Class8

I watched two documentaries earlier this week. Both were about hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans. Though both documentaries covered the disaster in much the same way; with interviews of survivor’s accounts, the films had a very different feel to them. I believe that this difference in mood was due to the two completely different soundtracks that were used. The first film used a lot of traditional New Olean funeral procession music that involves big band instruments. This gave the film a reminiscent quality. I made me think of the many generations of people that grew up in New Orleans, and how they had become a displaced people. The second film used rap music composed by one of the poor black women whose story is followed throughout the film. The tone of her voice, lyrics, and the mood of the music spoke much more of the poor quality of life in New Orleans, even before Katrina, than it did about history. This is yet another example of how different soundtrack choices can completely change the perception of a film.