Deleuze and film music

Abstract

This thesis grows from the premise that film music analysis is currently at an impasse. The reason for this impasse is the inability of film theory and music theory to relate to one another because of their lack of a common theoretical language. It is my contention that a large percentage of the scholarly writing on film music is less than successful, because of the inability of these two disciplines to relate to each other theoretically. Therefore, it is the intention of this thesis to construct a methodological bridge which will allow music theory and film theory to relate to each other on a common analytical plane. I am primarily concerned with just how the film score functions once it enters into the mise-en-scène and is able to exist on an equal theoretical plane with the other elements of the filmic universe. In order to facilitate this, I will apply philosophical concepts drawn from the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze to the analysis of six individual film/score(s): L’Atalante (Jean Vigo, 1934), Things to Come (William Cameron Menzies, 1936), Scott of the Antarctic (Charles Frend, 1948), East of Eden (Elia Kazan, 1955), Hamlet (Grigori Kozintsev, 1964) and Blue (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1993). Each of these scores provides a specific theoretical challenge which can not be overcome through the use of traditional analytical methodologies. By adapting specific Deleuzian philosophical concepts (sensation, nomadology, the refrain, the eternal refrain, becoming, utopia, smooth space, and duration) to the individual scores in question I will demonstrate that it is possible to create a flexible analytical methodology which draws the various elements of the film into a deep relationship with the score, thereby revealing the score’s actual function in each instance.

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