or scene. The use of multiple narrators can also be manipulated in order to try and deceit the audience and show scenes in different ways. If done well it can give the film richer characters and help make the story more complex or interesting. On the other hand?
I feel that these three forms highlight why the voice-over is a useful experiment if executed effectively. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article however these forms are rare and are usually driven by expert filmmakers and writers. When less skilled movie makers try and handle voice-over it can turn very pear shaped indeed. The most common mistake that really grinds on me is when the narration dumbs down the emotion so that we are hearing things that we can already decipher from the images on screen. This is the common practice of screenwriter Eric Roth who leaves his footprints all over this particular voice-over crime in both Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The latter case is particularly irritating. In one scene Benjamin returns home and we can see in his face that it feels different; that strange nostalgic sensation when you return to a place that is both familiar and comforting and yet at the same time both oddly surreal and alien. A lot of people can relate to this feeling and the actual images on screen sell the moment well. Then however, the film forces in some dialogue to stretch the point further. Fair enough but we get the point now. But wait, no the icing on the cake, the sentimental voice-over has to be kick in just for the sake of the four people who didnt happen to pick up on what was happening on screen: It's a funny thing about comin' home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you.Now its understandable that the narrative is being driven by Benjamins diary and there is nothing wrong with that. What is stupid though is when this device ruins the intrigue of the imagery by just elaborately announcing plot details and characters feelings.
Another pet annoyance is when voice-over is used to carry a political message that the film on its own merit didnt succeed in making. Even more irritating in some regards is when a film such as Oliver Stones Platoon actually does sell a message well within its content but then has to verbally remind you of this message at the end of the film with a voice-over that carries little emotional weight and feels disconnected from the rest of the footage. But while more often than not voice-over is indulgent, easy and condescending there are certainly examples of films that highlight the device as an art form; as a way in which to add layers to characters and the drama and genuinely heighten the excitement and intrigue of the story. These are rare cases but they are still worth treasuring. Thanks for reading and please return this same time next week when this feature will be investigating the pros and cons of visual effects.