by Chris Feil
Like his Denis Villeneuve Sicario collaboration last year, Jóhann Jóhannsson's score for Arrival is powerful and one of the most memorable components of its film. One of the special aspects of Jóhannsson's work with Villeneuve is how his scores both embody and inform the thematic landscape of the film. The composer was Oscar nominated for his pulsing Sicario score and you can easily imagine him returning this year.
But before we guess too quickly, take stock of the moving final piece that plays over the film's finale because you may have heard it before. The gorgeous track, "On the Nature of Daylight", is actually by Max Richter and has been used in previous films like Shutter Island.
None of this is to discredit Jóhansson's terrifying and soulful work, but one wonders if such prominent and integral use of Richter's work could hurt the composer's nomination chances...
The track is even credited somewhat prominently in the end credits, so the Arrival team isn't hiding anything about its use. The Academy has made some eligibility judgments of arguable fairness in relation to use of preexisting music in the past, so let's take a look at some past disqualifications to see if Jóhannsson might make it after the jump...
This is maybe the most easily understood disqualification in the bunch considering how heavily Clint Mansell's work borrows from and alludes to the original Swan Lake score. However, his reinterpretation is still an inextricable piece of this film.
Antonio Sanchez's jazzy, drum-centric is a perfect reflection of the film's tone and was a unique opportunity to reward work outside of the typically more orchestral norm. But no dice.
True Grit
While sung hymns are featured in the film, Carter Burwell's beautiful score infuses variations of piano hymns enough to merit ineligibility. Had he been nominated, I suspect the film still would've tied The Turning Point and The Color Purple for most nominations without a win.
Jonny Greenwood's first pairing with Paul Thomas Anderson was instantly iconic and among the best of that year. Like True Grit, the Academy deemed its (much smaller, mind you) use of traditional hymns enough to give it the axe.
But this is the most instantly recognizable and egregious omission. This classic score is unique among this list for being disqualified after it had already received a nomination. So in that regard, Alone Yet Not Alone is not alone.
Many other films have been disqualified for multiple composers (which may not be a good sign for Moana) or an overabundance of songs on the soundtrack. Do you think Johansson will be eligible?