Review of Berberian Sound Studio (2012) by Stephen C — 09 Sep 2013

In some quaters, Beberain sound studios has been called a horror film.

But its my duty to report that its not strictly the case.

Director Peter Strickland is on the one hand paying homage to the great Italian Giallo movies of the 60s and 70s and on the other creating a David Lynch type nightmare for his lead actor.

Toby Jones plays the meek sound technician who has been summoned to Italy by the director Santini a bombastic bore with an eye for the ladies and who hates his films being called horror films.

Santini has requested his sound man for his good ears, but Gilderoy has serious issues with the things he is seeing on the screen and he also has massive language barrier problems and the producer of the film Francesco constanly on his case to get the sound just right.

What follows is Gilderoy becomes even more unerved by the (unseen to us) film and then in a Bergman like twist the film breaks down and we have a small clip of Gilderoys normal work of recording the sounds on Box Hill before the film returns and things take a turn for the odd.

Kudos must go to director Strickland for sticking to his guns and bending the narrative in such a strange fashion but it works thanks to the great use of sound and of course Toby Jones as the belagured and puzzled Gilderoy.

The film does of course pay homage to the works of Argento ,Fuchi and Mario Bava but I noted that the films uses of the soundtrack reminded me of De Palmas use of sound and effects in Blow Out.

Yes the film is offbeat and downright odd in some places but when most British films are so predictable its refreshing when a director goes down another less worn path.