Let's Talk SCORES: The Social Network

Hey there my sweet little froyo cup... Oof it sure has been a while. Oopsy doopsy. Well, I feel like that's enough of an apology. EAT IT KITTY; the joke has to be real! Okay, that's enough. 

To be completely honest, I didn't know if I would ever come back. But uhh, I guess I did. Lucky you, my new and incredibly intelligent friend. It's nice to hold your glance and attentiveness over the putrid words spilling before you, line after line. All right, I'll get right to IT. What is IT, you might be asking yourself. IT is film. IT is my parent's dog chasing her own tail right now. IT is humanity, my love. Ha not really. The first two though, sure. 

I've been watching some magical films as of late and their scores have inspired something of the interesting sort within my budding self. And I don't know, (averting eyes, kicking dirt between us), I just wanted to share my intrepid thoughts with a captive audience member like yourself. Well, let's get right to it.

Film of the Day: The Social Network (2010)

Directed by David Fincher

Written by Aaron Sorkin

Score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

I loved this film from the first preview. And then, upon my first viewing, I was in love with it. I mean, Jesse Eisenberg AND Andrew Garfield. My head explodes with both excitement and profound fear just recounting it all. And obviously David Fincher is just a magician of a director, e.g., Fight Club, Se7en, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. But these are not the elements of the film we are here to discuss. Let's talk about the MUSIC. This score will literally change you as a human being. It's like "MOM, you literally don't even get me as a human anymore!!" I don't know what that means, but seriously, it is remarkable. If I could metaphorically wrap the whole thing up in cellophane and have it for lunch every day for the rest of my life I would be the happiest and most nourished kiddo in the WORLD. There is one track in particular, which even you don't know classical music at all, you'll still be like, "MOM, I literally know this song!!" Titled "In the Hall of the Mountain King," this track is an arrangement of Edvard Grieg's 1876 composition for Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt (thanks Wikipedia, you church whore). Here's a little taste. 

This track also inspired me to write a most ridiculous piece of poetry. Read it... If you like CRICKETS and death. 

"In the Hall of the Mountain King"

Dancing Crickets line the crumbling walls,

Thinking of nothing but their dance...

Clicking their rickety heels,

Spinning one another around on their convex backs.

Until the day that they see a spot of light in the wall.

They climb and climb; 

Stacking up high—

Cricket on Cricket,

Until Grieg sees a glimmer.

A hope, a dream, a land of light
Beyond the wall.

In curiosity and longing,

They gather and plot to escape.

Grieg leads the attack;

Offering a brilliant speech,

Talking of happier times past the wall...

Moving his Cricket limbs emphatically through the darkness.

And that is all it takes.

The Crickets are laced with false hope

And stampede into the crumbles.

Pounding to break through the darkness,

Breeding and brooding confused hatred among the blind.

Misplaced rage inspiring the crazed action,

Pounding, pounding on the sheetrock,

Running into hardness, cracked exoskeletons,

Clawing at the wall, breaking legs,

Tears and cries of pain,

Until finally...

A breakthrough!

A hole big enough for two, maybe three at a time,

 allowing the blinding light to filter in,

The crumbles of dust sifting and dancing through the air,

Penetrating the untouched darkness.

Something they’ve never seen before—

Those who had been born in darkness.

They went mad for more.

Even with the casualties piling high and wide

In their attempts at escape,

The crunching and blood spread hot and pooled
Among the bodies of the already forgotten

In order to reach the light
And the promises it held.

Visions of beauty past the hard wall,

Out of the darkness and doom.

The hole spreads;

Greig plunges alone into the land of the light.

His black body sails,

Arms and legs flailing maniacally

Before he lands hard and bounces off the floor.

Only the highest Cricket can see him now,

As he hangs off the edge between darkness and light.

He stares at Grieg—

Pitiful and alone in the light.

He is silenced at the sight

And climbs back down into the darkness

The Crickets have turned docile—

Their blind rage has subsided.

But they can still hear the actions of a crazed man...

The great leader claws back from the light side.

Until he gives up.

But it is no matter.

The dancing crickets are no longer concerned with escape.

The pounding crowd disperses in tired regret,

Yet the dead remain,

Piled and sticky from death

In the comforting darkness—together.

Welp, that's all for today. I'll be back to talk about my film findings and music love soon. Enjoy the day or night, whatever it is for you, right now. Okay BYYYYE. Oh, and here's one more arrangement from the film. It's the opener. I really don't have words to encapsulate its greatness. 

And here's Andrew Garfield and uhhh, Jesse Eisenberg to close the day. You're welcome.