INDEX
Repurposing Music for Alienation Effect
These sensations are crafted through meticulous elements such as shots, editing, actor dialogue and movement, and even certain props. However, the most striking effect is achieved by the presence of music.
From the opening title sequence, overly formal yet mysterious and lyrical piano and string music sets the tone. Many viewers might expect the film that follows to be a deeply emotional mystery. Yet, even if so, this track might sound strangely outdated for a score produced in 2023 (you might notice occasional audio distortion).
In truth, much of the music used in the main feature, including this piece, is reappropriated (after reconstruction) from a previous film, Joseph Losey’s 1971 masterpiece melodrama “Love.” Specifically, what’s used here is the score composed by the masterful Michel Legrand for that film.
Reusing soundtracks from past works for new films isn’t uncommon when delving into film history. However, in such cases, these examples typically symbolically quote the “past” (including the original work itself). Certainly, Losey’s “Love,” like this film, explores the romance and tragedy between an older man and a younger woman. Yet, the reuse of “Love” score here feels somewhat different from merely hinting at thematic connections with similar works. What Haynes and composer Marcelo Zarvos seem to intend is more than just a nod to cinephiles; it aims for a more dramatic effect.
Indeed, this effect seems to guide and sustain the sensation of “mismatched buttons,” as mentioned earlier.
There’s an iconic scene. Amidst the opening home party, as Grace realizes there’s a shortage of hot dogs upon opening the refrigerator, a serious expression overlays her face, accompanied by a portion of this weighty main theme resounding. Yet, the shortage of hot dogs doesn’t directly connect to subsequent developments. This sequence is frankly quite comical. To overlay such a profound, mystery-evoking music over a trivial event can be seen as a deliberate misuse—a knowing appropriation invoking the “estrangement effect” of music.
The use of music in this film, while fully aware of its function to transform everyday scenes into something peculiar and evoke mystery*, deliberately avoids presenting a clear dramatic outcome, thus leaving the mystery itself suspended in uncertainty. At moments of realization, the clear dissonance between the music and the depicted scenes skillfully foreshadows that beyond this unsettling effect, there isn’t necessarily a core mystery or “truth” awaiting revelation.
The deliberate choice to overlay music on a motif like the shortage of hot dogs, which could suggest a psychoanalytical interpretation related to the phallic symbol, is also quite intentional.
The film then seems to veer repeatedly towards an emotionally charged melodramatic direction. In these scenes, it becomes evident that the music continues to play a multifaceted role. Even after the hot dog incident at the beginning, part of us still anticipates a conventional melodramatic or mystery unfolding. Each time the emotionally rich tracks by Legrand (and Zarvos) appear, we find ourselves (perhaps without consciously realizing it) preparing to gently reach for a handkerchief from our pocket. However, simultaneously, we might discover our heightened sensitivity to the possibility of once again being led astray by deliberate misdirection.
