MovieChat Forums > Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) Discussion > Phillip Glass Ruined the Film

Phillip Glass Ruined the Film

posted 11 years ago by at7000
2 replies | jump to latest

Still a good film, but the score was overbearing, intrusive, and atrocious. Glass is a good composer but his music works better in some films than in others. They could have at least 'dialed him down a notch.' Very distracting, and not a good fit for this film.

Glass' music is good to test out an audiophile stereo, or listen to in order to "veg out." Oh yeah, and it works well in scenes like humans on escalators turning into mass-produced hotdogs.

[–] gilbert_gumphrey 11 years ago

I'd disagree. I think the major problem with film music today is that the composers are always asked to "dial it down".

Minimalism (not the Glass style, but the sound design style) are what producers and directors seem to most want now, and classic, obtrusive, thematic, orchestral scores are rare.

I thought the score in Mishima was phenomenal -- yes, it's very bold and in-your-face, but that's kind of the whole point, and elevates the film to a level of art where music and images are both equally important.

[–] TopFrog 11 years ago

I fully agree with you. Not only is Mishima's score excellent on its own, but it's particularly appropriate for the film, with its use of vibrant colors and stylized sets.