Best Sound: Ranking Every Oscar Nominee
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
It’s time to move on from the tech categories altogether, isn’t it? I feel like it should be time. In order to do that and make our way towards the musical categories, let’s transition from the last tech category and segue into the other audible awards. So the remaining tech category is Best Sound, which I whine about every year. I will forever be angry that the Academy decided to merge both sound categories into one group (like I always say, sound mixing and sound editing are not similar at all). Not only is this a disservice to all of the different crew members and post production specialists that work on the audio for a film, but it makes ranking the category even more difficult. I now have to consider all things sound with these nominees, and that can be really tough, whereas before I was focusing on which sounds meshed well together and what original noises were the best conceived. Nonetheless, I will preface this category by admitting that it was easily the most difficult to rank so far for me. Not a single bad nominee is here. I actually shifted my ranking quite a few times before settling on the list below, and even then I may change my mind after this is posted. Let’s try our best anyway. Here are your nominees.
Biggest Snub: Babylon
I can’t actually say that any of the final nominees don’t deserve to be there, so this isn’t really a snub (but I like to have at least one suggestion for “biggest snub” for each category). Either way, I’m actually shocked that Babylon didn’t get a nod here, because it is actually quite fantastic in this department. The noise of chaos is perfectly assembled and levelled nicely enough that you hear what you need to hear at all times. As obnoxious as the film gets (and it certainly does), I couldn’t say that I couldn’t make out what I was hearing at any time. The sound work in Babylon is easily one of its strengths, and the film was getting nominations anyway, so not having anything here is a little odd.
5. The Batman-Stuart Wilson, Willian Files, Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson
Ugh. Depressing. I actually love the sound work in The Batman, especially the sound editing here (just listen to the soppy, wet punches of Batman’s gloves in the rain in the clip below). I only ranked this last because of how difficult it is to hear the characters throughout the film: a very minor complaint but I had to have some sort of rationale at a molecular level to space these nominees out without having any ties. Otherwise, The Batman actually sounds quite great (especially the constant precipitation that kind of places Gotham City in a meditative state of limbo).
4. Avatar: The Way of Water-Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, and Michael Hedges
Avatar: The Way of Water is fourth?? Again, this is a super tough category. The extra edge this film gets is during all of the underwater sequences (I’m a sucker for great water sounds). I’m placing this behind the three other nominees only because I feel like they have an extra special something each. Avatar: The Way of Water does have its ocean scenes, but they’re not quite ones I haven’t heard before (as much as I did love them), and the same goes for the action sounds (as well made and layered as they are). I feel like there are years where this film would place first. This isn’t one of those years.
3. Elvis-David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, and Michael Keller
I’ve seen other sources rank Elvis a little low in this category, but I’ll give it some dues. As noisy as the film is visually (especially that editing style), I feel like it’s better handled in the audio department. I feel like Elvis Presley’s voice is always at the forefront (something we may take for granted until we watch films and can’t hear the protagonist), the individual sounds (instruments, Presley’s singing, and every single screeching audience member and their clapping) can be picked out like fruits on a tree because of how well rounded they each sound. There’s also the occasional audible finessing, like minor microphone feedback and other detailing. There’s quite a sonic palette throughout Elvis, and I think it should be recognized.
2. All Quiet on the Western Front-Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel, and Stefan Korte
You can claim that All Quiet on the Western Front is full of standard war film sounds, which is true in a sense. However, I feel like the sound editing here is so impactful. The gunshots, explosions, and other action sounds are just so chunky and textured in nature. The layering is well handled as well, with startling noises overtaking everything else (as they should) and the quiet moments lulling us into the next onslaught. These all sound like a given, but All Quiet on the Western Front ticks off every box while blowing me away. It’s kind of obvious that a war epic would get tech nominations, but it really does stand out in an audible way, whether it’s in this group of nominees, the year of 2022, or amongst recent war films in the grander scheme of things.
1. Top Gun: Maverick-Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor
It almost feels like Top Gun: Maverick was built to win awards for its sound. I know it excels in a bunch of other departments (mostly tech ones, let’s be honest), but this film just sounds extraordinary. Hearing the fighter jets scream through the skies above, the fuzz of transmitted voices, and all of the air based minutiae found within the cockpit as the pilots take on the biggest training missions of their lives is bliss. Once we reach the climax, we can toss missiles whistling and explosions as the final cherries on top. My God, Top Gun: Maverick sounds perfect.
Who I want to win: It’s a cop out to say that I’m fine with any film winning even though it’s true, but I would be content with Top Gun: Maverick taking this one for sure.
Who I think will win: All signs point towards Top Gun: Maverick, but this may not be as sure as we all think it is at this current moment (there is some stiff competition here for sure). Nonetheless, I’ll stick with Maverick here and be its wingman.
Tune in tomorrow for our next Academy Award category! We’re reviewing every single nominee on every weekday.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.