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Cinemas Are Warning People About This Surprising Last Jedi Scene

Madison Medeiros
27 December 2017, 0:25
Star Wars: The Last Jedi has gotten a lot of buzz over the past couple of weeks, and for good reason: The film has already been deemed to be the second most successful in the franchise. But, this latest bit of press isn't so much about box office numbers or a shirtless Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Instead, it's about a whopping 10 seconds of audio — or lack thereof.
According to Vulture, some AMC cinemas in the US have posted disclaimers warning moviegoers that the audio in the intergalactic film intentionally goes out during one scene. Apparently, cinemas received a number of complaints from audience members who didn't realise the silent movie moment was intentional.
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Vulture noted that actor Paul Scheer shared one of the warnings, which disclosed the exact time the 10-second silence takes place, on Facebook.
"The Last Jedi contains a sequence at approximately 1 hour and 52 minutes into the movie in which ALL sound stops for about 10 full seconds," the notice read. "While the images continue to play on the screen you will hear nothing. This is intentionally done by the director for a creative effect."
It's true that many action films use sound as a way to make an impact — just think about the symphony of gunshot rounds and explosions included in many action films or the creepy music in horror films — but it's not like cutting dialogue or music is a new technique. Aside from being essential to music (yes, there's a reason rests are included in everything from Vivaldi concertos to Justin Bieber songs), many popular films have opted for more muted sequences to prompt an unexpected emotional response.
In fact, Film School Rejects wrote all about the particular effect using the film There Will Be Blood as an example. According to the article, titled "The Lord Can't Hear You, Daniel: The Impact of Silence In There Will Be Blood," the lack of sound during a pivotal moment in that film acts as a "gut punch" to the viewer, who have been forced to both carefully listen to and watch the storyline unfold.
That assessment seems to be true for some Star Wars fans, too, who tweeted their thoughts on the silent scene. (Warning: Some slight spoilers ahead.)
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Whether the silent moment works is up for interpretation by the viewer of the film, but it certainly was no accident.

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