Musical marionettes: sound and music in Lars von Trier’s Europe trilogy

ABSTRACT

Several contemporary film directors have created distinct auteur-signatures through their approach to music. The article analyzes how Lars von Trier has used music and sound to enhance his idiosyncratic visions from early on in his dystopian Europe-trilogy comprising The Element of Crime (1984), Epidemic (1987), and Europa (1991). These films playfully invoke film and film music stereotypes and references as part of their apocalyptic visions. They do so, however, in very different ways: The generic music mood-approach in The Element of Crime; the claim on big emotions through the use of Wagner’s overture to Tannhäuser in Epidemic; and an emphasis on stylistic elements rather than on character action in combination with musical salutations to film history in Europa. These various forms of music seldom provide access to characters’ psychology or invite emotional engagement in them. Rather, the music enhances stylistic patterns, which adds a dissonant beauty to the brutal sceneries and disconnect the male protagonists from a classical goal oriented series of actions. Trier thereby ambiguously situates his characters in a narrative of which they – despite their best intention – have no control. Instead, the protagonists finally surrender to their fate as marionettes in a musically orchestrated narrative.

KEYWORDS:

• Lars von trier
• film authorship and music
• film music
• film sound

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Unfortunately, Linda Badley misidentifies the appearance of Tannhäuser in Epidemic with Tristan and Isolde, Badley (2011, 31).

2. With reference to Noël Burch, David Bordwell describes as ‘parametric’ a form of narration by which ”the film’s stylistic system creates patterns distinct from the demands of the syuzhet system. Film style may be organized and emphasized to a degree that makes it a least equal in importance to syuzhet patterns” (Bordwell 1988, 275). Trier’s films certainly emphasize stylistic features, and the coordination of movement in terms of music, camera and editing align with parametric form. Alessandro Bratus has explored this idea in relation to Epidemic and its contrasts between narrative modes (see Bratus 2016).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Birger Langkjær

Birger Langkjær is Associate Professor in Film Studies at Dept. of Communication at University of Copenhagen. His main research is in cognitive film theory, sound and music in film and television series, realism in Danish cinema as well as experimental studies in film editing, sound and audience engagement. He has published three books and in numerous journals and edited volumes.