Ludwig Göransson’s Use of Music in Film, Essay Example

Ludwig Göransson is a famous Swedish composer. He has scored many great films, including The Black Panther, Tenet, This is America, Venom, and Creed. Göransson was exposed from a young age to composers; even his naming was inspired by the famous German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. He first broke into the spotlight in 2013 when he worked on the movie Fruitvale Station. His biggest job was not to come until 2018, when he scored the Black Panther. Ludwig Göransson scored the film music Wakanda. The making of Wakanda by Ludwig Göransson involved deep research and development. Ludwig Göransson traveled to Senegal, where he engaged Senegalese native Baaba Maal, whose impressive vocals he exploited for specific cues and mixed them with instrumentals. His genius method produced a 40-voice choir and 92-piece orchestra. Ludwig Göransson also scored Tenet. Tenet is a fictional thriller produced in 2020. Ludwig Göransson composed the score Rainy Night in Tallinn. Rainy Night in Tallinn is Tenet’s opening cue. It starts with an orchestra warm-up that is excellent introductory instrumentation.

Analysis

The instrumentation of the two films’ music differs. Wakanda utilizes a blend of African instrumentation and traditional superhero music. The talking drum comes out clearly when Ludwig Göransson’s music demonstrates its significance. Göransson converts the talking drum instrument into the sound of the King. Rainy Night in Tallinn by Ludwig Göransson has a carefully laid-out bass pattern. At the 2;50 mark, the bass hits nicely. The transition of the instruments is slightly messy. However, at 4:35-5:05, the bass pattern is silky and sublime and does not present a chaotic stance.

Both film music exploits a combination of consonant and dissonant harmony. Rainy Night in Tallinn by Ludwig Göransson begins with a relaxed and slow beat. This relaxation is the consonant aspect. It, after that, picks up momentum and creates an agitated mood among the audience. Wakanda exploits the same technique. The music set begins with a stretched chord that involves an African voice slowly pitching a tone. A dissonance of rapid drumming and loud chords follow. Göransson’s vividly adopts a similar harmony in both scores.

Both films’ music use polyphony and leitmotif. The melody of both works shows a precise, repetitive drumroll throughout the music. Both Wakanda and Rainy Night in Tallinn use a precise drumroll technique discussed above. This technique does not have a dominant voice. Instead, it integrates at least three others hence making it a polyphony. Further, the repetitive pattern of the drumroll makes it a leitmotif.

The tempos of the two films’ music are different. The tempo of Wakanda is Allegro moderato. Wakanda has a BPM of 117, which places it within the range of the Allegro moderato. Rainy Night in Tallinn, on the other hand, has an Andante tempo. This tempo stems from its BPM, which is at 86, well within the range of Andante.

Rainy Night in Tallinn starts with a light and mellow timbre. It builds momentum as the score progresses with a series of mixed tones and instrumentation. It then maintains a brassy timber with an occasional break to the light timbre (Belluomini 12). Wakanda employs a more reedy and brassy timbre. The score begins with a high pitch, reedy African voice before drifting into a consistent brassy timbre. Both these scores enjoy a brassy timbre. This brassy and warm timbre is experienced through the drumming sound prevalent in both scores. Ludwig Göransson seems quite impressed with the background drumming witnessed in both scores.

The film music Wakanda is an excellent example of Copland’s Aesthetic number 1. The introduction of the Black Panther by Wakanda gives an insight into time and place. Especially place, the scenery created by Wakanda provides the audience with an insight into an African setting. Although fictional, this excellent place is essential to the audience. The initial perception of Africa among Marvel and movie fans is a cultural one, seldom a technologically advanced one, and Ludwig Göransson’s Wakanda changes this perspective. Rainy Night in Tallinn is an excellent example of Copland’s Aesthetic number 5. The 8-minute introduction of the action thriller movie builds up tension. The drumroll contained in the music captures the audience’s attention by creating tension. Such tension signifies that a scene is about to start.

The cinematography style of Black Panther was top class. The shooting of most scenes was done with perfect precision. In an era where the camera reflects every single detail, editorials can only go so far. As such, the authenticity in shooting some of the best scenes of Black Panther was next level. The scene at the Warrior Falls was perfectly set. With the lighting and setting entirely artificial, the scene came out perfect (Williams 28).

In contrast, Tenet uses a more improved editorial technique. The editorial work of Tenet is imperative because some of the scenes are shot in real places. For instance, the scene between the Protagonist and Sator shot at the beach of Ravello demonstrates significantly improved video editorial skills. Unlike the Warrior Falls scene discussed above, where the entire scene was built from scratch, and artificial lighting applied, this scene is shot at the beach of a small town where natural lighting was used.

Conclusion

The two films’ music have plenty of similarities and differences. The similarities demonstrate the composer’s originality and identity, while the differences show the cultural distinction of the two sets.

Works Cited

Belluomini, Lance. “Tenet as Philosophy: Fatalism Isn’t an Excuse to Do Nothing.” The Palgrave Handbook of Popular Culture as Philosophy (2020): 1-21.

Williams, Délice. “Three Theses about Black Panther.” Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies 11.9 (2018): 27-30.