Musical Motifs: Villainry

One of the most powerful tools in music is the leitmotif, a simple melody or line that ties to a concrete idea.  Think of the Jeopardy theme.  What do you think of when you hear it? Tapping your foot while waiting for something?

The true power of leitmotifs, however, is seen through the relatively recent media of movies and games.  The soundtracks made for these are often made up of a set of themes, describing situations, places, or people integral to the story.  The strength of these themes, and how much they are varied within the soundtrack, is what makes them so powerful.

Today, I'm going to look at a few different themes, tied with one of the primary features of any story: the villain.  There are a several kinds of villains that are seen frequently.

1. The Insane (or totally evil) Villain

This kind of villain is seen more frequently recently, thought there are several good examples in older literature, as well.  The themes tend to follow the same thought process as the villain: chaotic, unpredictable, or simply crazy.  Their insanity, however, is a direct result of their evil hearts.

• Final Fantasy VI: Kefka, Dancing Mad (4th Tier) 
• Listen carefully for the common theme.  One carries his sense of madness and cruelty, the other his desire to destroy.
  

• The Dark Knight: Why So Serious? 
• While this theme wasn't varied much in the movie, everything about it carries the Joker's broken mind: skittering and jumping, screeching and discordant.

2. The Melancholy Villain

These villains are generally evil, but with a past or motivation that usually makes the reader/watcher want to sympathize with them, despite their deeds.  Their themes are quieter, and saddening, though they can change to a more menacing one with a slight touch of the reins.

• Full Metal Alchemist: Homunculus, Transient Life, Thread of Life 
• The homunculi were undoubtedly evil: they destroyed thousands of lives, just because of their desire to be human.  But that same desire, and the sadness of having the memories of their lives before being homunculi make them sad characters, as well.
  

• Phantom of the Opera: Why So Silent
• His selfish desire for Christine overshadows everything he does, but his sad past, his mocked face, and his forced seclusion make you pity him however slightly.  His theme is not, however, the classic one you've heard.  The middle of this song is his true theme, though I can't find any other examples.  This one also fits somewhat in the insane category, due to its edgy quality (and the character's obvious insanity).

3. The Selfish Villain


Whereas the insane villain is simply evil for evil's sake, the selfish villain often has a personal goal or motivation for the evil they do.  Their themes are more structured than those of the insane villains, reflecting the often ordered way with which they attempt to reach their goals.

• Full Metal Alchemist: Deep Forest, Dante, Warning, Dancing, Revelation 
• Dante was the ultimate extension of the motivations of the homunculi.  She discovered an alchemic method that would allow her to live forever, by body-jumping; however, the cost of each jump was thousands of human lives.  She lived for 400 years this way.  There are several versions of her theme, each becoming more threatening as more is revealed about her past and who she really is.

• Final Fantasy IX: Kuja, Fall of Neo-Kuja, Annihilation of Brahne's Fleet, Recalling Bahamut, etc.
• Kuja's role is too complex to flesh out here; suffice it to say he was jealous of the main character's task, and most of the outcomes of the story stem from his reaction to that jealousy.  His themes vary from brooding, to threatening, to outright rage.  There's more than I can list here!

These are all the representative themes I can think of for today.  The strength of all (or most) of these is their frequent use and variation.  Try listening for these kinds of themes next time you watch a movie.  Lord of the Rings, for example, has a fascinating score, filled with all sorts of themes, each tied to a person, nation, concept, and the list goes on.  Pick out each one as you listen, try to follow the thread each motif weaves.  It's a fascinating way to look at music, and it can deepen your appreciation for a set of pieces.
(And for those of you too lazy, this site dissects it for you.  Incredible work!)


Motifs also affects the way we view the movie or game: whether we realize it or not, the themes tie us emotionally to people.  As the themes change along with the character's circumstances, our emotions are swept along with it.  This is one of the most potent tools in music: the ability to affect people emotionally.  I'll talk more about this in later posts.


--------


Picture of the day:

From Dorm Mini-Tour: Lander