FINAL: THEMES and EMotions MUNM 2413 Music in Film | Spring 2020

02.love 01.hope

courage 04. 03.compassion AGENDA THEME: HOPE

01 : a desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment

Armstrong underscores this 1. Me before you Throughout the scene, the scene with piano and score is conjunct to help strings like the violin. The display a smooth quality that score starts out establishing helps communicate that a somber, yet overall things will look up. It also romantic-like mood due to helps cement Will’s message the aftermath of Will’s home to Clarke to have hope death, one of the romantic for the future-- to be open to leads. life to come.

Slowly, descriptive music Though Will is gone, the like the ruffling of the fall’s piano reminds us that he will leaves and the ring of a be with Clarke every step of bike’s bell help the score the way by playing their build up to Clarke reading shared leitmotif. Will’s letter. 2016 | Craig Armstrong

The music begins at 1:24. 2. Jojo rabbit As Elsa and Jojo begin to Giacchino underscores this dance, the song crescendos, scene with David Bowie’s as they are so joyous and “Heroes”. hopeful for the future that the music exists within them. The scene feels grand and They don’t need to hear any heroic-- because the song music to celebrate with uses piano, saxophone, dance. guitar, and strings. This scene and song reflects These instruments are part of hope in that it feels like it’s Bowie’s main melody in its ‘Us Against the World’. The triumphant crescendo with final words stand alone in the employment of an silence to mark the beauty underlying riff. and finality of its message.

2019 | Michael Giacchino Dewitt begins with a piano DeWitt does this by varying leitmotif of Violet and the range between lower and Finch’s relationship to then 3. All the bright places upper string pitches. In this employing a chamber scene, DeWitt focuses on the orchestra that fully traverses upper string noise with some a range of emotions. flecks of lower string noise to reflect hope, despite sadness. Just as the cinematography pays homage to the title by Their leitmotif, which becoming brighter during DeWitt uses to underscore, happy moments, while progresses each time it’s retreating to darker states heard in the film-- this during sad moments-- thematic transformation captures different stages of DeWitt utilizes the Violet and Finch’s character string-heavy orchestral development due to their pieces to also reflect the ups relationship. Thus, showing and downs throughout Violet 2020 | Keegan DeWitt how they were made better and Finch’s relationship. having been together. HOPE The idea of hope is versatile. For Me Before You, hope can be depicted in music as having hope in spite of a loved one’s death, in a romantic movement of the string.

For Jojo Rabbit, hope can be depicted as having hope with the War’s end and a friend at one’s side, in a grand crescendoing song. For All The Bright Places, hope can be depicted as having hope because of the vibrant life and lessons a friend taught you despite them being gone, in an intimate string-heavy chamber orchestra. THEME: LOVE : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties 02

: warm attachment, devotion, or admiration

Doyle sets up Ella’s entrance 1. Cinderella This waltz is Ella and her to the ball with a soft piano prince’s leitmotif: “La Valse tune. de l’Amour”.

As Ella descends, the score This ‘Waltz of Love’ helps transforms from piano to a create this timeless full symphony orchestra-- atmosphere of the ball’s complete with both a classic, yet what feels like an substantial use of strings enchanting mood. and voices singing to achieve a rich, romantic The love Ella and Kit have timbre. for eachother is equal. As such, this waltz helps The music is diegetic, as showcase their admiration Ella and her prince dance to and affection for each other. the waltz. 2015 | Patrick Doyle In this epic epilogue scene, The fingers snapping and Hurwitz begins with a solo myriad of trumpets playing piano nocturne. It has a 2. La la land are jazzy and reflect upbeat melancholy mood with a clear moments of the epilogue, melody that floats over while the trumpet solo is sad. broken chords-- this is Mia Both function to showcase and Sebastian’s theme. the different faces of love. Next, the trumpets shift into Even though their theme is a whimsical choir, before played in minor, it signals circling back to the first romance. This helps capture chords of Mia and Sebastian’s the emotions like pain, loss, theme. Throughout the entire and longing that can be sequence, Hurwitz associated with love. Then, masterfully weaves together Hurwitz utilizes orchestral numerous genres: show brass like trumpets to call tunes, classical piano, more back to “Another Day of Sun”, traditional jazz, and finally to elevate the mood. 2016 | Justin Hurwitz Sebastian and Mia’s voices. A continuation of Desplat’s Desplat employs the use of wall-to-wall music in woodwind family (clarinet, the film, this scene makes 3. Little women flute), the string family use of non-diegetic music. (violin) and solo piano. The The score feels modern, yet piano functions to showcase doesn’t match exactly what Jo’s moments of reflection-- music a period film would of the warm attachment, normally necessitate. This is admiration, and devotion of due to the rhythm of the the story that brought her to score. It's like a musical printing her book. To Jo, and without lyrics-- the non-stop as this resolute score music dances with the March illustrates, it’s about the love sisters. Desplat achieves an for her sisters, her family, intimate mood by utilizing a her friends, her driving chamber orchestra. The motivation to be a writer, increasing tempo and and fulfillment in teaching. climbing of pitch signals the It’s not about girl gets boy overall theme of love. 2019 | Alexandre Desplat love. It’s girl gets book love. LOVE Cinderella shows genuine, romantic love whereas La La Land extends love to be about making their career/artistic dreams true, even at the price of love. But Little Women illustrates that love can be non-romantic: Jo’s book, her family and friends, running a school. The ending of the movie doesn’t have to be a kiss or driving off into sunset, but can instead be the fulfillment in more artistic, personal pursuits. I picked theme of love for these three scenes, because I found it interesting how the composers took different strategies to showcase love: enchanting, melancholy, or more resolute. THEME: COMPASSION 03 : sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it Szpilman, a Polish pianist, is Piano can be a form of discovered by a German compassion, just like the captain during WWII. When 1. The pianist Captain’s decision to hide the German tells Szpilman to Szpilman and not turn him play, Kilar has the pianist in. The times the ballade play Chopin Ballade in G feels like it’ll end-- but minor to reflect a haunting doesn’t-- reflects peoples mood. It’s the first time in a thoughts on when or if the long time that he plays. In war was going to end. Kilar this source music, Szpilman composed a largely skips the joyful parts of the melancholy score, paying ballade to reflect the darker ode throughout the film to emotions of loneliness, pain, the Romantic compositions and powerlessness that of Chopin. plague him. In this scene, they share no words or hate. “Music has no fatherland; its Only the love of music and homeland is the whole desire for the war to end. 2002 | Wojciech Kilar universe.” -Frederic Chopin

At the start of the scene, 2. Mona lisa smile The music dramatically Connie is playing the cello builds up along with Betty’s (diegetic). intensity. Portman utilizes string (violin), woodwinds, It sounds like ostinato, since and piano to help reflect an she is repeating the same almost miserable, unhappy rhythmic and harmonic idea. mood that lies beneath Betty’s rage. Then, she stops, and the silence is taken up by Connie, The release of the music Maggie, Joan, and Giselle's coincides with Betty’s dialogue. breakdown moment, that she’s taking out her loveless Once, Betty enters the scene, marriage on Giselle, as she she hurls insults at Giselle, relaxes into Giselle’s and the score picks back up 2003 | Rachel Portman compassionate hug. at 0:46.

Brook masterfully mixes the 3. brooklyn This ending scene, Ellis sees characteristics of the score in her younger, past self in this previous scenes in this final girl. Instead of leaving her to scene. her own devices like the woman she’d talked to, Ellis Brook used music to create a practice compassion. sense of place. For Ellis, it’s between Ireland and This is where Brook America. underscores the scene with elements of Ireland and For Ireland, there is a violin, America-- because both gentle piano melody, places exist within her. She clarinet, and a mandolin. advises the girl, and is thus For America, it also employs also reflecting on her journey a clarinet, but focuses on an and growth from when she upright bass too. first came to America. 2015 | Michael Brook COMPASSION I picked the theme of compassion because I was intrigued by the different forms of compassion in film, and thus also the different music to accompany those different acts of compassion. For The Pianist, the German captain’s compassionate act to spare Szpilman is reflected in a heart-wrenching piano performance. For Mona Lisa Smile, Giselle comforting Betty despite the insults hurled at her is reflected in a tense-filled music buildup that releases when Betty breaks down. For Brooklyn, Ellis deciding to not repeat the pattern, but dole out advice is reflected in a nostalgic orchestral piece. EMOTION: 04 PEACEFULNESS Thomas Newman Edition. : untroubled by conflict, agitation, or commotion : quiet, tranquil 1. The shawshank In the face of the The emotion that mainly hopelessness of prison, with redemption prevails (at least in the the incessant on-guard present moment) is nature people must have, peacefulness because… Andy locks himself in the office and broadcasts an There is an aspect of the opera song: The Marriage of emotion peacefulness for the Figaro. mood in that the men in the courtyard are brought to Though, he could have silence upon hearing this listened to it alone, he took a song (diegetic). risk to broadcast a sense of hope and freedom. The Because in these moments, contrast between the rather they can forget their conflict, dreary setting of the prison trouble, and worries-- and and the heavenly opera simply enjoy this state of 1994 | Thomas Newman voices is stark, yet beautiful. tranquility. 2. A Series Of Continuing on trend as with Newman began the scene the majority of the scenes in unfortunate events with dissonant-like piano the film, Newman utilizes notes, before it later in the non-diegetic music. scene resolves into more restful harmonies to show While the Baudelaires read that, finally, after a series of the letter, they reach some unfortunate events, the sense of closure, as violons Baudelaires can fall asleep subtly play. peacefully, untroubled. Having begun with piano They can move forward, notes, a quarter of the way knowing that there’s always through, bells ring to signal a something they can do to turning point as the piano make a sanctuary, beginning notes lead the Baudelaires with the fact that they have outside to the taxi. each other. 2004 | Thomas Newman

Newman uses diegetic 3. 1917 Schofield’s journey music. As Schofield is finally throughout this WWI setting able to slow down, so does to deliver a message by an the pace, and thus a slower impossible deadline is tempo, of the music. It is no incessant. It’s a tiring longer tense, but more journey. peaceful and melodic. He didn’t even have time to The instrument used is the mourn his friend’s death, human voice. The soldier because he had to keep singing has a simple, smooth moving. In this scene, he’s timbre. It soothes the exhausted, but, at last, he’s soldiers in this final moment allowed this moment of rest of peace before war. and peace.

2019 | Thomas Newman PEACEFULNESS The beauty of Thomas Newman’s work is Newman’s ability to adapt to such diverse films that call for a varied approach. His underscoring is typically subtle, never forcing/manipulating the viewer’s emotions but amplifying/enhancing. For two of the films I chose, Newman had to pick a song. I think those scenes give him credit for being able to choose a simple, yet fitting song that can encapsulate the film’s message. For 1917, for example, it speaks to the incessant, unwarranted, nature of war in contrast to the kids forced to fight in it. I picked peacefulness, because for Newman these three scenes share the fact that conflict plagues the characters for the majority of the films, except for these moment of peace.

And That’s a wrap... “Music and film are inseparable. They always have been and always will be.” -Martin Scorsese