Father's Day: remembering the 'film fathers'
This March 19, Saint Joseph's Day, on which, like every year, we celebrate Father's Day, from Film Symphony Orchestra we want to pay tribute to fatherhood in cinema, with our particular list of some of the most beloved fathers in the world. seventh art and some that have not been so much.
Considered one of the most relevant films in the history of cinema, in 1972, The Godfather, introduced us to Vito Corleone, the father par excellence, played by Marlon Brando and, later, by Robert De Niro. Macho, controlling, obsessive and authoritarian, he left us with the imposing strength of the mythical character with the frightened Bonasera in his first scene.
Other 'Terrible Parents' have been the iconic Jack Torrance in The glow, played by Jack Nicholson, or Lester Burnham, in American Beauty. But, as it could not be otherwise, the figure of the father has also given us some of the most exciting and endearing moments in the history of cinema, such as the scene of Guido Orefice in Life is Beautiful, with the unforgettable and sad invented translation. One of the saddest and most emotional scenes on celluloid.
That love that we fathers feel and that is only equal to the love of mothers, is also reflected in mythical films like Looking for happiness, in which Chris Gardner, played by Will Smith, shows us that anything is possible and becomes an example of how a father should educate his son, even after losing everything. In the same way, in Finding Nemo, Marlin becomes an exemplary father to the unforgettable little fish Nemo. Caught by the fins, father and son overcome cruel adversities to achieve happiness, led by Pixar.
Nor do we forget figures like Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer, a father consumed by work and without time for his family, who performs the feat of making his professional life compatible with taking care of his son. The kitchen scene is part of our cinematographic imagination. In the same way and, at different levels, other representative fathers in the history of cinema are Charlie Barber in Story of a marriage, Forrest Gump himself, suffering because his son will not be intelligent either and, of course... the mythical scene in which Darth Vader confesses to Luke Skywalker that 'No, I am your father'.
Soundtracks and films where the father plays a fundamental role
Life is beautiful: the tragic story of an Italian father and his son
Life is Beautiful It takes place when World War II is about to break out in Europe. Guido arrives in an Italian town with the intention of opening a bookstore, and falls in love with the girlfriend of an Italian fascist whom he manages to marry. From this union a child is born who will experience first-hand the horrors of war. Being imprisoned in a concentration camp, Guido will do everything in his power to make his son believe that life is beautiful and that everything they are experiencing is nothing more than a game. A metaphor that represents all the characteristics of the innocence of childhood, the happiest time of our lives before knowing the world as it is.
The original soundtrack of Life is Beautiful, composed by Nicola Piovani, is divided into three episodes. In the first, in which life is very beautiful, the score of the main theme becomes relevant, a vitalistic and optimistic love theme, which is mixed with the countertheme that threatens stability, just as the script takes place. In the second part, when life is no longer beautiful, the countertheme takes absolute control of the musical setting, the physical and dramatic space of the film and the second main theme enters the scene, with which Guido talks to his wife through of a record player. It is already in the epilogue, in the new beginning, when the main theme reappears in all its splendor, in a soundtrack of enormous poetic and symbolic charge, since the music survives its character.
Billy Elliot: from boxing to dance with the support of his father
Another of the fundamental myths of cinema, which brings together great soundtracks with the father figure is Billy Elliot. Jackie Elliot, Billy's father, gives us a great lesson in permeability and love for his son, who with dance beats opens his eyes to sneak into our hearts and offers his son a reason to continue fighting.
The soundtrack, created by composer Stephen Warbeck, is a score as vitalistic as the one he composed for Shakespeare in love and at the same time bittersweet. But the original soundtrack also includes groups from the seventies and eighties such as T-Rex or The Style Council, in an acoustic style, as well as other references such as Belle & Sebastian or the legendary London Calling.
Will Smith as father in “The Pursuit of Happyness”
Looking for happiness It is one of the most emotional films that best portrays what a father can do for his children. This story reflects the life of Chris Gardner, a true story in which after many economic and personal conflicts, a father tries to make up for the lack of financial resources with love for his son. Will and Jaden Smith embody these two unforgettable characters. With the main song, Let Me Go by Randy Newman, this is an ambient soundtrack and varied in warm themes. It is included in The Dave Grusin Premiere Collection and composed by Andrea Guerra.
Finding Nemo: one of the most emotional children's films
For its part, and as we said before, Finding Nemo It is one of the most emotional children's films in recent film history, and in which we see the importance of the father figure. Nemo's overprotective father crossed an entire ocean to find his son, in a tragic story, but with a Pixar-style happy ending. Thomas Newman's music was nominated for the Oscars in the category of Best Score, although he did not succeed when facing The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
The father figure in the world of superheroes
The world of superheroes has become a fundamental part of the Film Symphony Orchestra's tours and concerts. Therefore, we are going to tell you which have been the most relevant father figures in this fictional universe born from comics and some details of the original music of the most relevant films.
Thor and Loki's father: Odin
Thor is a superhero and his thirst for revenge against the giants of Jötunheim puts peace at risk. Odin sends him to Earth as punishment, separating him from his magic hammer. For his part, Loki is the adopted son of a Frost Giant, and represents the antihero. Anthony Hopkins played Odin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017).
These characters have left great soundtracks, like the one created by Michael Giacchino in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). In his umpteenth return to the Marvel Universe, Giacchino creates a symphonic band that is very varied in themes and very effective, with subtle touches of electronic music, impeccable electric guitars and very successful choral touches to give emphasis to the action.
Dr. Hank Pym and his daughter Hope Van Dye
In a very different way from the previous case, these characters show a special father-son relationship in Ant Man. Hope Pym is the daughter of Henry Pym and Janet Van Dyne in the MC2 universe, although she is first depicted as a supervillain called The Red Queen. Hope is the superhero Wasp, and Dr. Hank Pym is a biochemist who emerged in the 1960s who creates a formula that alters her size and a formula that reverses its effects. Reduced to the size of an ant, he is trapped in an anthill. Recently, Christopher Beck, has been in charge of the soundtrack of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
Avengers: Endgame and one of the most acclaimed fathers (Iron Man)
After Thanos' snap, the superhero decides to have a quiet life with his beloved Pepper Potts, away from everything related to Avengers. They both had a daughter, Morgan Stark, who also appears in her teenage version in the film's deleted scenes. The legendary Alan Silvestri was in charge of the soundtrack.
Ant-Man and his relationship with his daughter Cassie
Cassandra Eleanor 'Cassie' Lang is the daughter of Scott and Margaret Lang. She supported her father when he became Ant-Man, who saved her from Darren Cross. Inspired to help people, Cassie made her own suit, calling herself Stature, and created a device to find people trapped in the Quantum Realm.
Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars
In the legendary Star Wars saga, with a soundtrack originally by John Williams, also provides one of the most representative father figures in the history of cinema. That of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. Good and evil intermingle in this family, in which the antihero is the father of the hero and heroine, since Luke and Leia are twin siblings and children of Anakin Skywalker, also known as Darth Vader.
FSO: An original gift for musician parents and music fans
Give our parents a ticket for Film Symphony Orchestra concerts It is always an original and loving gift, since you will enjoy the music like never before. And if the figure of the father is very important, so is that of the mother. To celebrate the next Mother's Day, on Sunday, May 7, we once again value her essential role in countless films, since her care and affection is essential in the direction of many of our lives.
Thus, we remember Manuela, protagonist in Everything about my mother; to Erin Brokovich, the environmental activist played by Julia Roberts; to the unforgettable mother of Bambi who died next to her son, or the comical and terrifying Morticia Addams, who has returned to the present with Myandrcoles.
