美国国家公共电台 NPR Inside Daniel Lopatin's Score For Safdie Brothers' Film 'Uncut Gems'

 

SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:

In the new movie "Uncut Gems²," Adam Sandler plays a New York jeweler and gambler always out for the next score. It's a cinematic panic attack. So why, reporter Tim Greiving asks, does it feature a cosmic New Age score?

TIM GREIVING, BYLINE³: One of the first things that jumps out in "Uncut Gems" amidst the din⁴ of New York's Diamond District, the hectic⁵ habitat of Adam Sandler's loud-mouth Howard Ratner, is this meditative⁶ analog⁷ synthesizer score.

(SOUNDBITE OF DANIEL LOPATIN'S "THE BALLAD⁸ OF HOWIE BLING")

GREIVING: The composer is Daniel Lopatin, also known as Oneohtrix Point Never. He first worked with the directors, brothers Josh and Benny Safdie, on their 2017 film "Good Time."

DANIEL LOPATIN: I think they expect the score to always have a sort of fantastical quality to it, but they also expect the film to have a very realistic quality to it. And then in that contrast, you pretty much understand our collaboration⁹.

GREIVING: One of their big inspirations for the "Uncut Gems" score was Vangelis, the Greek synthesizer wizard who Josh Safdie calls one of the great cosmic conductors of our time.

LOPATIN: His point of view on music and its transcendent qualities and medicinal qualities almost is always an inspiration, but in particular with this film, which I view as a cosmic movie.

GREIVING: "Uncut Gems" hurdles¹⁰ along with Howard Ratner's compulsion to gamble, to bet his winnings instead of paying off debts, to chase down the next high. A lot of the score is counterintuitively New Age - well, counterintuitive to anyone but Josh and Benny Safdie.

JOSH SAFDIE: There's this sequence in the film where we used meditation¹¹ bowls and chanting that are the - musically, they're used to calm the spirit. We're using it juxtaposed with a hectic scenario¹² where people are trapped inside of a vestibule. And I think that juxtaposition¹³ is adding to the tension...

BENNY SAFDIE: For sure.

J SAFDIE: ...Because you're hearing this music that should be calming, but it's actually anxiety-inducing

B SAFDIE: It's like when you tell somebody who's angry, hey, calm down.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

GREIVING: Daniel Lopatin's score features an eclectic ensemble¹⁴ of old-school synthesizers, Mellotron-style flutes¹⁵, saxophone solos and an eight-person choir¹⁶.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE BALLAD OF HOWIE BLING")

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing, unintelligible).

GREIVING: It's not all calm, though. There are some panicky moments in the score that match Howard's ever-escalating dilemma¹⁷.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

GREIVING: Lopatin recalled an NPR story he heard about the importance of sleep on proteins in the brain.

LOPATIN: They need hours and hours to do their thing to loosen up so your cells are loose. It always appeared to me to be, like, a very artistic¹⁸ metaphor¹⁹. Like, if you want something, you feel tight and anxious, then cluster things together like a unpacked²⁰ protein.

GREIVING: The object at the heart of the film is a black opal from Ethiopia which Howard is banking²¹ everything on. Daniel Lopatin saw that opal, that uncut gem¹, as a metaphor.

LOPATIN: Are we dealing²² with this sort of material latticework of the city and Howard navigating²³ his logistical problems and his maladies and his freakouts?

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

LOPATIN: Or are we dealing with the spirit of the film, which is that Howard might be a schlimazel or whatever, but he's also, like all of us, just passing through and affecting things as we pass through our lives, so that new agey-kind of aspect of it rubbing up against the really, really kind of severe, like, weirdly²⁴ jazzy quality of the city.

GREIVING: So if watching this movie gives you palpitations, just listen to the score and relax. For NPR News, I'm Tim Greiving.

1 gem   

n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel

参考例句：

• The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
• The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。

2 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 din   

n.喧闹声，嘈杂声

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• They tried to make themselves heard over the din of the crowd.他们力图让自己的声音盖过人群的喧闹声。

5 hectic   

adj.肺病的；消耗热的；发热的；闹哄哄的

参考例句：

• I spent a very hectic Sunday.我度过了一个忙乱的星期天。
• The two days we spent there were enjoyable but hectic.我们在那里度过的两天愉快但闹哄哄的。

6 meditative   

adj.沉思的，冥想的

参考例句：

• A stupid fellow is talkative;a wise man is meditative.蠢人饶舌，智者思虑。
• Music can induce a meditative state in the listener.音乐能够引导倾听者沉思。

7 analog   

n.类似物，模拟

参考例句：

• The analog signal contains high-frequency video information,which helps make up the picture.模拟信号包括有助于构成图像的高频视频信息。
• The analog computer measures continuously,without proceeding step by step.模拟计算机不是一步一步地进行，而是连续地进行量度。

8 ballad   

n.歌谣，民谣，流行爱情歌曲

参考例句：

• This poem has the distinctive flavour of a ballad.这首诗有民歌风味。
• This is a romantic ballad that is pure corn.这是一首极为伤感的浪漫小曲。

9 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

10 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

11 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

12 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

13 juxtaposition   

n.毗邻，并置，并列

参考例句：

• The juxtaposition of these two remarks was startling.这两句话连在一起使人听了震惊。
• It is the result of the juxtaposition of contrasting colors.这是并列对比色的结果。

14 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

15 flutes   

长笛( flute的名词复数 )； 细长香槟杯（形似长笛）

参考例句：

• The melody is then taken up by the flutes. 接着由长笛奏主旋律。
• These flutes have 6open holes and a lovely bright sound. 笛子有6个吹气孔，奏出的声音响亮清脆。

16 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

17 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

18 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

19 metaphor   

n.隐喻，暗喻

参考例句：

• Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
• In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。

20 unpacked   

v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等）

参考例句：

• I unpacked my bags as soon as I arrived. 我一到达就打开行李，整理衣物。
• Our guide unpacked a picnic of ham sandwiches and offered us tea. 我们的导游打开装着火腿三明治的野餐盒，并给我们倒了些茶水。 来自辞典例句

21 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

22 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

23 navigating   

v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃

参考例句：

• These can also be very useful when navigating time-based documents, such as video and audio. 它对于和时间有关的文档非常有用，比如视频和音频文档。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Vehicles slowed to a crawl on city roads, navigating slushy snow. 汽车在市区路上行驶缓慢，穿越泥泞的雪地。 来自互联网

24 weirdly   

古怪地

参考例句：

• Another special characteristic of Kweilin is its weirdly-shaped mountain grottoes. 桂林的另一特点是其形态怪异的岩洞。
• The country was weirdly transformed. 地势古怪地变了样。