“White Noise”: Confronting “death” in Noah Baumbach’s pandemic film

*This article touches on the core of the story, so we recommend reading it after watching the movie.

"White Noise" synopsis

A lyrical and absurd story depicting a university professor who suffers from a chemical spill and becomes deranged due to fear of death, fleeing with his family to save his life. A modern American family faces common conflicts in their daily lives and confronts universal mysteries of love, death, and the possibility of happiness in an uncertain world.

Index

• Pandemic x absurd comedy depicting “fear of death”
• Actual experiences during the coronavirus pandemic strongly influenced the work
• Chapter 1 depicting “peaceful boredom” before the pandemic
• Chapter 2 evokes “memories of chaos” during the pandemic
• Chapter 3 confronts “persistent fear” after the pandemic

Pandemic x absurd comedy depicting “fear of death”

A war has broken out across the ocean, the domestic political situation is in turmoil, the yen has weakened for the first time in 30 years, prices have risen... and the coronavirus pandemic is entering its fourth year. I guess our hearts have been at peace lately.

Anxiety and fear, anger, and resignation about the current situation and the future. At a time when paranoia and thanatophobia are accelerating, I can't help but feel the inevitability of this work appearing. ``White Noise'' directed by Noah Baumbach (released in select theaters from December 9, 2022, distributed on Netflix from December 30).

The film is based on the novel of the same name, which won the National Book Award in 1985, written by novelist Don DeLillo, known for `` Cosmopolis, '' which was made into a movie by director David Cronenberg. One day, a chemical spill accident occurs in the residential area. This is a cynical, absurdist comedy about a university professor and his family who are haunted by the fear of death after experiencing evacuation life. By the way, "White Noise" is a type of noise that refers to things that have a uniform frequency, such as air conditioners and ventilation fans. Although it is noise, it is said to be effective in improving sleep and concentration.

“White Noise” WILSON WEBB/NETFLIX © 2022

``White Noise'' was written by director Baumbach, and stars his partner Greta Gerwig and Adam Driver, who also collaborated on `` Marriage Story '' (19). Baumbach and Gerwig also worked together on her directorial film Barbie (2023), with art director Jess Goncor and decorator Claire for Story of My Life (2019).・Kaufman and others participated. During the end credits, "New Body Rhumba", written by Baumbach's friend LCD Soundsystem (James Murphy), plays.

However, overall, the staff looks fresh. The cinematographer is Lol Crowley, who worked on `` Ripples '' (2015) and ``The Devil Is Always There '' (2020), the musical score is by the great Danny Elfman, and the editor is `` The Enemy '' (13) and `` The Possessor '' (2020). ) is directed by Matthew Hannam. By the way, the production is being handled by A24 and Heyday Films, which also produces the Harry Potter series.

Although it is an art film that shows the artist's creativity, it is also a blockbuster, with production costs said to be between 80 million and 100 million dollars. It is said that production costs have increased by 20% due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the production is rich and well-crafted, with depictions of the pandemic that are a mix of horror and humor in a recreation of the 1980s. In this article, I would like to explore the appeal of this strange and ambitious work.

Actual experiences during the coronavirus pandemic strongly influenced the work