Under the Skin is described as a science-fiction-horror-art film. I hardly know how to talk about Scarlett Johansson as this alien seductress but what I can’t help talking about is the thing that’s still haunting me three days later: the score.
It was composed by the brilliant Mica Levi (and produced by Peter Raeburn, who recommended her to director Jonathan Glazer). Mica primarily used the viola to write and record the music, deliberately seeking out the most “identifiably human” sounds the instrument could make. She
then altered the pitch and sometimes the tempo of these sounds to “make it feel uncomfortable” which she accomplished with crazy amounts of success, I tell you what. It made me monumentally, UNCOUNTABLY uncomfortable.
Glazer had her writing music to express Johansson’s feelings as her character experiences things for the first time, with the music following and reflecting her in real time, so to speak – “What does it sound like to be on fire?” he asked of her, and oddly, she had an answer. Another scene where the alien Scarlett attempts to eat cake is a stand-out for me, but is actually accompanied solely be the normal clatter of a popular family diner. The stark absence of scoring is as jarring as the creepy, otherworldly music can be.
The greasy, sinister sound of the viola is accompanied by percussion whenever a new man (victim?) follows Scarlett into the abyss. This music is unrelenting and aggressive, and it repeats with each new conquest. In an article for The Guardian, Levi wrote: “Some parts are intended to
be quite difficult. If your life force is being distilled by an alien, it’s not necessarily going to sound very nice. It’s supposed to be physical, alarming, hot.” Well, I’ll give her alarming. And unnerving. The sound is experimental, but at times she can get a whole orchestra in on it and it gives you the shivers.
Pitchfork wrote that “the strings sometimes resemble nails going down a universe-sized chalkboard, screaming with a Legeti-like sense of horror.” There’s nothing hummable or toe-tappable in this soundtrack, but it’s filled with innovative sounds that your body reacts to on a visceral, immediate level, leaving your mind racing to catch up.
I still can’t get those strings out of my head. They contribute to an audio-visual experience that’s unequal parts tension, perversion, anticipation, anxiety, and a big ole dose of the willies. The willies! Oh man, tonally and aesthetically this movie is disturbing. I’m disturbed, guys. There’s no going back.
I’ve avoided this movie for awhile out of lack of interest but you’ve got me curious.
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And I was certain you’d seen it. So certain I even searched the site to see if you’d reviewed it.
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It’s not really plagiarism if you steal from a fellow Asshole, right?
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Haha no i plagarize your shit all the time.
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I love effective movie scores. I only really gave the film Sunshine (2007) a chance because of the music, now it’s in my top 10 films. Without that score, I might never have watched it again!
I’ve seen a lot about the film, very intriguing. I think I’ll think I’ll wait until it’s on Netflix though 🙂
Good review!
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Thanks, Emma! I don’t always notice a score so overtly, but this one stands out to me even apart from the images.So different.
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It’s brilliant!!! 🙂
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Just a word of warning: I saw this fucker over a year ago now, and that soundtrack STILL haunts my nightmares. It’s one of the most sickening (in every sense of the word) scores I’ve ever heard. The film is supremely unsettling, and all the better for it.
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Oh shit.
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Oh my God! How bad can this be> Now I have to see it.
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Having read the book, I was disappointed they only adapted 1/3 of it. They left out the most interesting parts, so it didn’t really work for me as a whole. That was disappointing. I wanted to love it.
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Well I’m the asshole who didn’t even know it was a book!
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I watched this film twice and loved the score. It did a great job at getting me edgy and a little nervous. I’ll always have this film in my mind… it stands out for sure, and so does the music. Great post, Jay. Loved that fact that you talked about the score rather than the film. A different perspective 🙂
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I meant every word, but I also was being cowardly about writing about the movie! 🙂
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I can understand that. It’s a pretty confusing film. I wrote a post about it as well, and I’m still trying to figure it out…
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How did I not know about this movie? Sounds intriguing to say the least. I’m off to Netflix to see if they have it. If not, Redbox. And if that fails? A library hold…
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Yeah, this is one of the best films of last year, period, and that score is the best one in a year full of remarkable ones.
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Have to admit that I found the story completely baffling and quickly became disinterested in ScarJo’s complete lack of emotion.
To your point, however, I have to agree that the soundtrack held my attention and kept me from completely dozing off.
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She was an alien incapable of feeling emotion…
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And by the halfway point of the film, so was I
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Haha! Fair enough 🙂
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Very probably because there was no story! I couldn’t recommend this movie to anyone because there’s no plot. It’s really more like a string of art house images, some of which work and are beautiful and striking, and some of which don’t…at least not for me.
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As you say, visually striking but viscerally dead
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Good review. Very freaky. But man, it hardly ever lost my interest.
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Even though I hardly ever knew where it was going!
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Great piece. I’m intrigued.
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Great post. I couldn’t agree more, that soundtrack is incredible. I have never heard a string instrument like a violin (viola, whatever!) used so well, and to such chilling effect. Under The Skin is Kubrickian in a lot of ways, including the score.
Keep an eye on my page, Nat from WriterLovesMovies is gonna write a guest post for my Monday @ The Music section about this soundtrack. I love her site so I’m looking forward to it!
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Thanks for taking a peak at my spotlight on Scarlett for this movie Jay! This movie is so damn out there. For me, that translates to amazing. For others, I’m sure it translates to hot coddled fish garbage.
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