Kenneth Branagh's personal work, a fictional reconstruction of his ``Belfast'' autobiography

Music by Van Morrison and Love Affair

``Belfast'' also uses music in a particularly impressive way. The entire music is composed by Belfast-born singer-songwriter Van Morrison . "He had the impression that he was difficult, but he was actually very cooperative and those rumors turned out to be false," Branagh said in the aforementioned Hot Press interview.

Morrison is a musician who began his solo career in the 1960s after working with the legendary band Them.He has strong influences from R&B and jazz, and is characterized by his soulful and somber singing voice. In the second half of the masterpiece " The Last Waltz " (1978), which depicts The Band's breakup concert, he powerfully sang " Caravan ". He also appeared as a guest commentator in the interesting documentary `` The Band: We Were Brothers '' (2019), which follows the trajectory of The Band. He used to have the image of being a solitary singer, but even now that he is over 70 years old, he continues to be active and the power of his songs remains undiminished. Especially in the latter half of the 2010s, he produced two albums a year. In addition, in 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic that made it impossible to hold concerts, they released a two-disc album, “Latetest Record Project Vol.1.” When I listen to recent music, I can truly feel the joy of living and singing.

“Belfast”Ⓒ2021 Focus Features, LLC.

Morrison was in charge of the music for the entirety of ``Belfast.'' Old and new songs will appear, but the title of the original theme song that plays at the beginning is " Down to Joy ." It became a positive song that conveyed Morrison's current energy, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Theme Song.

Looking back at each song and year of release, the scene where Buddy's parents dance to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers on the street is `` Caledonian Swing '' (16), and the scene where the main character is watching over First Love is ``Caledonian Swing'' (16). ` `Bright Side of the Road '' (79), when the love of parents and grandparents is depicted, `` Warm Love '' (73), when a boy is happy about getting a good score at school, `` ``Jackie Wilson Said '' (72), ` `Days Like This'' (1995) for an idyllic scene of a family playing outdoors, and `` Stranded '' (2005) for a later scene depicting a couple's confusion about moving. `` Carrickfergus '' (1988) is played after a conversation about raising children, and the ending song is ` `And the Healing Has Begun '' (79).The song is used in a way that takes into consideration the content of the lyrics in each scene. There is.

There are also songs by people other than Morrison, but the most memorable one is " Ever Lasting Love " by the British band Love Affair, which is used at the climax. The song was released in 1968 and reached number one in the UK. Jamie Dornan, who plays Pa, sings on stage at a club. In the film, Dornan's voice is superimposed on the Love Affair singing voice, and Dornan's old singer-like movements are very refreshing, making it a particularly memorable scene.

Love AffairEver Lasting Love”

Branagh's musical sense is on display, but looking back, his taste in song selection wasn't bad before. In ``Peter's Friends'' (1991), which depicts the reunion of friends, `` Rule the World '' by Tears for Fears successfully conveys the cruelty of the passage of time, and ``The Most Melancholic Hamlets'' (1991) 95), the repeated use of playwright Noel Coward's ` `Why Must the Show Go On' ' conveys the difficulty of being a stage actor.

Also, the nightclub show scene in “Murder on the Nile” (22) is really exciting! In the original story and the previous film adaptation, the role of Salome Otterborn, who was a writer, was changed to the role of a blues singer, and Sophie Okonedo, who played this role, performed a wild stage performance while strumming her electric guitar. The song was dubbed, and the actual voice used was Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a pioneering female singer who also contributed to the birth of rock and roll. The second half featured songs by The Staple Singers , demonstrating Branagh's interest in blues and soul music.

If you think about it in this way, it makes sense that Van Morrison, who comes from this kind of musical lineage, was chosen for this album. Morrison's songs have previously been used in other films, but their use in films set in Irish history gives each song a real live feel.

Text: Sawako Omori

Movie journalist. His books include "Lost Cinema" (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) and other books, and his translations include "Woody" (by D. Evanier, Kinema Junposha). Contributes to magazines such as ``Music Magazine'' and ``Kinema Junpo.'' A research book based on the web series, ``Mini Theater Revisited,'' is also scheduled to be published.

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"Belfast"

Nationwide roadshow on March 25th (Friday) at TOHO Cinemas Chante, Shibuya Cinequinto, and other locations

Distribution: Parco Universal Pictures

Ⓒ2021 Focus Features, LLC.