The scene I chose to analyze is the opening scene of Get Out, a movie that I have wanted to see for a while yet I still keep putting it off. In this scene, Logan, a young African-American man, is walking down the street in a predominantly white neighborhood looking for an address. It takes place during the night, so the street is mostly illuminated by the moonlight and some streetlights, giving this eerie vibe from the start. He walks down the street telling whomever he’s on the phone with that he feels uncomfortable and out-of-place walking through this neighborhood. Simultaneously we see a white car cruising slowly in the opposite direction until it makes a u-turn and starts to follow him. He immediately becomes suspicious and decides to walk in the opposite direction (away from the car). However, when he turns back to see if the car is still there, he sees the driver’s door open and jumps to a conclusion within seconds. Before he can start trying to reason with the figure who has approached him, the masked figure chokes him unconscious and places him in the trunk of the car. Through satire, this film comments on systemic racism faced by black individuals in modern-day society. Jordan Peele, the director, used several elements including sound and music, to help convey his messages.

 Diegetic sound throughout the scene help to enhance the audience’s understanding of the character’s current situation; We are able to feel like we are there with Logan because we hear the sounds he does. For example, the general ambience of the setting  consists of crickets chirping in the background; This little, seemingly insignificant sound, one familiar to us, makes us feel like we, too, are surrounded by these crickets and emphasizes the quietness of the setting during this scene. In addition, Logan’s footsteps can be heard which makes the scene more intense and suspenseful  by conveying just how quiet everything seems to be around him (a little too quiet). Another sound that adds to our interpretation of the scene is the sound of the car engine and its brakes. This sound is one of the only sounds noticeably breaking the ambience, other than Logan’s voice on the phone. By hearing the car engine so loudly and the squeak of the brake so clearly, the audience is on-edge because we know something is about to happen and it’s going to involve that car. Non-diegetic sound includes the music that was playing in the background when Logan was getting kidnapped. The song that was playing is titled “Run Rabbit Run” by Flanagan and Allen. The song is upbeat and happy which contrasts with the mood that the actions of the scene set. The music is so happily themed that it makes everything seem creepier, its similar to the effect that you get from watching videos with dolls backed by children’s music. The lyrics say “Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run don’t give the farmer his fun, fun, fun” which refers to Logan and the figure who abducts him. The song tells the rabbit, Logan, to run from the farmer, the unknown figure, but the reality of the situation is that he is physically unable to do so,  making this ironic. This adds to the commentary being made about systemic racism as it is something the oppressed people are unable to get away from.