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The tunes bringing us the atmosphere and the mood
The same delicate treatment of the “past” can also be pointed out in the use of music in this film.
Of course, as long as the film deals with the past, the music played as source music is music created in the past. In this film, too, various music that dominated the hit charts in the 1990s is played.
The background music is constantly playing on the grounds of the resort hotel in Turkey where the couple is staying, and the “likely feel” of the music selection, which is a mixture of Welles’ playlist and suggestions from Lucy Bright, a music supervisory staff member, will make the real-time generation smile. Los del Rio’s “Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)” (1993), which is played as the restaurant staff performs the entertainment, and Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” (1993), which brings the party scene to life at night. “Tubthumping” (1997). Numerous other party hits also liven up the film, including Aqua’s “My Oh My” (1997) and Steps’ “5,6,7,8” (1998).
The film also features a number of cheap-o hits, such as The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody” and Blondie’s “The Tide Is High” sung by middle-aged guests at a karaoke contest hosted by the hotel. The cheap orchestration and flaccid singing of “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers and “The Tide Is High” by Blondie, sung by the middle-aged guests at a karaoke contest hosted by the hotel, really express the languid atmosphere that often comes in the middle of a vacation.
On the other hand, Blur’s “Tender” (1999), which is played to reflect his father Callum’s preference for alternative rock, works somewhat differently from the other songs. Callum has a mysterious injury on his right hand (the cause of which is unknown to the audience) at the beginning of the film, and he has a stack of spiritual books in his hotel room. There is also a scene in which he goes into the sea alone at night and sobs violently in his room. Although it is not explicitly mentioned, he seems to be suffering from a serious mental disorder, which is apparently related to his separation from his wife and children.
Blur’s “Tender” wraps up the tender conversation between father and son in the hotel room, but after the scene ends, the song suddenly pitches down and overlaps with the present Sophie standing in the dark again. The bold sound manipulation, along with the skillful montage, creates a sense of anxiety and loss for the viewer.
