Various artists: Moonrise Kingdom Original Soundtrack (ABKCO, 5/22/12)
Alexandre Desplat: “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 1: A Veiled Mist”
Alexandre Desplat: “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 1: A Veiled Mist”
Classical and country/western, as genres of music, are about as polar opposite as they get. For director Wes Anderson and music supervisor Randall Poster, though, they make perfect sense to combine in a film. In Moonrise Kingdom, Anderon’s first film since Fantastic Mr. Fox, the director who’s so obsessed with the eccentric and eclectic situates the work of classical composer Benjamin Britten side by side with Hank Williams, with the addition of Alexandre Desplat’s subtle suite.
The film tells the storybook romance of two 12-year-olds who, after falling in love at first sight, plot a getaway on the island of New Penzance, where all adults that inhabit it seem jaded, hopeless, and helpless. A virtual cat-and-mouse chase ensues, with children outwitting their parents at every turn until they earn their respect and sympathy.
As the story unfolds, the tunes of Williams and Françoise Hardy — whose surf-rock-tinged “Le Temps de l’Amour” could inject coolness into just about any film — are the backdrop for more playful scenes. But because danger looms throughout the film, Desplat’s suite, “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe” — with its classical-guitar plucking and slow build — adds a well-paced sense of tension throughout.
Although the film has the original suite, Britten’s work really sets its tone. Having performed in a version of Britten’s Noye’s Fludde — an amateur church production that inspired the film — as a child alongside his brother, Anderson adds personality by including the children’s opera as part of the film’s climax. It also adds warmth to balance out those quirky, self-referential qualities of Wes Anderson films that make them almost too Wes Anderson-y.
And then there’s Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. As conducted by Leonard Bernstein, this piece documents Sam and Suzy’s journey from start to finish. The piece features a child explaining how, instrument by instrument, an orchestral composition is assembled. It really couldn’t be more perfect for the story: children are teaching adults about matters beyond their own comprehension, whether it’s life’s complexities or the intricacies of developing a classical composition with a full-on orchestra — as though it’s just that easy.