(Get it?)
Let's get this straight: I love soundtracks. Hans Zimmer, Alan Menken, Howard Shore, the list goes on. I'm a fan of epics- blaring trombones and trumpets with a march beat, with an impending "war" feeling. I'm also a fan of originality with trademarks, so no James Horner here (minus Titanic, but minus Celine Dion). I was under the impression that nothing could ever top Howard Shore's epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, with all its different memorable themes, epic choirs, and Ben Del Maestro sequences (Rohan, fuck yeah!). (To be honest, I don't know how many times I have listened to all three-plus hours straight through because my history with it goes all the way back to carrying a Disc-Man with me in high school.)
Then this little bugger of an animated film called Up debuted in the summer of 2009, with Michael Giacchino of Pixar and "Lost" fame heading the orchestra, and turned my world upside down. Or maybe just took it into the sky with a bunch of balloons:
Naturally intrigued by the Pixar label (when do they not put out something good?), I immediately established that I needed to see this. How could you top Wall-E? And Eeeeeeeeva?
My first- and still standing- impression of Up: it is by far one of the most achingly, painfully beautiful films ever made. It did take me a while, however, to figure out why this film was so deeply resonating and emotional. Of course, the visuals are magnificent (Pixar is so reliable in that way): the bright and bold colors are used in this film like no other, not even Monsters, Inc. The details on the characters are ridiculously breathtaking and comical. However, neither of these typical Pixar stamps are the greatest part of Up. The visuals do not give way to the meanings of emotions behind the story; while they are striking, they do not represent what the story is supposed to make you feel. They amaze your rather than make you feel. The contrast between life and death; the difficulty of moving on after a loved one, life partner has passed away; the seamless, fluid movement between tragedy and comedy- it is all reflected in the music by Michael Giacchino. The definitive element of Up lies within a single tune- Ellie's theme.
Like Shore does in LOTR, Giacchino looks for different themes and motifs for each of the characters; however, what sets him apart from Shore is his ingenious ability to shape and mold those motifs according to the situation they are in; in this particular case, he tinkled around on a piano for a single chord that might be able to express the contrasting emotions of happiness and sadness and the state of beauty of both. Genius. One chord? Are you serious? Ellie's theme, arguably the most used melody, is by far one of the most versatile, meaningful, and memorable themes written in the past ten years; when I say "achingly, painfully beautiful," I am referring directly to this piece of music. There simply is no other way to describe it. In the sequence "Married Life" and its four short minutes, Giacchino and Pixar tell the story of two lives together through the song without any dialogue- an amazing feat, considering the magnitude and depth of its content. The music is not just a background factor: it perfectly mirrors the roller coaster of admiration that Carl and Ellie take together:
Watch that without crying, I dare you. I'm a sap, not an oak.
The composition of the tune is incredible within itself- it's really just a few chords. It is so simple, so quiet, and at the same time so effective and flexible. It is astounding to think about all the different ways Giacchino was able to pull this simplistic melody and its final effect on the viewers. The amazing thing about Ellie's theme is how I don't need to think of the film to feel the emotions. The initial tune on the piano has a naturally playful, innocent, endearing feel to it. Giacchino takes this away simply by slowing it down and highlighting the piano- sadness. The pain of moving on from a loved one's death- adding a small orchestra to play the counter melody. The growth of courage- a full orchestra, playing it in a waltz form. A highlight of what is beautiful in one's life- a full orchestra, slowed down, legato. Speeding it up with trumpets and a full drum beat, staccato- adventure. It just grows and grows throughout the film. While doing all of this in all its forms, it always keeps its hopeful and youthful imagination; more importantly, it keeps both sad and happy emotions at all times, no matter what the scenario is. There is something so simple and honest about it. It becomes the most important form of narrative of the film.
Primarily, it is used to reflect Carl's growth as he comes to terms with Ellie's death from the beginning to the end of the film- from playful and merry to slow and somber to finally acceptance and understanding, with a bit of a skip to it. While it plays in all its various forms, the audience is forever reminded of her impact and importance in Carl's life; the memory of their relationship is haunting and always present. She is with him when he goes on his adventure, she is with him when he is sitting by himself, she is with him as he finds a new friendship, when he builds courage, finds his strength and motivation, discovers an abnormally tall and colorful bird, as he fights off the villains- and the tune evolves with each new scenario. The fact that it is played for seven minutes over the end credits in all the formats (also over pictures of Carl's life after Ellie) tells us the she is the unseen driving force behind the entire film and this is told wordlessly through the music.
In one, simple tune. Amazing.
I keep repeating the word "simple," and I hate repeating words so often but there really is no other word to describe what makes this score so resonating. Its life is in its simplicity. It is effortlessly beautiful, painstakingly reflective, and heart-breakingly hopeful, all in one. It doesn't need sappy lyrics or blasting trumpets to get the point across. Giacchino presents all the themes and characters of the film to us in, really, what's maybe fifteen or twenty seconds of music. There is no other soundtrack that evokes such strong emotions as Up. I'm not sure if he will ever to be able to top his accomplishment of Up; this might just be the definitive piece of his career. He should be proud of it. It truly is magnificent.
(I wrote this before watching the next video, soooooo I'm surprised that some of I said is in there. Watch for more genius.)
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