The movie “The Favourite”, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, is a period drama/comedy set in 18th century England. The monarch at the time, Queen Anne, has a close relationship with her friend and lover Sarah Churchill, until the arrival of Sarah’s cousin Abigail causes the two women to vie for the position of the Queen’s right hand. Blackmail, schemes, and secrets pit the two against each other, but the temper and elitism of the Queen begs the question: if you earn the Queen’s favour, have you really won the battle? While there is a comedic touch to the plot, it has many dark and unsettling moments, which are enhanced by the classically inspired, but haunting soundtrack compiled by Johnnie Burn. A mix of 20th century compositions and well-known Baroque and Classical works, this movie walks the line between a historically accurate piece and modern entertainment.
Selections from the time period of Queen Anne’s reign, 1702-1707, include works by J.S. Bach, W.F. Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Purcell. Much of this music is heard as background music to the plot: most notably, Handel’s Concerto Grosso in B-flat major, HWV 325. This piece was also used in the trailer to give a hurried and anxious, yet noble and stately atmosphere. This is akin to the rest of the period music used in the movie: it gives the aura of the nobility, and yet is always somewhat unsettling because of its deliberate form in comparison to the strange, messy, and sometimes horrific scenes occurring on screen. There are two notable times we encounter music being played as a part of the plot. First, Anne observes a small group of instruments playing music in the courtyard, the piece I couldn’t identify as my rental for the movie expired by the time I am writing this. However, it was a piece for a small group of strings, had the characteristics of Baroque instrumental music at the time, and was organized by what appeared to be a composer sharing a remarkable resemblance to Handel (even though he was not technically employed by Queen Anne at the time the movie is set). In another scene, Sarah storms into a chamber where the members of the royal court are watching an opera singer perform, accompanied by a harpsichord. An opera singer is performing “Music for a While”, an English language aria from Purcell’s incidental music for the English adaptation of Oedipus. If the audience listens carefully, its meaning in regards to the movie becomes clear: all is well, while the music plays, but a vengeful and angry reckoning is on its way (in this case, a furious Sarah mauled by an ordeal in the forest, come to seek revenge on Abigail for stealing her position).
While the period music is slightly unsettling in its usage, the 20th century music is downright shudder-inducing. While watching this movie with my parents, they both commented that at some points the avant-garde music was almost unbearable, not because of its atonality but simply because of how unnerving it is! This is most clearly evident in Luc Ferrari’s “Didascalies”, which is a myriad of tones played on piano, violin, and electronic synthesizer which is unlike any other music being performed today. The singular repeated G on the viola, used often in the movie, gets louder and louder until one couldn’t even focus on the dialogue, you were so unnerved by this music. It added significantly to the off-kilter, unsettling atmosphere that the movie wanted to create by literally driving the audience up the wall with the soundtrack!
Overall, while The Favourite was a little eclectic for my typical movie taste, I appreciated the choices Johnnie Burns made for the soundtrack. He balanced memorable and period-appropriate Baroque and Classical music with the atmospheric effect of 20th century music, which made the intention of the film clear. While I wouldn’t likely watch it again, mostly because of the ending (hint: a one-minute overlay of rabbits over the sad faces of Emma Stone and Olivia Coleman), I very much appreciated its artistic intent.
As a final note,
