Tsotsi: Sound and Music

 

I thought the opening scene’s sound and music worked perfectly together. The scene shows Tsotsi and his friends at Tsotsi’s house when one of the friends ask Tsotsi what they’d be doing that night. An upbeat and almost powerful song begins playing when the camera focuses on a close-up of Tsotsi’s face. The scene then cuts to them leaving the house and walking along the street towards the city.

I thought the scene’s action and song combination worked well together because the song seemed to give us an insight into how others viewed Tsotsi. As the song plays, Tsotsi’s movements are very controlled and purposeful, like he knows how to handle himself and what he needs to do in order to survive in that environment. He also seems to be very focused during this scene and the music seems to emphasize that since the music was also very controlled and had a very direct beat to it. Tsotsi’s friends also walk slightly behind Tsotsi which shows that they view him as the leader of their group.

As the scene progresses, the sound of train tracks and a train whistle are heard in the background. These sounds being used in addition to the song seem to direct where the scene is going. It’s almost like a preview of what’s to come is being shown because their robbery at the train station is what started Tsotsi off on his journey to find value in his life.