Nothing makes the story book, fairy tale quality of Big Fish come alive like the music. Although there is a relatively large amount of music used throughout the film, most of the music is used during the story telling scenes, denoting the magical feeling that the stories convey. The music always starts at the present scenes and then continues as the story begins. The music usually lasts throughout most of the story too, with few exceptions.
Most of the music is not triumphant of full orchestral, but mostly just soft and slow piano along with a few string instruments. Percussion and brass are also employed, but only for certain scenes that require these sounds. Many of the same melodies are played, keeping the underscoring simple and repetitive, but effective.
The interesting thing about the music in the film is the underscoring that comes in the form of popular music. This music helps the audience be aware of time and place. At the beginning when the Father is being born, music of the age, probably the 30s or 40s plays as underscoring, not diegetic as many may expect. Then when he goes off to war, Elvis plays in the army place, letting the audience know that this is the Korean war of the 50s. Similarly, after he returns and is looking for a job popular music of the 70s play. This underscoring of popular music allows the audience to go through the periods of his life with him.
A last notable component of the music in this film is its uplifting quality. Only during certain dramatic scenes does the music turn dark and low. For the most part, it has a hopeful, cheery quality to it. This music seems to be playing off of the plot: although the film is about a man dying, the music reminds that it is in fact a happy story and that through his stories, the father will live forever.
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I think you did a very good job picking up on the purpose of the music in Big Fish. I also noticed how the music usually coincided with the stories that the father told, creating a fairy-tale like quality. I also enjoyed the popular music of different time periods being used as underscoring to represent the time this story was taking place in the fathers life. I think you did a good job discussing the music and its purpose in Big Fish.
ReplyDeleteIt was important to keep the music upbeat. The music even adds a bit of comedy to the film. Without it, some might walk away from this film really depressed, but the music helps reinforce the true joy behind the movie.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that much of the music was upbeat. Even in scenes that were "scary", like in Specter, which was creepy, or when the children saw the lady with the glass eye, the darker music had undertones of brightness.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you talked about the popular music and its purpose in the film. I hadn't thought that all of the music might've been period music,but that's true that during those scenes, the music continued to show time and place.
-Kristen Hammaker
I liked how you touched on how the music helps the film come alive through it's exciting musical score and choice of people- Elfman. I agree with the underscoring coming from popular music as well. Good summary!
ReplyDeleteI liked how you touched on how the underscoring comes in the form of popular music that helps the audience recognize time and place. I also help how you say that the music helps the movie come alive. Without the music this movie would not have as big of an impact.
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