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Character as DJ: Melomania and Diegetically Controlled Music

Character as DJ: Melomania and Diegetically Controlled Music Despite a wealth of literature on the narrative and emotional implications of film music, little has been written on the relationship between musical choices and characterisation. When character is discussed in relation to music, the focus tends to be on how directors and sound designers use non-diegetic music ­ either a score or pre-existing songs ­ to comment on a character's psyche. This article considers possible implications of, and benefits to, characters shown to choose and play music for themselves. In Auteur Music, Claudia Gorbman uses the term ´ melomane to describe `music-loving directors' who treat music `as a key thematic element and a marker of authorial style' (2007: 149). Just as Gorbman suggests that melomania allows an auteur to express individuality through musical choices, I argue for the significance of character melomania in granting these fictional constructs individuality through music. As can be demonstrated through a series of case studies from the films of ­ among others ­ Sofia Coppola, Hal Hartley and Jim Jarmusch, this trend for a character to serve as DJ is particularly strong in American independent cinema. Through engagement with theories of character construction and identification (Dyer 1998; Smith 1995), as well as http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The New Soundtrack Edinburgh University Press

Character as DJ: Melomania and Diegetically Controlled Music

O'Meara, Jennifer
The New Soundtrack , Volume 5 (2): 133 – Sep 1, 2015
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Publisher
Edinburgh University Press
Copyright
© Edinburgh University Press and the Contributors
Subject
Articles; Film, Media and Cultural Studies
ISSN
2042-8855
eISSN
2042-8863
DOI
10.3366/sound.2015.0075
Publisher site
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Abstract

Despite a wealth of literature on the narrative and emotional implications of film music, little has been written on the relationship between musical choices and characterisation. When character is discussed in relation to music, the focus tends to be on how directors and sound designers use non-diegetic music ­ either a score or pre-existing songs ­ to comment on a character's psyche. This article considers possible implications of, and benefits to, characters shown to choose and play music for themselves. In Auteur Music, Claudia Gorbman uses the term ´ melomane to describe `music-loving directors' who treat music `as a key thematic element and a marker of authorial style' (2007: 149). Just as Gorbman suggests that melomania allows an auteur to express individuality through musical choices, I argue for the significance of character melomania in granting these fictional constructs individuality through music. As can be demonstrated through a series of case studies from the films of ­ among others ­ Sofia Coppola, Hal Hartley and Jim Jarmusch, this trend for a character to serve as DJ is particularly strong in American independent cinema. Through engagement with theories of character construction and identification (Dyer 1998; Smith 1995), as well as

Journal

The New Soundtrack – Edinburgh University Press

Published: Sep 1, 2015

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