Are
you familiar with the 1948 Preston Sturges film Unfaithfully Yours starring Rex Harrison? This film provides the
perfect example of diegetic ambiguity. Before looking at whether the music can
be considered diegetic or non-diegetic, it’s first important to understand the
overall plot.
Sir
Alfred De Carter is an orchestral conductor who suspects his wife has been
unfaithful. While conducting his orchestra, Carter imagines multiple scenarios
on how he could handle the situation. The film transitions between showing
Carter conduct famous music by Rossini and Wagner to scenes of him carrying out
the “plan” in his mind. What’s ambiguous is whether or not the music can be
considered diegetic or not. We see a music source (the orchestra) so it is
diegetic for Carter as he conducts, the musicians, and those watching. The
scenes in Carter’s mind, however, display the music as non-diegetic, as the
people in his mind cannot hear the music that occurs in real time.
How
would you classify this music in Unfaithfully
Yours? Can the Carter in Carter’s mind hear the music?
Next
time, join me as I take a look at the latest from Terrence Malick, Knight of Cups.
