The Revolution of Sound: From Silent Film to Modern Soundtracks

The introduction of sound revolutionized the film industry, drastically changing the landscape in just three years and displacing many silent film actors and directors.

The Silent Era's End: Sound's Sudden Impact

The transition was brutal. Many silent film stars, often incapable of modulating their voices for the new medium, were swiftly replaced by theater actors. Few silent film legends managed to retrain; perhaps the only notable exception was the unique Charles Chaplin.

In other cases, emerging industrial interests forced the withdrawal of professionals for whom sound cinema had no place. This shift also faced significant rejection from established filmmakers.

Filmmaker Resistance: The 1928 Soviet Manifesto

The most representative Soviet directors drafted a manifesto in 1928 against the "talkies." They demanded strict guidelines for the use of sound, fearing it would disturb the aesthetic values that had previously defined their fixtures. Sergei Eisenstein, Vsevolod Pudovkin, and Grigori Aleksandrov expressed their wariness, predicting the end of true cinema.

The Evolution of Music in Cinema

The process of adopting sound was unstoppable, and film quickly transitioned to talkies. Sound became an intrinsic part of the film, forming an inseparable whole. However, especially in these first projects, synchronization was often poor, and the harmony between image and sound frequently left much to be desired.

The viewer had to wait until the 1930s for original musical compositions to accompany films. Initially, early tapes used mixtures of existing compositions coupled as accompaniment. These selections are the direct ancestors of modern soundtracks.

The Birth of the Original Film Score

The parallel history of music and film officially began in 1908 when Camille Saint-Saëns composed the first original score for the film The Assassination of the Duke of Guise. Throughout the twenty minutes of this short film, the score established the tone for the privileged place music would occupy in cinema.

Musicals and the Soundtrack Industry

Music reached its highest profitability with the supremacy of musicals. These films, despite sometimes having artistic shortcomings, benefited immensely from the absolute ownership of the soundtrack.

The 1950s saw a Hollywood musical boom that catapulted triple-threat performers—actors, singers, and dancers—to fame.

From Necessity to Quantifiable Art

Music in film began simply as an effective solution to avoid silence. It culminated in becoming a valuable and quantifiable element, placed at the same level as editing, cinematography, or the script.

It is challenging to analyze the concept of music in film independently. The relationship between the two arts—film and music—has had varied uses throughout history:

• Early Use: Music was external to the tape itself, accompanying features exclusively.
• Modern Use: Music is now part of a separate industry.

The industry of soundtracks is now fully integrated into record production and inextricably linked to the film industry. Soundtracks often achieve independent success, paying for themselves regardless of the film's box office performance.