“What do you mean you’ve never seen Blade Runner?” questions
Alex Turner on the opening track of Arctic Monkey's latest record, Tranquillity
Base Hotel and Casino, and he’s absolutely right. Whether you’ve been living
under a rock for the last 30 years or just “don’t do sci-fi”, I implore you
to give Blade Runner, and its sequel,
a try. Not only are they two of the finest films around, they contain two iconic soundtracks which helped cement the original in the
addles of history and is sure to elevate the sequel in the years to come.
The 1982 original features a score by Greek composer
Vangelis, who won an Academy Award for his work on ‘Chariots of Fire’ the
previous year. With the eerie synths creating an infinitely modern feel to the
film, Vangelis paints a dark and vivid picture of a Los Angeles drowning in
neon.
The stand out track from the original has got to be the
sublime ‘Tears In The Rain’, which accompanies the film’s most iconic scene,
the death of the replicant Roy Batty. Already an incredibly moving scene, but with the
impeccable scoring by Vangelis, it’s made all the more tear-jerking.
The Blade Runner
sequel, Blade Runner 2049, has the privilege of being one of the few sequels that rivals its original, and in this humble writers’ opinion, is potentially the
greatest sci-fi film ever made. Ryan Gosling shines alongside the inimitable
Harrison Ford, with both the actors creating an equally nuanced look at two
different aspects of what it means to be human.
The soundtrack for Blade Runner 2049 is composed by Hans
Zimmer, whose work you would undoubtedly recognize from films such as The Lion King and Pirates of the Caribbean. Like Vangelis, he makes ample use of
heavy synthesizers to create a varied soundtrack. You only need to look at
the heartfelt “All the Best Memories Were Hers” and the borderline frightening
“Sea Wall” to see the contrast throughout the film. Zimmer uses sound expertly to portray the differing moods that crop up throughout the film. The inclusion of songs by Elvis Presley and
Frank Sinatra are effective and fitting choices too, due to the films themes of
memories, and they serve as background music to two fantastic scenes. The mix of instrumental, orchestral pieces and classic pop songs creates a unique soundtrack that elevates the film to a new height.
On a side note, Blade Runner is a brilliant example of how music impacts film, but also how film impacts music. The new Arctic Monkeys' record was inspired by many films, with Turner choosing to reference Blade Runner specifically.
Blade
Runner and its sequel are two of not only the greatest sci-fi
films, but greatest films period. With award-winning cinematography, both are visual delights, constantly drawing the viewers into their
respective worlds which feel both brand new but also eerily familiar. Meanwhile both soundtracks lift the films to a higher status, adding to both settings incredibly and intensifying the emotions felt when watching. If you
haven’t seen either of these gems already I highly recommend it. After all,
they clearly had an effect on Alex Turner.
JACK O'MALLEY
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