It was only a few months ago that the great Antonio Sánchez sat at a complex drum kit set up in one corner of the stage at City Recital Hall. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s masterful 2014 hit, Birdman, screened to a sold-out crowd while Sánchez brought new meaning to the film with a live rendition of his frenetic, purely drum-based score.
It was breathtaking. A fantastic way to rediscover one my favourite films of all time. And I’m glad to see that these conceptual screening events are popping up more frequently around Sydney, rethinking the movie-going experience and combining that with live music.
And so Sydney Opera House’s upcoming screening of Wong Kar-wai’s In The Mood For Love deserves extra special attention. Set for two performances (2pm and 7pm) on Saturday 22nd March, one of the most spellbinding romance dramas in the history of modern cinema will be screened in full HD in the Concert Hall.
Accompanying the screening is a live 39-piece orchestra led by award-winning conductor Guy Noble, closely following the era-defining film with the intricate score. Given the music is inseparable from the aesthetically distinguished film, I’m expecting a brilliant multisensory experience that’ll lift the film’s many nuances and given viewers a deeper insight into what exactly Kar Wai was hoping to achieve when he put this project out into the world at the turn of the century.
The power of music to deepen one’s connection to what’s in front of them is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I used music as a tool to help make whatever I’m experiencing rich with emotion. Hence, my memories are more robust and rewarding.
I’d imagine a similar process occurs when watching a film with a live score. I felt it with Birdman, and that is more excitement and wit than In The Mood For Love’s more penetrative proposition.
After all, music strengthens connection and contextualises emotion. This is a great chance to think about that process while watching one of the greatest love stories ever told.
In The Mood For Love plays at the Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall on Saturday 22nd March. Tickets are still available.
