To some people, a silent film is a relic; to Sean Uyehara of the San Francisco Film Society, it’s an opportunity. Uyehara is in charge of, among other things, SFFS’ special presentations that pair live musicians with classic silent films to provide a new accompaniment. He’s come up with some fairly original ideas, as witness the society’s upcoming pairing of the 1919 Swedish movie Sir Arne’s Treasure (Herr Arnes Pengar) with a recently commissioned film score by Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle.
Photo by Chrissy Piper
The Mauritz Stiller film is a tale of redemption and greed. It tells of three mercenaries, a slain parson, and the eternal love-hate relationship that ensues when one of the characters must choose between passion and justice. The film has been praised for its subtlety and interest in the supernatural.
Putting together the music for the film, Uyehara originally thought of another performer but found out that Darnielle might be interested in the project.
“I had been talking to his [Darnielle’s] manager about another musician and he said he’d be interested,” Uyehara remarked. “And I thought he’d be great.”
Darnielle’s niche, indie-folk style, sometimes reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman’s ethereal musical themes, seemed to go with the film’s otherworldly outlook.
“I thought it best fit with Darnielle’s music,” said Uyehara. “[His songs have] elements of anxiety — a sort of biting, almost allegorical, quality to the lyrics.”
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The other unusual characteristic is that the Darnielle piece, essentially a world premiere, will be performed live. Early motion picture soundtracks were originally performed that way, which highlights both the film and the music. SFFS hopes to draw in both film fanatics and fans of Darnielle’s. Past events in the series, such as the screening of Street Angel (1928) with music by American Music Club, drew audience members as young as 20 and up to 80 years old. Previous pairings include 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) with music by Stephin Merritt, The Lost World (1925) scored by Dengue Fever, The Phantom Carriage (1921) to music by Jonathan Richman, and A Page of Madness (1926) with Superchunk’s music.
“I just want [audiences] to appreciate the wide breadth of experiences they could have,” said Uyehara. “Secondly, I want them to think about the limitations put on modern performers.”
The presentation will take place at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco and is eagerly anticipated.