Check out this breathtakingly perfect track from Lost in Translation. It scores my favorite scenes (by far) in the movie, the sequences where each character is exploring Japan alone, sneaking up on things, observing the beauty of ritual and scenery from a distance.
I saw the movie a second time this afternoon and only then just realized how much this piece adds to those sequences. I really, really, really like this type of ambient techno. Stongly and simply melodic with rich harmonic powerchords. Peaceful. Surreal. Conveys a sense of awe of something bigger than oneself. Delicately textured with all the rythym rising up from melodic and harmonic lines rather than being externally imposed by a drumbeat exoskeleton. Reminds me a lot of the opening-title track that Tangerine Dream did for Risky Business back in the 80's.
Mike, Josh, take note.
To give you a sense how great these scenes are: they are the only reason I went to see the film a second time. They are little breaths of fresh rainstorm air relieving the slapstick claustrophobia that comprises most of the film. They seem to perfectly conform to Bazin's theory of the Ontology of Film, which is that under ideal circumstances, cinema can capture the face of God. I simply had to see how Sophia pulls it off.
Part of it is this music, part is the cinematography, part is the gorgeous overcast weather, part is the strength of the principle's acting. And so it all works. Locks into place brilliantly. As I watched and listened, I felt a powerful force well up over me and show me something I can't at all describe. I don't usually find myself getting teary-eyed in movies, but...
Go see this film this weekend. Write me back and tell me if you agree about these scenes. They are not to be missed.
