• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • Professor Phillip Levine Discusses “A Problem of Fit”
      Professor Phillip Levine Discusses “A Problem of Fit”
    • CS Department shifts CS 111 course structure
      CS Department shifts CS 111 course structure
    • WAMI and WRJ host discussion on criminalization of abortion
      WAMI and WRJ host discussion on criminalization of abortion
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • Why Art Basel is partially responsible for Miami’s gentrification
      Why Art Basel is partially responsible for Miami’s gentrification
    • It’s time to put traditional grading to the test
      It’s time to put traditional grading to the test
    • What can the fall of Z-library teach us about textbook accessibility?
      What can the fall of Z-library teach us about textbook accessibility?
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • No image
      Pentimento’s Open Mic is Like an Old Patchwork Quilt–Worn, Yet Cozy
    • No image
      Kanye’s Antisemitism Steps on his Shoe Brand
    • Lousy Realities: Luca Guadagnino (2015)
      Lousy Realities: Luca Guadagnino (2015)
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Sports and Wellness
    • Student-Athlete of October
      Student-Athlete of October
    • Athletics Update Oct. 19, 2022
      Athletics Update Oct. 19, 2022
    • The Case for Body Neutrality
      The Case for Body Neutrality
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Top 10 Girlbosses who aren’t alumnae, but I would totally believe you if you told me they were
      Top 10 Girlbosses who aren’t alumnae, but I would totally believe you if you told me they were
    • Wendy Wellesley’s Thanksgiving Menu
      Wendy Wellesley’s Thanksgiving Menu
    • The Snooze Awards for the Best Tanners of 2022
      The Snooze Awards for the Best Tanners of 2022
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Leanne Shen Arts, ReviewsNovember 12, 2019

The beauty of Ari Aster’s musical finales

Photo Courtesy of A24

*this articles contains spoilers for “Hereditary” (2018) and “Midsommar” (2019)

When a twitter video showing Hannibal Burress looking at his hands with a backing track of “Reborn,” composed by Colin Stetson, from “Hereditary” (2018) made its rounds as a video reaction meme, replies recounted the movie’s harrowing finale. It’s almost as if director Ari Aster wanted to find the perfect piece to complement any viewer’s open-mouthed shock, amplified by the buildup that had started since the first time Charlie (Milly Shapiro) creepily clucked her tongue. 

After being cornered into the attic by naked members of his grandmother’s cult and his clearly possessed mother (Toni Collette), Peter (Alex Wolff) launches himself out the window. It’s a violent tonal shift, from a frenzied barrage of demonic events to an eerie ephemeral peace. As Peter lies still on the ground, the opening notes of “Reborn” begin.

It’s a strange track — one that accompanies an even stranger denouement. A newly-possessed Peter is crowned the King of Hell, as cult members around him shout “Hail Paimon!” The only other thing you hear is a fanfare of bells, trumpets and whatever other brass instruments Stetson could find. Peter’s absolute helplessness is framed by his broken nose and blank eyes, which don’t quite make eye contact with the camera. It’s an eerie ending, one that’s unafraid of puzzling and unsettling the viewers. 

The music doesn’t try to comfort audiences at all. It starts out soft: a simple melody made up of a few woodwinds, playing a slightly discordant tune. As the track gains momentum, a layer of seemingly sinister bells are added. Then, at the climax, a cacophony of brass instruments — or maybe just one? It’s hard to tell. (As my one friend so eloquently put it, “it sounds like a bunch of brass instruments going ham”) Like the ending, the track serves to confuse. But, that’s just the genius of Ari Aster and Colin Stetson. 

Personally, I’m not a horror movie person — at all. But, after watching “Hereditary,” it landed on my personal list of top 5 movies of all time. I was constantly looking for clues to the mystery of “Hereditary,” endlessly looking for new theories or explanations. After watching it three more times, I was starting to feel like I had solved the mystery. So, imagine my excitement upon hearing about the release of “Midsommar.”

As much as I loved the ending of “Hereditary,” the finale of “Midsommar” was so much more satisfying. The burning of Christian (Jack Reynor) at the hands of the newly crowned May Queen, Dani (Florence Pugh), represented so much more than lighting an ex on fire: it captured the dissolution of all the resentment Dani had built up against him; it captured her moving onto her new life, one where she wasn’t inextricably tied to the trauma of her family’s death. It captured the beauty of detangling and purification. 

“Fire Temple,” the nine-minute track that accompanies this scene, composed by Bobby Krlic, is a constant upwards climb — layers are only added, never taken away. Around the six-minute mark, a beautiful symphony of string instruments, which the listener can only assume is Dani’s joy, are eventually intermingled with what sounds like the wails of the Hårga people, making the discordant seem beautiful. The music mirrors the traditions of the Hårga people, which Dani at first found horrifying, but are part of a place that Dani now calls home. Again — it’s a feat of musical genius, and one that almost brought me to tears on my first listen (and currently sits at #12 of my top Spotify tracks in the last six months).

There’s something hauntingly beautiful about the way Ari Aster incorporates soundtracks with his already poignant endings. In both movies, the protagonists are finally experiencing calm after a string of increasingly tumultuous events. But the viewer feels purely unsettled and distanced, as Peter gets possessed by a King of Hell and Dani burns her ex-boyfriend alive. The juxtaposition of both is part of the reason why Ari Aster is such a masterful director of the absurd and manipulator of human emotions. The music serves as a form of catharsis for the two characters, as they have no choice but to accept their respective fates.

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleKanye is King: A Review of Kanye West’s Album “Jesus Is King”
Next articleJojo Rabbit: Life in a ruthless and ridiculous Nazi Germany

You may also like

Pentimento’s Open Mic is Like an Old Patchwork Quilt–Worn, Yet Cozy

Kanye’s Antisemitism Steps on his Shoe Brand

Lousy Realities: Luca Guadagnino (2015)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2023 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top