STUDIES AND RESEARCHES — FROM THE HISTORY OF CROATIAN FILM

The concept of music in Tanhofer’s H-8...

Reviewed in the context of musical happenings of the 20th century, the soundtrack of H-8... by Nikola Tanhofer expresses features of contemporariness parallel to occurrences in classical music (composer Dragutin Savin frequently associates, repeats, or replaces the engine noise with rhythmic ostinato, which reminds of musique concr#te) and the film music. Namely, already in late 1940s, Hanns Eisler and Theodor Adorno concluded that (Hollywood) film music was in great discrepancy with classical music developments. The simplicity bordering banality in Hollywood was finally overcome by film composer Bernard Herrmann in the late 1950s. It is interesting that in Croatia Dragutin Savin was the one who started following experimental deliberations of the 20th century music. The score for H-8... was shaped with small motives (more flexible than long melodies), rhythmic ostinato, musical »hits« and sudden lyrical contrasts to constant dramatics.
Besides the underlying score, H-8... also features scene music (music from the radio in the bus). This music is not as flexible and adaptable as the music composed by Dragutin Savin, and therefore is insensitive to real events. It frequently underlies characters in expressing their wishes and dreams. It functions as a relaxing music that lulls its listeners into a false illusion. However, since radio music also has jumpy features (»jumping« between radio stations) it is linked to »jumping« between the characters. It distinguishes individuals from the masses. The principle of separation is one of coincidence, being at the same time the basic film principle: passengers on the bus are there by coincidence, the crash on the highway is a coincidence, and even the deaths of individuals are purely coincidental.

Irena Paulus