I wrote about this film almost a year ago (you can read it here), and hesitated to write about the soundtrack because I already sang its praises. But I thought I'd do it again anyways!
I love film scores that immediately place you into the context and mood of the film. Rachel Portman did an amazing job of taking you to that quiet, quaint, and uptight little French town. The music is unassuming, modest. Nothing ruffles this town's feathers...until everything does.
When the gypsies arrive in town, they are armed with guitars and robust and energetic music. The soundtrack includes the oh-so-amazing "Minor Swing" Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, and yes, Johnny Depp performs some of the amazing songs on the soundtrack as well. It just makes you want to get up and dance!
One of my favorite musical moments is the use of Erik Satie's "Gnossienne No. 1" in the scene where they are telling the story of their ancestors and the magical properties of the chocolate they sell. Being a pianist myself, I've always been fond of Satie's Trois Gnossiennes and the surreal mood of the pieces. They're mysterious, very free in tempo, and definitely set the sensual tone in this scene.
Below is a very sexy version of "Caravan" from the film soundtrack...enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment