There is nothing quite like watching a silent film while a good musical score is performed live. The wife and I used to go to The Speakeasy in Seattle to watch iv bricoleurs perform scores for film classics such as Der Golem and Narrow Trail. Those are some of my favorite film moments and memories. Now I can add another.
At the first annual Tacoma Film Festival, there was the opportunity to catch the 1920 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, directed by John S. Robertson, and starring John Barrymore in the dual role. The music was provided by the Devil's Music Ensemble, a trio of guitarist, percussionist, and violinist/xylophonist. All three musicians also use keyboards and effects pedals to manipulate the sound of their respective instruments.
The opening salvo of guitar and feedback was enough that I could feel it in my sternum and thought my shoulders were going to shear off. From then until the end of the film, Devil's Music Ensemble played to the strengths of the movie and John Barrymore's performance as both Jekyll and Hyde. The score matched the screen action well, heightening dramatic moments as well as the psychological turmoil of Jekyll/Hyde.
Another interesting feature of the film was that the interior shots were tinted sepia, the exterior shots were tinted blue, a story within the story was "straight" black-and-while, and a crucial scene of Jekyll/Hyde becoming one (when Jekyll can no longer control the "evil beast") was tinted yellow. The music played off of the color tints nicely.
Now I have another great movie experience to add to my film memories and to my dreams.
1 comment:
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