In his latest essay film, Mark Rappaport uses an authoral dichotomy to explain one of the most important dialogues in the language of film: that between image and sound. Beginning with the use of the soundtrack by Tati and Bresson – to strengthen the off screen presence and stimulate the imagination of the viewer – Rappaport points out those films which, throughout cinema history, have used sound as a narrative weapon. He takes “Mon Oncle” (1958) and “Au Hasard Balthazar” (1966) as his starting point for discussion, followed by “M” by Fritz Lang (1931) and “Strangers on a Train” by Alfred Hitchcock (1951). Image and sound are masterfully conjoined, especially in Jacques Tati and Robert Bresson, in order to manipulate the viewer’s perception, challenging more realist assumptions. For this reason, as the essay shows, both authors artificially process the diegetic sound. The essay ends with Rappaport’s own manipulation, demonstrating the extraordinary nature of sound as an element of change in diegetic meaning, sometimes conflicting with the cinematographic image itself. (DR)