the music in this film is hilarious
michael winterbottom is a champ to put that music over such a dark film
nice marmot.
I don't think its a fault to add some complexion to a movie by selecting music from that time. It should add some atmosphere, should keep the illusion of watching something authentic and lively.
But the score was really pushing to hard, like it was trying to convince the audience "look how insane this guy is, he's listening to passionate stuff like Donizetti and Caruso while doing crazy stuff".
That Clockwork Orange effect wears pretty fast off. And then it gets annoying.
I assume the OP is talking about those moments where they put light-hearted, upbeat music over scenes where it didn't fit. Personally, I hated that. The worst one was when he was chasing that extortionist down the street. Completely ruined the whole mood and feel they worked so hard to build up. What's the point of doing that? Is it to mess with the viewer's head in some way? If so, it didn't work for me like that. I'm reminded of Last House On The Left where upbeat, jaunty music is incorporated into what is an extremely dark story. I don't know what Wes Craven's intentions were there, but somehow the juxtaposition works in that film to create an unsettling aspect. Here it just comes off really badly. I wish I could get a version of the film without that music.
shareIt's been a while since I watched this now, however as I recall there are moments when the music drives as though the film is a VERY (!!!) black comedy, with some VERY (!!!) dark, twisted humour.
I didn't dislike the music and I loved some moments in the score, but I wonder if this humour-soundtrack part is a reason the film feels even more off to some because the film is obviously SO dark and disturbing that it definitely doesn't have humour to it... I mean, maybe in fleeting moments, but certainly not an overreaching humour. The idea that the Director could possibly have imagined the film as somehow funny just makes the whole thing fifty-million-fold more disturbing than it already is!!
Therefore, I do see where this thread is coming from!!! I am sure some people would not have specifically noticed when this happens with the music, but even if you didn't think about it, the way music works in film, the impact of it you would I'd guess still feel...
That's a good point spiral_static. There are definitely some humorous aspects to this film, especially in the way Casey delivers some of his lines, but I think that they could have left it at that and achieved very subtle, nuanced kind of black, underlying threads of humor instead of awkwardly inserting that ridiculous music and completely ruining the mood.
shareI agree: the film is definitely not without humour, but at the same time, overall it is very far removed from being comic and I think at times the music maybe leans a tad too far towards suggesting an incredibly black comedy! Which I think would be the most shocking suggestion the film could have of all!!?!
Then again, maybe it's intention was to clash up against the utter darkness of theme (and in so doing, make the darkness darker.) I suppose there is a lot of juxtaposition of extremes, opposition, contradictions and the opposite of what you may expect of people in the film. Maybe the music is meant to just be part of that, one of many instances?
I'd have to steel myself and watch the film again to know what I honestly thought or felt myself about the music (and even the film to be honest... which I found impossible to rate. I thought it was good, though not great, but so disturbing that it seems wrong to even think of it on any scale of good or bad somehow?! It certainly is not enjoyable at least. Yet it definitely stayed with me, that's for certain!!!)