Based on
A Girl From Antwerp, a novella by
Arnot Lustig, Colette tells the story of
an unlikely romance that arises in a
Nazi Concentration Camp
as seen through the
eyes of an elderly writer named Willie (Jirí Mádl) as he writes
about his romantic affair with a Belgian Jewess named Colette (Clémence
Thiloy).
The musical score of Colette was
created by Icelandic composer
Atli Örvarsson
who began his musical career at a
very young age, performing and writing for some of
Iceland's
top pop and jazz
ensembles before travelling to America to earn a master's degree in film music
composition. In 2006, he joined
Hans Zimmer's
state-of-the-art musical think
tank, Remote Control Productions, and worked on a number of scores with him,
including
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End,
Angels & Demons and
The Holiday. Since then, he has created a number
of musical scores for such films as
The Eagle,
Evidence,
A Single Shot,
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
and
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.
The score of Colette is orchestral,
describing a love story set in the darkest of places, defined by ominous
undertones throughout. The central theme of Colette is quite sad,
despite its beauty, describing the main character extremely well through music.
Violins are used quite often in films set in Nazi Germany and the
Colette Soundtrack
employs them as well, defining the sadness of the characters'
situation as well as a love affair doomed from the start.
Two of the most intriguing tracks on the
album are
Workshop of Evil
and
Free As A Bird, two tracks that are
the polar opposite of one another. Free As A Bird is light and airy and
you can almost picture a bird soaring over the countryside, relishing in its
freedom. Meanwhile, Workshop of Evil is an angry and dark piece offering
up the sense of individuals moving with a dark purpose...overburdened soles
forced into hard labor for an evil taskmaster.
The musical score of Colette is very
descriptive and offers the listener a visual picture of a doomed love between
two individuals who are fighting for their very lives and their freedom in an
atmosphere meant to crush them. Atli Örvarsson's score is at once beautiful and
unsettling, perfect for a love story set in a Nazi death camp. The music is
haunting in its beauty and definitely a must listen to for fans of dramatically
emotional orchestral pieces. Another job well done by Atli Örvarsson!
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