MovieChat Forums > A Bridge Too Far (1977) Discussion > The sound makes it unwatchable

The sound makes it unwatchable

posted 9 years ago by dtmuller
18 replies | jump to latest

Anybody else have this problem? This is the only movie I've ever seen that has such a variation in sound level that it's just too annoying to watch. I'm constantly adjusting the volume.

Turn the volume to a good level to hear the dialog, and the explosions blast you out of the room. Adjust it for reasonably loud battle sequences, and you can't understand the dialog. But then, there's no one level that's good for dialog either. There's a vast difference just from scene to scene where people are having normal conversations. I just ripped it, aggressively compressing the audio dynamic range, and it's still too much work to watch and enjoy.

OK, yes, I wear hearing aids, but had this problem with this film long before I needed them. (I'm not one of those people who needed them for 20 years before admitting it.) And I've watched many, many war films with lots of loud battle scenes without having this problem. (Patton, Saving Private Ryan, Tora! Tora! Tora! are a few that come to mind.)

So I ask again, does anyone else notice this? Or do I have an odd DVD copy? Or is it something else?

[–] robertodelamar 7 years ago

Not only is the sound too loud, but the music itself, is just atrocious.
The music (if you could call it that) is just brutal from the beginning credit scene onward.

[–] annemarieko 7 years ago

I thought the music was annoying too, maybe a little upbeat for such a disaster? I just watched the movie on TCM and thought the sound was even and appropriately level - sometimes I think I'm losing my hearing because the music is so loud it's hard to understand the dialog - Martin Scorsese is a particular offender - but this movie seemed just fine and I wouldn't have noticed if the OP hadn't pointed it out.

[–] Hotrodder 7 years ago

It was meant to be upbeat in the beginning, as the Allies were optimistic that they had the Germans on the run and perhaps even near defeat. John Addison's score reflects this and as the operation goes wrong reflects the tragedy that is unfolding. Listen to the score here from 2:55 and the same basic theme becomes very sombre:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n7vrvM0iO4

Trust me. I know what I'm doing.

[–] JepGambardella (463) 4 years ago

Same problem is present on the Region A Blu-Ray. I had to adjust the volume a few times while watching it - and not just a small adjustment, too!