One of the most prolific composers in modern cinema,Alexandre Desplatis the musical mind behind over 200 movies, shorts, TV series, and more. From blockbusters to family films and dozens of critically acclaimed and Oscar-winning movies in between, Desplat crafts breathtaking scores that elevate any project he works on.In an interview with Forbes, Desplat explained that for him “the inspiration is not watching outside my window for a bird on the tree; it’s watching what the actors are doing in the film—the actors are central in my thoughts.”
Desplat is a multi-nominated Oscar winner known for his work onThe Queen,Philomena, andLittle Womenamong his top credits. With a resume as long as his,there are so many beautiful scores that have moved audiences to tears, created fantastic and magical worlds, and allowed the boundary between the audience and the story to disappear.
10’Argo' (2012)
Directed by Ben Affleck
Based on the Tehran Hostage Crisis of 1979,Ben Affleckdirects and stars in the thrilling drama as Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who poses as a Hollywood producer scouting locations in Iran in hopes of rescuing six Americans.Argois a seven-timeOscar-nominated film and Best Picture Winner. Among those nominations is Desplat’s score.
Demonstrating his mastery of music,Desplat created a sound that left viewers on the streets of Tehran with a pounding intensity that induced sweaty palms and edge-of-your-seat fascination.The “Main Theme” is haunting, sending tingles down the spine while introducing moviegoers to the crisis they are about to witness.
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9’Isle of Dogs' (2018)
Directed by Wes Anderson
The second animated feature forWes Andersonmarked the fourth time Desplat would score his feature Anerson’s eclectic feature.Isle of Dogstells the story of a young Japanese boy searching for his dog on Trash Island after the country banishes all canines. It’s a stunning representation of stop-motion animation that earned the film one of two Oscar nominations, with the second being Desplat’s score.
Needing multiple tones to pair alongside Anderson’s storybook visuals.The score featured foreboding, drum-heavy, woodwind-rich, and choral compositions that served the intensity of the treacherous journey.Desplat’s music andthe film feature Japanese influencesthat help to breathe life into the bleak world the four-legged characters live in.
Isle of Dogs
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8’The Imitation Game' (2014)
Directed by Morten Tyldum
The score forthis World War II dramaneeded meticulous consideration to imitate the gears turning inside Alan Turing’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) mind as he and his team worked to build a machine to decipher Nazi Germany’s seemingly unsolvable codes, including Enigma. After succeeding, Alan and his team, including Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley) were viewed as heroes until 1952, when Alan was outed and sent to prison for being gay.
The score also needed to convey the tenderness of Alan and Joan’s relationship from start to finish while also conveying the trepidation of Alan’s secret.The Imitation Gamewas nominated for Best Original Score alongside another Desplat composition in the same year, losing out to one of his best works.
The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, the real-life British mathematician and computer scientist who was instrumental in decoding the German spy code machine Enigma during WWII. The film focuses on Turing’s work during the war and his personal life during that time, as well as the tragic story of his life after the war and his death in 1954. Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, and Mark Strong also star.
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7’The King’s Speech' (2010)
Directed by Tom Hooper
Scoring moments in history is no easy task, but it was a challenge that Desplat took in stride.The King’s Speechis based on the true events of Prince Albert’s (Colin Firth) work to overcome his speech impediment as heascends the throne as King George VI. The film co-starsHelena Bonham Carteras Queen Elizabeth andGeoffrey Rushas the speech therapist with whom the King forms a close friendship.
His Oscar nomination for this score was his fourth in a five-year period, demonstrating his skill and expertise in crafting auditory experiences paired with emotional visuals.The orchestra mirrors anxiety in the highest of stakes moments while also evoking tenderness and emotional intimacy. Desplat utilizes original compositions while incorporating classical pieces like Beethoven’s Symphony No.7.
The King’s Speech
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6’Fantastic Mr. Fox' (2009)
In their first collaboration, director Wes Anderson and Desplat proved to be a match made in cinematic heaven. Based on the book byRoald Dahl, Mr. Fox (voiced byGeorge Clooney) is the family patriarch and woodland leader whose farm-raiding ways have led to retaliation by the local farmers.Fantastic Mr. Foxisa stop-motion masterpiece that stands outin the animated genre.
If Dahl’s stories had audio, it would be the Desplat score for this film. It’s playful and mischievous, just like its titular character, all while capturing a woodland, rural atmosphere.The Oscar-nominated score is driving and quirky as it transforms adult viewers back to childlike wonder and games of adventurous pretend.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
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5’The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (2008)
Directed by David Fincher
With a close to three-hour runtime, Desplat’s melancholy score creates a sense of longing in a lonely, strange world for the titular character.The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonis based onthe short story byF. Scott Fitzgeraldabout a man, Benjamin (Brad Pitt), who ages in reverse, having been born in the physical form/appearance of an elderly man. As he ages backward, Benjamin encounters unusual adventures; however, he always hopes that he and Daisy (Cate Blanchett ) will align and be together at the right time.
The film earneda staggering 13 Oscar nominations, with Best Original Score on the list. Desplat composed a dreamlike score that flowed seamlessly with Benjamin’s journey from man to boy.The music is equal parts romantic, moody, fantastical, and so much more, as Desplat drops viewers right alongside the stunning visuals helmed by director David Fincher.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
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4’Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2' (2010-2011)
Directed by David Yates
Picking up from where the legendaryJohn Williamsstarted and others stepped in, Desplat finished off this historic franchise with the darkest of scores.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1andPart 2follow as Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends make the final preparations to defeat and rid the wizarding world of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). As the franchise opening credits rolled for the very last time, the haunting sounds of “Lily’s Theme” were chilling as fans prepared for the end of an era.
Williams introduced light, bright themes emphasizing the magic of the world audiences were stepping into. As the franchise progressed and the characters aged,the story took much darker turnsand, by the end, needed a much heavier sound. The sound matched the age of the audience, many of whom grew up with the actors and characters for over a decade. Desplat delivered a score that is most often underrated when mentioning top franchise and iconic scores.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
3’The Tree of Life' (2011)
Directed by Terrence Malick
This film is an experience for the mind and the senses; without Desplat’s score, the impact ofThe Tree of Lifewouldn’t be worth the slow burn to get there. The music tells the story of the O’Brien family and their son, Jack(Hunter McCracken), as he grew up in small-town Texas in the 1950s. As an adult, Jack (Sean Penn) grapples with his childhood, making sense of it and where he stands now. The film co-starsBrad PittandJessica Chastainas Jack’s parents.
The score is crucial in taking viewers through the years of Jack’s life and the struggles he faced then and now.With themes for each character, Desplat creates a symphony for the fictional family and town they call home.The film earned three Oscar nominations, but sadly, the score was not one of them. Desplat’s composition enhances the experience of life, innocence, and uncertainty, as told throughout the film.
The Tree of Life
2’The Grand Budapest Hotel' (2014)
Not only is thisone of the best from Wes Anderson, it’s one of the best from Desplat. The duo paired up for the third time forThe Grand Budapest Hotel, an adventure comedy about a high-class hotel in its glory years under the management of M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes). The film earned nine Oscar nominations and won four, including Best Original Score for Desplat. He was nominated twice that year, the second film beingThe Imitation Game.
In the whimsical world of Wes Anderson’s storytelling, the score must enhance the level of wonder and adventure each takes the audience to.Some of the pieces are snare-drum heavy to signify a marching, forward-moving tone, while others are light and airy. The entire soundtrack could be played without the film, and listeners would still envision an East European mountain range and the fictional town nestled there.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
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1’The Shape of Water' (2017)
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Desplat fully immersed audiences with his second Oscar-winning score forThe Shape of Water.Guillermo Del Toro’sacclaimed 1960s dramatells the story of a fantastical romance between a mute cleaning woman named Elisa (Sally Hawkins) and an amphibious creature (Doug Jones)held captive at a scientific research facility where Elisa works.
The fluidity of the score not only emulates the world in which the creature lives but also the world through Elisa’s eyes.Pieces like “Elisa’s Theme” are innocent and wonderous, “Underwater Kiss” is tender, and the titular “The Shape of Water” is like a waltz amongst the waves. Desplat’s work of meticulously capturing this love story through sound is what movie scores are all about.
