With all the excitement over directors, writers, and actors, we sometimes forget that film composers even exist (unless they’re John Williams). It’s a shame too, because composers are an important factor in any film as their soundtracks can make or break a movie. A single scene suddenly changes meaning because of a well-placed aural cue, a sweeping vista or emotional dialogue brings tears to the eyes because of the music that accompanies it. So in talking about composers, we are talking about one of the most important factors that goes into making a movie great.
Composer Alexandre Desplat might qualify as one of the hardest working men in Hollywood. Currently up for a Best Score Oscar thanks to Philomena, Desplat’s work can be heard throughout The Monuments Men, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Godzilla – along with several other projects that have been/will be released this year. In addition, he’s been the go-to guy for director Roman Polanski, working on such films as Venus in Fur, Carnage and The Ghost Writer – and now the upcoming Polanski project D.
DÂ will tell the story of the Dreyfus Affair, a notorious French case during the late 19th Century where a Jewish officer was convicted of selling military secrets to Germany. The case exposed wide-spread anti-Semitism in France, as Dreyfus was sent to Devil’s Island on flimsy evidence that was eventually proved false. It’s an excellent subject for a film, especially from a director like Polanski, with his history of approaching difficult topics without flinching or pulling punches.
Desplat is not the only powerhouse artist attached to D, either. The script is by novelist Robert Harris, who also wrote the novel from which Polanski adapted The Ghost Writer.
With a script in hand and a composer set, we can expect to hear more about casting and production on D before very long. Until then, you can let us know what you think about the film in the comments below.
