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    Blade Runner and Vangelis

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    MaxWitt
    Vangelis' score for Blade Runner was essential in creating the atmosphere of loneliness and dehumanization in the film. The music utilized quiet, ethereal soundscapes created with acoustic instruments and synthesizers. These were slow, wandering melodies that failed to resolve, expressing the feeling of searching without finding. Examples include "Memories of Green" and the "Love Theme." The loneliness of characters like Eldon Tyrell was conveyed through slight, empty sounding scores with electronic tones. Vangelis relied heavily on synthesizers to freely create and improvise emotive sounds that complemented the dark, hazy futuristic world of Blade Runner.

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    Blade Runner and Vangelis

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    MaxWitt
    397 views2 pages
    Vangelis' score for Blade Runner was essential in creating the atmosphere of loneliness and dehumanization in the film. The music utilized quiet, ethereal soundscapes created with acoustic instruments and synthesizers. These were slow, wandering melodies that failed to resolve, expressing the feeling of searching without finding. Examples include "Memories of Green" and the "Love Theme." The loneliness of characters like Eldon Tyrell was conveyed through slight, empty sounding scores with electronic tones. Vangelis relied heavily on synthesizers to freely create and improvise emotive sounds that complemented the dark, hazy futuristic world of Blade Runner.

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    Vangelis' score for Blade Runner was essential in creating the atmosphere of loneliness and dehumanization in the film. The music utilized quiet, ethereal soundscapes created with acoustic instruments and synthesizers. These were slow, wandering melodies that failed to resolve, expressing the feeling of searching without finding. Examples include "Memories of Green" and the "Love Theme." The loneliness of characters like Eldon Tyrell was conveyed through slight, empty sounding scores with electronic tones. Vangelis relied heavily on synthesizers to freely create and improvise emotive sounds that complemented the dark, hazy futuristic world of Blade Runner.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    397 views2 pages

    Blade Runner and Vangelis

    Uploaded by

    MaxWitt
    Vangelis' score for Blade Runner was essential in creating the atmosphere of loneliness and dehumanization in the film. The music utilized quiet, ethereal soundscapes created with acoustic instruments and synthesizers. These were slow, wandering melodies that failed to resolve, expressing the feeling of searching without finding. Examples include "Memories of Green" and the "Love Theme." The loneliness of characters like Eldon Tyrell was conveyed through slight, empty sounding scores with electronic tones. Vangelis relied heavily on synthesizers to freely create and improvise emotive sounds that complemented the dark, hazy futuristic world of Blade Runner.

    Copyright:

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    Max Witt

    Vangelis and Blade Runner: Loneliness, Dehumanization and Music

    Blade Runner (1982, and subsequent re-cuts, 1992, 2007) is a classic example of the merger of Noir and Science Fiction film. However, Blade Runner goes further in its exploration of Noir themes of alienation and introspective darkness, with the creation of an entire world of oppressive rain, haze, and unending night, which is both haunting and beautiful. Vangelis sparse, ethereal score is vital to the completion of the atmosphere. Vangelis, while working with Ridley Scott, effectively utilizes quiet soundscapes created with a mixture of acoustic instruments and synthesizers. These are slow paced, wandering melodies, which create a feeling of searching for something (such as identity) by progressing, but failing to melodically resolve. A particular example of this is Memories of Green from the soundtrack. Love Theme has more resolution, although its musical ideas also tend to taper off before reaching their musical conclusion. Although I may be mistaken, some of the songs seem to wander between keys. The loneliness that pervades the movie is expressed in its sounds. For example, the owner of the Tyrell Corporation, Eldon Tyrell, lies in bed alone, discussing his investments. There is a slight tinkling, empty sounding score, with occasional electronic tones. This loneliness is expressed elsewhere as synthesized, saxophone like (or real saxophone), bluesy phrases. Vangelis relied heavily on synthesizers, allowing him to freely create and improvise the sounds he felt. He would view scenes from the film, and record over them with his synthesizers. This enabled an emotive soundtrack, with the ethereal sound of the synthesizers, and the sparse feel of improvised music. The hazy, dark sounds of his music exactly compliment the cinematography and imagery of the

    futuristic LA cityscape. The music allows the dreary world in Blade Runner to come to life in a beautiful, sublime way. His music is very important in making the audience suspend disbelief, greatly improving the subjective quality of the simple (yet perfectly utilized and executed) special effects. Vangelis earlier work, Chariots of Fire, also used a synthesized score, and won an academy award for it. This was a successful change from the traditional Hollywood orchestral score, which most major films used. It created the atmosphere for which Blade Runner is known.

    Bibliography
    Bosnak, Metin. "The Nocturnal Future as Alienated Existence: Blade Runner." Journal of Economic & Social Research; 2001, Vol. 3 Issue 2, p73, 25p Milner, Andrew. Darker Cities: Urban Dystopia and Science Fiction Cinema. International Journal of Cultural Studies. September 2004 7: 259-279, doi:10.1177/1367877904046303 Nemostudios.co.uk. Blade Runner-Scoring the Music. http://www.nemostudios.co.uk/nemo/sections/br/br03.htm

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