Sonic Shellshock - A Lesson In Meaningful Sound

From the moment the screen lights up, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah’s 2022 film ‘Rebel’ is a sensory nightmare in the best way possible. Cataclysmic detonations and rapid gunshots are always around the corner, and the languages the main characters are speaking flip flop back and forth; language is fluid, as French, Dutch and different dialects of Arabic are all used, making comprehension something that is not always guaranteed. There is an inherent air of disorientation that is present here, which makes sense given the subject of the film; when discussing the physical and mental disorientation that is felt by people who are involved in war, immersing the audience head first into that disorientation (albeit a lesser version) is an extremely effective way of showcasing the characters struggles.