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This movie poster says it all: “From a place you never heard of…a story you’ll never forget.” Before viewing Peter Weir’s 1981 film, I had never heard of Gallipoli, nor would I have thought that it was a Turkish peninsula. The Battle at Gallipoli began in 1915 but the film makes use of music from later time periods as an attempt to strengthen its narrative.
Jean Michel Jarre, a well-known French electronic musician, created the uncomfortable electronic music utilized during moments of high tension within the film. His website is here.
Although Jarre’s music was placed during plot points that needed the aid of a strong musical touch, I found the electronic music to have a negative impact on the narrative. Electronic music is quite enjoyable and the music of Jean Michel Jarre is unique and revolutionary. Yet, its placement in the film adds an avoidable humor.
There seems to be two soundtracks to the film: (1) the electronic stylings of Jean Michel Jarre and (2) Remo Giazotto’s Adagio in G Minor. As a complete piece of art, I found that these two genres clash with one another. The film has so much going on within the narrative, such as the ideas of mateship and the relationship between Australians and the British, that the added element of electronic music was needless.
All the talk about Adagio in G Minor during our discussion after the film made me curious about the Adagio’s history. Composed in 1958 by Remo Giazotto, there is a rumor that the Adagio was found in the ruins of a library during World War II. The use of the Adagio in Gallipoli makes sense even though it was written years after the Battle took place because it is historically connected to war.
Maybe the film should have utilized a piece actually written during the time of the Battle such as this.
-Ashley Whiting
3 comments:
I agree with the electronic music being a little problematic in the film. Not necessarily for humorous reasons (I didn't think it was that funny.) or being ineffectual (I thought it brought out the proper emotions.) but because it felt out of place. The electronic music felt anachronistic when placed over the 1915 narrative.
I agree with Ashley regarding the degree of "silliness" of the music, actually. I felt like I was watching that famous scene from Chariots of Fire (now popularly parodied, perhaps for the same reasons of 'silliness') every time the music played. I think Electronic music is far less natural than Classical, for instance, because it's made from computers and not man-made instruments, which often mimic natural sounds I guess. I'm no musical genius, but that's my theory.
I definitely prefer the use of classic music for a film like this. Niccolo Paganini's Centone di Sonata #3 is anther piece used in the film. The sonata was composed about a century before the time of the movie, but I think it works well in the movie.
Classical music (in my opinion) complements drama in general. There are different movements and tempos within a Sonanta for example:
Allegro (lively, quick, and bright)
Adagio (slow and stately)
Scherzo (light and playful, meaning "joke" in Italian)
In a piece of classic music, a theme is typically established at the beginning. From there, it enters different movements, changes tempo, even goes into codas, but always returns to that main theme. I don't think movies are much different in telling a story, changing moods, etc.
Gallipoli is a film with a lot of tension and sadness, but also beauty. Weir's use of strings in the background I think really bring this out. I mean, strings are lovely to listen to, but also very haunting in a way. Violins are said to be the closest instrumental sound to the human voice.
The electronic music was a little out of place for me too. I can't think of a movie where it did work.
Of course, a lot of directors make a conscious choice to mix time periods between narrative and music. Look at Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. That was a pretty interesting soundtrack. Do you guys think it ever works to use modern music in a period piece?
Oh, and there's Muriel's Wedding, which we're watching soon. That is all Abba music. The movie is set in the 90s, but Abba was from the 70s. But it works so perfectly!
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