THe grand Budapest Hotel
I counted it up — I’ve seen 12 films with Alexandre Desplat as the composer, up to writing this. None are more memorable than his work with The Grand Budapest Hotel. I will probably never be able to pronounce the main theme’s title, “s’Rothe-Zäuerli,” but it’s a beautiful yodel from the Swiss folk group Öse Schuppel. It’s absolutely enchanting, a distinct melody for a fictional country in central Europe; it’s what it would sound like if mountains could sing. The rest of the score is similarly eclectic, utilizing a diverse range of Eastern European and Russian instruments. One of the reoccurring motifs is the high-pitched balalaika, a stringed instrument in a triangular wooden body. Another favorite of mine is the Cimbalom, a sort of flat harp with strings stretched across a box that can be played using fingers or mallets. It’s used in the track “Mr. Moustafa” to create a high-energy composition that reflects the character’s spirited personality. The pairing of Desplat’s unorthodox score with Wes Anderson’s offbeat style is a match made in heaven.