In the film Babel directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, music helps create the setting. Gustavo Santaolalla, composer, received a BAFTA film award for best film music in the film, although creating a score for it was no easy task.
Babel portrays four intertwined stories which take place all over the globe. The film begins in Morocco with a family of goat farmers, then travels to Susan (Cate Blanchett) and Richard Jones (Brad Pitt) visiting Morocco from America. The setting then switches to Japan where Yasujiro (Koji Yakusho) a recently widowed man and his deaf/mute daughter Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi) struggle to cope with the suicide of a family member. Again the setting switches to the US where Amelia (Adriana Barraza) is taking care of two children Debbie and Mike in a wealthy home. Like I said before – connecting these four stories with music was a true test of ability, but Santaolalla was up for the challenge.
Santaolalla peaked early in his career by winning an Oscar last year for Brokeback Mountain although his approach to score writing is somewhat unorthodox. Unlike others, Santaolalla composes music before the film is finished - specifically with Babel. Santaolalla followed the director, Inarritu, around the world to find a deeper connection with the settings and film. He provided the director with material to use before the actual rolling of the camera.
Particularly in Babel, music plays a large role in setting the scene for the audience. Due to the fact that there are four intertwined stories to follow, it sometimes becomes difficult to keep track of the location; this is when the music comes into play. By creating certain “motifs” (if you will) Santaolalla aids the audience in finding the site where the story is now taking place. The music travels across cultures combining sounds from Morocco, Japan, America and Mexico. “The experience is a musical assault on the senses, a real voyage of discovery for the listener” (Mike Beek, a film reviewer) Specific songs such as “Cumbia Sobre el Rio” and “Tu Me Acostumbraste” depict the Mexican culture, while songs from Takashi Fuji help portray the “pop” lifestyle of Chieko in Japan.
Not only does Santaolalla use music as a tool to “set the scene” in the film he also uses it to connect the many settings and stories. “Two Worlds, One Heart” and “The Skin of the Earth” combine music from cultures across the globe creating more ties between the seemingly random stories.
Gustavo Santaolalla created an amazing score full of culture and variety for the film Babel. It could be listened to an enjoyed, without ever having viewed the film. But because of his phenomenal talent and dedication this composition encourages the viewer to travel around the globe and become immersed in the story itself.
Babel portrays four intertwined stories which take place all over the globe. The film begins in Morocco with a family of goat farmers, then travels to Susan (Cate Blanchett) and Richard Jones (Brad Pitt) visiting Morocco from America. The setting then switches to Japan where Yasujiro (Koji Yakusho) a recently widowed man and his deaf/mute daughter Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi) struggle to cope with the suicide of a family member. Again the setting switches to the US where Amelia (Adriana Barraza) is taking care of two children Debbie and Mike in a wealthy home. Like I said before – connecting these four stories with music was a true test of ability, but Santaolalla was up for the challenge.
Santaolalla peaked early in his career by winning an Oscar last year for Brokeback Mountain although his approach to score writing is somewhat unorthodox. Unlike others, Santaolalla composes music before the film is finished - specifically with Babel. Santaolalla followed the director, Inarritu, around the world to find a deeper connection with the settings and film. He provided the director with material to use before the actual rolling of the camera.
Particularly in Babel, music plays a large role in setting the scene for the audience. Due to the fact that there are four intertwined stories to follow, it sometimes becomes difficult to keep track of the location; this is when the music comes into play. By creating certain “motifs” (if you will) Santaolalla aids the audience in finding the site where the story is now taking place. The music travels across cultures combining sounds from Morocco, Japan, America and Mexico. “The experience is a musical assault on the senses, a real voyage of discovery for the listener” (Mike Beek, a film reviewer) Specific songs such as “Cumbia Sobre el Rio” and “Tu Me Acostumbraste” depict the Mexican culture, while songs from Takashi Fuji help portray the “pop” lifestyle of Chieko in Japan.
Not only does Santaolalla use music as a tool to “set the scene” in the film he also uses it to connect the many settings and stories. “Two Worlds, One Heart” and “The Skin of the Earth” combine music from cultures across the globe creating more ties between the seemingly random stories.
Gustavo Santaolalla created an amazing score full of culture and variety for the film Babel. It could be listened to an enjoyed, without ever having viewed the film. But because of his phenomenal talent and dedication this composition encourages the viewer to travel around the globe and become immersed in the story itself.
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