“Planetarium” – Music and the Fictive Dream

When I think back on some of the most influential films I have seen, I find that all of the works have one common tie between them: the music reflects the message. I find myself most drawn to movie scenes that posses an original musical background that sticks with me. The catchy tune is a musical souvenir that I get to carry with me throughout the rest of the show. This small souvenir however becomes a useful tool in that the songs can be repeated multiple times, each time stirring up pre-established emotions. Take Disney Pixar’s Up for example. The emotion-filled 5-minute intro tells the incredible love story of a man named Carl and his wife Ellie (link to scene here). This entire scene contains no words, but is paired with an iconic, catchy riff that the listener learns to associate with Carl and Ellie’s marriage, and ultimately the home they have built together. Throughout the movie this riff is repeated, drawing back to the beautiful of image of the two lover’s dancing in their living room, both in a state of absolute content. However, later in the movie the house suffers severe damage, and riff is repeated in minor, signifying the unraveling of all that Carl has left of Ellie. This is what makes these “background” songs so powerful. Along with Up, one work that I find possesses the same admirable quality of musical themes is the musical La La Land, written and directed by Damien Chazelle. Though difficult to narrow down, my favorite scene in this musical would have to be the waltz scene that takes place in the Griffith Observatory, in which we first hear the song Planetarium.

Planetarium, composed by Justin Hurwitz, USA, 2016

Released in 2016, La La Land was quick to sweep audiences off of their feet as the musical tells the story of a pianist and an actress who fall in love while navigating their careers in Los Angeles, and attempt to reconcile their aspirations for the future. The story takes place in modern times, yet is an absolute tribute to the flashy styles of musicals of yesteryear with its extravagant dance routines and hidden mentions to older renowned works. The musical flooded the board winning numerous academy awards, including awarding the musical’s composer Justin Hurwitz with Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score).

To give the song a bit of context, Planetarium overlays a scene where main character Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) finish watching the film Rebel Without A Cause, and spontaneously decide to visit the Griffith Observatory, paying homage to the film they had just seen. At this time, the two characters blindly teeter over the edge of cliff, one step from falling for each other. As Mia and Sebastian lightly pace around the observatory, airy woodwinds and delicate stringed instruments trace their careful steps, which inevitably blossom into a whimsical and spontaneous waltz around the pendulum. This begins as a playful orchestration, full of flute trills and distinct string plucks, lingering on towards that ultimate liftoff moment. The ballerina like fairytale is interrupted by the sudden swell of a timpani roll followed by all the strings coming together over a bed of woodwinds in a distinct yet unified texture, accenting the melody in this grand and gigantic moment.

This exact instance is my favorite part of the musical. This was the first time that the audience was able to see past any practical reality. As Mia and Sebastian dance weightlessly among the stars, the now couple crosses over into a realm beyond space and time, leaving behind all of their troubles in a previous world. Though lofty, this waltz is grounded in their own emotional reality. This is mirrored in the ethereal orchestra as deeper sounding cellos take hold of the melody, providing a floor for the rest of the flickering strings and woodwinds to jump from. This scene to me is a small window into the actual emotions of the main characters as they knowingly dive head first off of the cliff together.

Another reason I find this song so appealing is that there is an inevitable outcome that the audience can see before the characters. This small bit of dramatic irony can be heard in the first few bars of the song as a 3/4 time signature takes hold. This beat most often reflects that of a waltz. Because of this fact, the audience feels an intimate dance coming before the characters even acknowledge there is music. According to an interview with Clarisse Loughrey with Independent magazine, La La Land soundtrack producer Marius de Vries stated that this song was in fact intended to for the “beginning of the movie”, which is perhaps why it feels that the whole movie thus far was based around this preordained moment. It is important to mention however that though the dance feels inevitable, it is unmistakably spontaneous. I am sure I am not the only audience member who was left stunned in the suddenness of how the music shifted. I see this as the two acting instinctual, without hesitation, which ultimately adds to the validity of genuine, and relatable main characters. I feel Peter Suderman said it well in his article for Vox when he wrote, “With flatter, less believable characters, this sort of extravagant visual metaphor would come across as if La La Land is trying to project something onto them. Instead, the movie’s wilder impulses feel as if they emanate from inside the characters and the joyous, tumultuous relationship they share.”

In terms of a social commentary I feel this song’s purpose is mainly for entertainment, but can also stir up extremely warm, and relatable emotions as this scene a visual representation of how most everyone would feel when falling in love. Audiences are attracted to things they can relate to, and I feel this is where Planetarium and La La Land as a whole shines. There is one spontaneous (yet inevitable) moment in which a couple transcends any known reality, and they dance weightlessly and carelessly among stars. While so many songs struggle to depict what the feeling is like in actual words, I love how Hurwitz was able to capture the feeling perfectly without any words at all.

 

References:

Fraley, Jason. “La La Land composer Justin Hurwitz goes behind the music.” WTOP, WTOP, 21 Feb. 2017.

Laughrey, Clarisse. “La La Land: Here’s a track-by-track breakdown of the soundtrack by the film’s musical director.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media 9 Feb. 2017.

Suderman, Peter. “La La Land is a spectacle of pure cinema, but its real power comes from its screenplay.” Vox, Vox, 13 December 2016.