The clip I chose to analyze was the opening scene of the movie Get Out. In this scene, Logan, a young black male, is walking through a white neighborhood trying to find an address. The scene takes place in the night in which there are no other people around Logan, and so he becomes very suspicious when a car starts following him slowly. Out of skepticism, Logan turns to the other direction away from the car. When he turns back, however, he sees that the drivers door of the car is opened. Immediately after coming to this realization, Logan is attacked by a man who chokes him unconscious and stuffs him into the trunk of the car. The movie Get Out was directed by Jordan Peele, an African American filmmaker. As a whole, the movie is a social commentary on racism present in society today. Through the sounds and music used in the movie, this message is thoroughly portrayed.

The scene has many diegetic sounds that serve to emphasize the intensity of the environment and fear felt by the character. One such sound is the buzzing in the background, or the ambiance. By having this sound playing constantly throughout the scene, the audience is able to feel a sense of isolation which is then reinforced by the image of him walking alone in the night. Another diegetic sound used is the car driving slowly and braking when it gets close to him. The squeaking heard when the car breaks adds to the overall ominous sense throughout the scene. A non diegetic sound used is the music played when Logan gets caught in a chokehold by his abductor. The music which started as diegetic, coming from the car, becomes louder and no longer diegetic when he is captured. The song uses a consonant harmony which is pleasing to the ear and is paired with a scene that is anything but pleasing. This contrast serves to create a sense of irony which is expanded upon through the lyrics. The lyrics played are “Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run don’t give the farmer his fun, fun, fun.” These lyrics are significant because the “rabbit” in this case is Logan and the “farmer” is the perpetrator. It adds a sense of irony because the song is encouraging Logan to run from his abductor so that the man doesn’t get what he wants, but Logan is physically unable to do so. This also works to emphasize the social commentary as African Americans in society are unable to escape institutionalized racism.