American Graffiti is a coming of age film form the early 1970’s. The soundtrack and sound mixing are a key part of the movie and the plot. The music in Graffiti connects all of the different character’s and storylines together. The music was mixed by Walter Murch, and his mixing skills prove to be very effective. Throughout the movie we hear songs move through different spaces, from different car radios, and even into a high school dance. An important character in American Graffiti is Wolfman, the disk jockey that is controlling the music throughout the movie. The characters of American Graffiti all listen to his radio station and his music and we hear Wolfman’s radio station through everyone’s car radios.
An example of this is when the song Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry is played. Before the song starts we hear someone calling in on Wolfman’s Telephone. The movie cuts to the different characters in their cars listening to the Wolfman radio station. We first cut to Steve and Laurie, and then to John and Carol, then we see Toad and Debbie all in their cars. Lastly, the film cuts to Curt in the car with the Pharaoh’s. Each group of characters is on their own journey and in different locations, yet they are still all connected. In the Pharaoh’s car “Johnny B. Goode” begins to play on the station. The song plays quietly on the radio as the Pharaoh’s discuss Wolfman. The scene cuts to John and Carol in the car and the music transitions seamlessly. John and Carol are sitting in the car driving and listening to the same song. The song continues to play as the two approach a car full of girls. Once John and Carol leave the car to mess with the girls, the music grows louder. The music changes from diegetic to nondiegetic. We watch John and Carol trash the girl’s car as Chuck Berry plays in the background. There are many different plots and story lines throughout the movie and the one thing that connects them is the music. Wolfman is the backbone of the movie, almost controlling the characters and what’s going on around them. American Graffiti shows how important and powerful music can be in movies.
