Movie theater and the sound of popcorn
“Get your popcorn!” The popping of the corn and the buzz of the box office open the parade of sounds that make up the ritual of going to one of the few street cinemas still left in Rio. Then come the noises of bodies settling into seats, the brief melody of cell phones being switched off. “Please turn off your phones, the movie is about to start” is the cue for a fleeting silence. That pause is soon broken by the sound of the speakers releasing voices, accents, shouts and the films' soundtracks. At times, these sounds mix with the whispered voices of some viewers and the “shhh”s of others who are bothered, composing a fresh rearrangement with every new screening.
In the first decades of the 20th century, in the great movie palaces that, together with theaters and cabarets, made up Cinelândia's cultural surroundings, there were waiting rooms where spectators could wait for the film. At Cine Odeon — today the only remaining movie theater on that square — Ernesto Nazareth, a musician who dedicated his famous tango Odeon to the place, performed several times, entertaining spectators and accompanying silent films on the piano.
The contemporary experience of going to the movies moves through both ruptures and some noises that remain from the past. Digital projection and cutting-edge sound systems mark today's films. But once the screening is over, the viewer is returned to the bustle of the streets, to a table at the café or restaurant, where they can chat about the movie over a good bit of conversation.
