Anyone who has already seen Jonathan Glazer’s Under The Skin will know that it’s a smart idea to screen it with a live orchestral accompaniment.
Despite clearly not being a film for everyone, this brooding 2013 science fiction drama impressed critics with its uncomfortable portrayal of an otherworldly predator (played by Scarlett Johansson) who preys on men in Scotland.
Much like many films over the years, the unnerving disposition throughout Under The Skin is undeniable. But take away the film’s chilling score, and it wouldn’t be anywhere near as powerful.
Think for a minute how music plays a crucial part in cranking up the tension in the following movies from the last sixty years: Bernard Rose’s 1990’s creepy fantasy horror Candyman, Stanley Kubrick’s 1980s ice-cold fright-fest The Shining, John Carpenter’s 1970s slasher epic Halloween, and Hitchcock’s 1960s shocker Psycho. Of course, we have Philip Glass, Wendy Carlos & Rachel Elkind, John Carpenter and Bernard Herman to credit, respectively.
Whilst it’s a distinctive piece of work, there are similarities linking Under The Skin to previous works. The soundtrack’s screeching string section and gloomily repetitive percussion work magnificently because they bring forth a mood of isolation and a feeling of unease, rekindling images of Jack Torrance’s swinging axe and the plunging knife of Norman Bates.
The Royal Festival Hall at London’s Southbank Centre is the perfect location for hosting an event like this. Firstly, the screen is big enough to hang behind the orchestra as a backdrop without it being such a size that it takes away the emphasis of them. Tonight, the orchestra providing the musical backing is the London Sinfonietta, one of the world’s leading contemporary music ensembles. Their conductor is Jonathan Berman.
The screening gets a massive initial boost with the announcement of two very special guests – the film’s director and co-writer Jonathan Glazer and composer Mica Levi, who are both greeted with an enormous welcome by the audience in the large auditorium. It’s a fascinating introduction to how both met and started working together. Levi’s slightly awkward, nervous shuffling and matter-of-fact explanations of her work – and unrehearsed quips – are charming to watch, and a comforting way to begin what is essentially a very dark piece of cinema.
“Composing for a film was new territory for me”, says Levi. “I actually kept it a secret from a lot of people while I was working on it. The idea was to follow Scarlet Johansson’s character and try to react in real time to what she was experiencing, not to pre-empt or reflect on things that had already happened in the film. Some parts are intended to be quite difficult to listen to and watch. If your lifeforce is being distilled by an alien, it’s not necessarily going to sound very nice. It’s supposed to be physical, alarming, hot.”
Once the film is underway, I am curious as to how the orchestra manage to keep pace with the film’s running time. For a short while, I am so intrigued by how the orchestra respond to their simultaneous programme alignment that I temporarily forget that the movie is being shown at all. Likewise, as I become engrossed in the movie, I let slip from memory that the musicians are on the stage in front of me. Their playing is so rich and enveloping that I become completely beguiled by the sights and sounds surrounding the hall.
I first saw Under The Skin upon its initial release, but enjoying it for the second time with the addition of a live orchestra has given me a totally enhanced experience of it. Forget the places that coax you with a vibrating chair, outdated 3D and deafening surround sound; this is the truly moving movie experience.
● Georg Friedrich Haas : In Vain (which will partly be performed in complete darkness) is running at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Thursday 27 April at 7.30pm
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