Demeter: The Royal Tenenbaums Essay

Submitted By crrusboldt
Words: 388
Pages: 2

In viewing The Royal Tenenbaums one cannot miss the importance of the musical score. Wes Anderson relies heavily on the use of diegetic music to draw the viewer in and accentuate the message on the screen. Although Anderson does, on occasion use non-diegetic music, most of the music comes from with the story itself. From the opening introduction of the movie, which plays an orchestral version of the Beatles’ classic Hey Jude, through to the closing scene where we hear Van Morrison’s Everyone, during Royal Tenenbaum's funeral, It is obvious that the music plays an important role in helping us to understand and relate to the characters. It was not until the end of the film that I realized the significance of Anderson's choice of Hey Jude, (the lyrics "take a sad song and make it better"). As the Tenenbaums reveal how truly dysfunctional the family is, we realize that is what the family proceeds to do; "Take a sad song and make it better." Another good example of diegetic sound takes place as Margot Tenebaum steps off the Green Line bus and proceeds to walk in slow motion towards her adopted brother Richie. This slow-motion accent is accompanied by Nico's, These Days. Upon close attention you will hear the lyrics, loosely quoted, "I've been out walking, I don't do too much talking these days. These days, I seem to think a lot, about the things I forgot to do". The best example of how Anderson uses the diegetic sound in the film, occurs during, what I