Music: Research

Similar Music: Research

Before finalising the music for Aftermath, I decided to look into similar films and the music that they used to set the tone of a particular scene. In The Deer Hunter (1978) the theme song 'Cavatina' composed by Stanley Myers is credited as a classical guitar piece that is used to primarily highlight the feelings of regret, nostalgia, longing and love of Robert De Niro's lead character after he returns from the Vietnam War. The piece first orginiated in 1970 for the The Walking Stick, a film about a woman who suffers from polio and the effects a handsome stranger has on her life. However, 'Cavatina' didn't achieve commercial success until it was featured as the soundtrack for The Deer Hunter whereupon it became a UK Top 20 hit. The song's gentle, melancholy quality would be fitting for the closing credits of our film as it would capture the sadness that Georgie feels when she realises that Charlotte is truly gone. The following link is a preview of 'Cavantina':

https://youtu.be/xAAiYMgFcbw

Futhermore, it is important that we can use a track in the intial flashback scenes that juxtaposes the solemmn tone of the therpay situation with the despairing atmosphere of the war. For influence, I researched into the music used in the 2009 psychological war drama film Brothers that shows the wavering mental state of Tobey Maguire's tortured soldier character. The music was composed by Thomas Newman, an acclaimed American composer, and feautred songs that refelcted the anxiety and tension of Tobey Maguire and the family he returns home to. This particular track, from the link, slowly builds to a crescendo whereupon the music changes to a more melodic and reflective tune. This would suit the flashbacks because Georgie is remembering how she failed to save Charlotte and the subsequent guilt she feels due to it. The following link is a preview of track fifteen from the Brothers soundtrack:
https://youtu.be/qT4IS2N5ltI

We believe that the music previewed in the link above would be suitable for the flashback scenes in our film.