I’m gonna talk about how the character of the Winter Soldier relies heavily on sound throughout the film because it’s one of the first things I picked up on during my numerous re-viewings and I think it’s one of the strengths of the film in terms of film technique.
For starters, the Winter Soldier is a really interesting character because he’s one of the titular characters and he’s key to the plot, but he has hardly any lines of dialogue and he’s only in it for maybe a third of the film. But the reason the Winter Soldier has such a presence in the film is because of the strength of Sebastian Stan’s ability to act using just his face and body and also the techniques that the film uses to establish details about his character that aren’t revealed through plot or dialogue. WS has only six real scenes in the film, which are:
First encounter with Nick Fury on the streets of D.C.
Shooting Nick Fury at Steve’s apartment
Speaking with Alexander Pierce
The Causeway
The Bank Vault (”But I knew him”)
Final Battle
So how do you establish the presence of a character who has six scenes during the film? The answer is to use every film technique at your disposal, and this film especially relies on sound. The Winter Soldier has to be one of the creepiest themes I’ve ever seen for a character because it utilizes a lot of metallic noises, robotic clanging, and inhuman screaming, which matches perfectly the visceral diegetic sounds of WS during the film, like the sound of the metal arm. It’s a far cry from what a normal character theme would be, because The Winter Soldier theme is for a presence, not for a person, which works so well given his legendary status as an assassin (“most of the intelligence community doesn’t believe he exists”).
The film uses sound in a major way to fill in the details about his character that can’t be shown on-screen, as well as to establish him as an inhuman figure that has the ability to morph what goes on around him, adding to his threatening presence. Firstly, when he’s first introduced to the audience and to Nick Fury on the streets of D.C., the music, which had been an exciting combat theme mirroring the action, suddenly goes very quiet and what you hear is what I can only describe as a hollow sound, a few notes of the WS theme. It’s a sound very evocative of a desolate wasteland. WS is unique because you never see him ‘enter’ a scene; he’s always there, and as soon as he appears, the sound in the film changes to mirror his presence. This happens when he appears and ambushes Fury’s car and the sound grows very quiet and haunting, and also during the scene where he appears in Alexander Pierce’s kitchen, but it also happens in a much larger way when he gets the shot at Steve’s apartment.
When Steve and Fury are talking, the song It’s Been a Long, Long Time is playing as diegetic music in the background to mask their conversation. It’s symbolic, because the lyrics mirror Steve and Bucky’s relationship, but it also serves a practical function within the storytelling. However, as soon as WS takes the shot and Fury goes down, the music very obviously warps in a really horrifying way that is more psychological. As Steve and Sharon and Fury are talking, their voices still sound normal, but the music playing, which logically should sound exactly the same, suddenly takes on a chilling, haunting quality. All because WS has appeared and distorted the scene. Essentially, the Winter Soldier is a character that is able to distort the reality of every scene in which he appears, because he’s a character that stands outside of reasoning and the fabric of reality itself. (Which makes a lot of sense given that he’s a character who was thought dead, but has in fact been alive for seventy years and has become the world’s deadliest assassin). Even when he doesn’t appear, such as when Steve and Natasha and Maria are watching Fury in the ER, as soon as Steve mentions “he’s fast; strong. Had a metal arm,” the WS music creeps back in because the Winter Soldier doesn’t need to be on the screen in order to ‘be’ there.
The causeway sequence is probably my favourite in the entire film, because it expands on what we’ve already learnt about WS through sound. The theme appears instantly as soon as he lands on top of Sam’s car, and then goes into a very metallic, action heavy piece of music. What’s really interesting, however, is what happens when Natasha draws WS away from Steve and Sam into the streets. As WS is walking down the street (and another thing to note about WS; he’s threatening because he never runs, only walks), the sounds of screaming and sirens are deliberately pushed far down on the sound hierarchy because what’s actually happening is that the audience is being given a rare glimpse into his point-of-view, which is incredible given that he’s a “villain” and not one of the protagonists. It offers the audience a view of how the Winter Soldier’s mind works. He’s focused solely on the mission, which in that moment is to listen for Black Widow, meaning all other superfluous background noise is deliberately muted because it is irrelevant to him. Then, we hear what he hears: the sound of Natasha speaking, which of course turns out to be a recording and not actually her. Later, after Natasha gets shot, the camera does a pov shift to Natasha and the music pretty much cuts out, which helps to show the audience just how terrified of WS she is (the shaky, handheld pov camera shot), which is something incredibly rare for this character because the only other person we’ve ever seen Black Widow scared of is the Hulk. Then WS jumps back into the shot on top of the car, rifle pointed straight at Natasha in what I personally consider to be the single best shot of the whole film, and the WS theme surges back in in a really terrifying way, because both Natasha and the audience know in that instant that if Steve hadn’t appeared at that very moment, Black Widow would be dead.
All of this is great stuff, but the cincher for me in why this film is superior to every other superhero movie in terms of technique is that in addition to establishing the Winter Soldier’s inhumanity through sound, sound also plays a huge role in establishing his humanity, which happens almost at the very instant Steve mentions the name “Bucky.” At the bank vault, when WS is asking who the man on the bridge was, the sound of the robotic, metallic WS theme is deliberately pushed back in favour of an emotional note that is clearly evocative of Steve.
All of this culminates in the scene of the final battle, which takes the established haunting Winter Soldier theme and plays that out while Steve and WS are fighting, until the instant Steve tells him “you know me.” As soon as Steve engages him in conversation, the Winter Soldier theme disappears and instead you get a piece of deeply moving music playing as Steve tells him that he’s not going to fight him, that he’s his friend, and that “I’m with you till the end of the line.” Then it goes into that emotional piano piece as Steve falls into the Potomac and Bucky dives in after him. Essentially, what’s happening here is that for two hours this character has been crafted as a robotic, inhuman assassin who distorts the fabric of reality and morphs every scene he’s in simply through his presence, but suddenly he’s now being treated like a character; an actual person. All because Steve Rogers is treating him like a person. Steve Rogers is the one thing that keeps the Winter Soldier human, and the film manages to tell us that simply through sound.
And this is why CA:TWS stands above every other superhero movie in terms of technique, in my opinion.
In an interview with Empire Online, Joe Russo said of this scene,
He’s hanging onto that helicopter for an extremely passionate reason. In stories you’ll read where a mother will lift a car
off a child. There’s something very important happening in that scene
and for us it really represented his struggle as a character, one man
pitted against a helicopter that’s trying to take off. Can he stop it?
And what are the limits of his strength?
The
effects of doing this on Steve’s body depend on how much strain is
actually put on his muscles, ligaments, and bones. I don’t recall that
we’ve ever been told the full extent of his strength post-serum in the
MCU (as Joe Russo mentions, this scene is partly an exploration of
MCU!Steve’s abilities), but in the comics he bench-presses around 1,100
lbs:
This
seems about right, or maybe even a little on the low side, considering
his everyday feats of strength in the MCU, such as lifting a motorcycle
with three women on it in CA:FA:
And throwing another motorcycle at his enemies in AoU:
(Psst, Steve, motorcycles are supposed to stay with the wheels on the ground!)
In
order to answer your question, we need to know how much lift the
helicopter can generate vs how much force Steve can apply to it. I know
absolutely nothing about helicopters, but a Bell 429 (which is the
most “helicopter”-looking helicopter I could find on Google) has a cargo
hook capacity of 3,000 lbs, meaning it can take off with 3,000 lbs
suspended below it. So let us assume that Steve is in effect
“reverse-lifting” (pulling down instead of up) 3,000 lbs, which sounds
like a lot, definitely outside his normal capacity.
…Except he’s
not actually doing that, because (as far as I can tell from the
2-second clip) he doesn’t try to pull the helicopter closer to himself
(concentric force), he’s keeping it from flying away (eccentric force).
Because of how muscle fibres work at the molecular level, they can
generate 1.75 times greater force eccentrically than concentrically,
meaning that Steve (at least in the comics) is capable of lifting just
shy of 2,000 lbs eccentrically. That’s pretty impressive!
However,
it’s still less than the helicopter’s 3,000 lbs capacity, so how do we
explain that? Well, Steve isn’t actually pulling eccentrically at the
helicopter by the end of the clip, he’s just holding on to it,
generating static force. This means that his bones and ligaments are now
assisting his muscles to prevent his body from being dismembered. If
you’ve done any weightlifting yourself, you’ll know that your static
strength is much, much larger than either your concentric or eccentric
strength – I’m a total weakling so I can’t do an actual pull-up either
concentrically or eccentrically (feel free to laugh), but I can easily
hang from the pull-up bar, even one-handed, and let my ligaments carry
my full bodyweight with no ill effects.
I don’t know how strong
Steve’s bones and ligaments are, but considering he’s a supersoldier and
nigh on unbreakable judging by his propensity for jumping out of planes
and elevators, I don’t think he’ll suffer any debilitating injuries
from this helicopter stunt – maybe some strains and sprains, and even
so, I bet the movie will show him up and running again shortly
afterwards. 😉
So while it’s definitely impressive, holding down a helicopter trying to take off seems to me to be well within Steve’s
abilities (I was more impressed by the fact that he managed to lift
that steel beam off of Bucky during the fight on the helicarrier in
CA:TWS). Provided Steve can keep a grip on it, of course; helicopters
look pretty slippery. 🙂
To add some extra helicopter- and helicopter-adjacent details and discussion to @wintercyan’s awesome meta:
The situation is probably even more reasonable than @wintercyan lays out, because of the way that helicopters’ ratings are listed, which is a function of how helicopters are used for moving people around versus moving cargo around. [detailed discussion after the read-more!]
i’m not a fan of buckling down and forcing myself to do stuff tbh so hopefully i can be kinda helpful here.
things to do when you can’t write:
make a pinterest board inspired by the story. sometimes seeing lots of pretty colors and visuals helps encourage me to put words along with them.
make a spotify mix inspired by the story. see above, but with lyrics.
this involves some pre-work, but i keep a google doc of writing prompts. sometimes if i can’t write the story i’m working on, i pick out a prompt and start drafting it just to keep my brain moving.
reread what i’ve written so far. sometimes it helps me gain enough momentum to write a few more words, which snowball into even more. sometimes i also print a story out and mark all over it with colored pens and highlighters to feel more productive and look at pretty colors.
go for a walk or stand outside a while (this one is donated by @celestialdisturbances but i also do this sometimes, usually while listening to the mix i made)
read/watch something that inspired you in the past that you haven’t revisited in a while. my go-to is Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl”, which i read aloud to myself in its entirety
make a bullet-point list of everything that has happened so far in the story. sometimes i try to make it fit into different plot structure forms to see how solid it is, and sometimes filling in blanks of established structures helps me figure out where to go next.
take a nap!! this one is the most important. sometimes the reason i can’t write is because i’m exhausted and i get mad at myself for not having infinite amounts of mental energy. so i lie down and think and think and think and doze.
if you can’t sleep, just lie down somewhere – maybe a place you don’t normally lie, like under a table, or in the grass, or somewhere where the view is different than you’re used to and that might be mildly uncomfortable. your creative energy likes it when you are mildly uncomfortable; i highly encourage seeking it out.
remind myself that i’m allowed to quit. sometimes giving myself an out is enough to re-establish that what i’m doing isn’t compulsory, that i’m doing it because i want to, and if i decide i don’t want to, i can stop. there is too much stigma around quitting things. i am very pro-quitting. do the things that keep your interest, throw everything else out. what you’re left with is the stuff you know you should fight for.
What’s cool about that scene is that you can actually see the different kinds of baseline power and skill when each person fights against Bucky! It creates a situation where each superhero, just as they are, has to fight without warning.
Sam gets taken out immediately because the Soldier sneaks up on him. He didn’t get a chance to think or plan, which is how Sam operates in a fight – in CATWS, he came from behind and took out the HYDRA soldiers. But as soon as he’s conscious, Sam makes a tactical decision, just like a soldier: he goes after Zemo, because he knows he can’t take Bucky on without any gear. Sam recognizes the distraction for what it is – Zemo’s escape:
Tony fights intelligently, using the environment to his advantage. He sneaks up on Bucky, uses sonic and flash bombs, and anything he grabs becomes a weapon. He also twists the battle to always centre around his tech, which takes split-second calculations in a fight. But when that tech fails… physically, Tony is just a regular man, and he’s easily defeated.
Then Sharon fights. She’s FBI trained, bold and unafraid, and could easily take down a skilled fighter… but she’s only human, and she’s inexperienced in fighting enhanced beings. She’s also not skilled enough in her fighting style – her movements are more about force (which does nothing to Bucky, being inherently stronger). When she tries to bring Bucky down, Sharon puts her weight onto Bucky’s metal arm, and uses her fists to fight, so Bucky just shakes her off. It’s not enough.
Natasha takes over, and you can see the difference immediately: she’s exceptionally skilled in combat and has been trained to fight enhanced beings. She sneaks up on Bucky while he’s distracted with Sharon, hitting vulnerable areas and then backing out of his range. Natasha uses her Widow move, coming at Bucky from behind, using his human arm for leverage so he can’t toss her off, and she gets quite a few hits to Bucky’s head using her elbows, not her fists. Nat isn’t enhanced, but she’s holding her own… until Bucky defeats her with the metal arm. But I find their fighting styles to be eerily similar.
T’Challa then enters the fray. It’s now Enhanced vs Enhanced, and you can see how the playing field levels in terms of physical strength: T’Challa’s punches are more effective, and his hits cause Bucky to stumble. But T’Challa underestimates Bucky’s strength, likely because he’s never fought The Soldier before now. He’s also inexperienced compared to Bucky, because he’s young and new at this; you can see him experimenting in his attempt to subdue Bucky. It’s a time-consuming fight, but Bucky would have won in the end. So there’s potential – T’Challa thinks on his feet and is a skilled fighter – but without the suit, he’s not quite there yet.
And, like all of them, T’Challa is only trying to detain Bucky, not kill him… but the Winter Soldier is willing to kill them, and that makes a huge difference. The caged animal is always going to be stronger and more volatile, and that automatically gives Bucky an edge.
What the Winter Soldier doesn’t realize, though, is that Steve is in the same boat; he doesn’t care what has to be done, as long as he gets Bucky back. After he gets over the initial shock of Bucky’s mindcontrol, Steve is a formidable opponent: he’s enhanced, he’s skilled, he’s experienced, he’s familiar with the Soldier’s fighting style… but mostly, he doesn’t care if he lives or dies. He’ll go down with Bucky if that’s what it takes. And that’s where Steve wins over the Soldier: his love for Bucky gives him that upper hand.
(Okay, I went off on a tangent. But I just really like that scene!)
AHHH. This is driving me crazy and I have to get it off my chest or I’ll explode.
Somehow, these posts have crept back onto my dash. Posts in which young women are VEHEMENTLY debating the question: “WHO TOPS? STEVE OR BUCKY?”
And the arguments that are being brought up are…weird? Really weird? Especially weird for me, in light of fifteen years of first-hand experience with gay sex and gay relationships?
Some reasons Steve should be “The Top” and Bucky should be “The Bottom”:
Steve has big muscles and Bucky has a big ass and thicc thighs
Steve is main character/hero (???)
Steve has
short hair and Bucky’s is long
Steve is taller
Steve is more outspoken, Bucky is quiet
Bucky has Blowjob Lips
Some reasons Bucky should be “The Top” and Steve should be “The Bottom”:
Steve used to be skinny and Bucky was The Big One
Bucky has a Beard
Bucky is dark and brooding and Steve is sunshine and puppies
Bucky has big muscles and Steve has a perky ass
Bucky used to beat people up for Steve
Steve has Blowjob Lips
WHAT? HOW does any of this? Okay you know what never mind. Aside from how this assigns all kinds of heteronormative, cissexist, binary-enforcing bullshit to gay men, I do understand that this is fantasy. I get that. Fandom is dominated by women, and that is AWESOME because there is finally erotica by women, for women, and it’s available for free. Sweet. I understand that women put up with faaaar worse stereotypes from porn created for men’s enjoyment that features lesbian couples.
But every now and then, I see a huge debate like the one I just saw and I have to scream into the void. Here are a few of the things I’d like to scream:
Sometimes, gay men do have a preference where giving/receiving anal sex is concerned, especially if we’re just out trying to hook up.
Some gay men just really can’t stand anal. It’s kind of an acquired taste.
Also, other forms of sex are far more common, because anal is a lot of trouble. It’s kind of messy, too. Moving on to the heart of the issue…
NO PHYSICAL OR PERSONALITY TRAITS CONTRIBUTE IN ANY WAY TO A MAN’S PREFERENCES ABOUT ANAL.
ALSO, WE CAN ENJOY GIVING BLOWJOBS WITHOUT ENJOYING RECEIVING ANAL SEX AND VICE VERSA.
A man’s hair has nothing to do with whose dick goes where.
And neither does anything else expect what he and his partner feel like getting up to.
*GRABS MEGAPHONE*
WE LITERALLY BASE THE DECISION OF WHO PITCHES AND WHO CATCHES ON WHO POOPED LAST, OKAY??? There. Now you know.
Oh, and side-note to that one person, just in case you see this: the prostate is toward the belly button, not the spine. For the love of Freddy Mercury, please stop making Steve pound Bucky’s sacrum.
Moving on to the heart of the issue…
Tumblr Exodus 