Thursday, October 18, 2012

Horror Villains Who Adore Classical Music

Continuing in the classical music in horror films vein, I noticed a great many villains of horror love classical music.

1) Lestat de Lioncourt from Interview with the Vampire


Lestat de Lioncourt is a vampire who can read minds. Although not strictly a villain as seen in later books, whiny Louis doesn't like that Lestat kills humans. Lestat is the best character in the film with wit and dark humor, not to mention his love of classical music. He makes Claudia take piano lessons even when she eats her teachers occasionally. When he returns from the near death, he accompanies his dramatic appearance with Joseph Haydn's Piano Sonata in Eb major.



2) Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs


Hannibal Lecter, although a cannibal killer, is nothing if not a man of class, sophistication, and distinction. One of his murders that landed him in jail was his reaction to a bad trombone player in the symphony. His unblinking, intense stare and enigmatic nature are what made The Silence of the Lambs so interesting, even though he didn't have a lot of screen time. His musical scene comes when he asks for an extra dinner, exploiting his privileges for helping Clarice Starling with her investigation. His musical selection is the Aria from the Goldberg Variations by Johann Sebastian Bach.The serene look on his bloodsplattered face while he loses himself in the music is an amazing end to the scene, but also very chilling.



3) Annie Wilkes from Misery


At first, Annie Wilkes seems like a sweet, maternal, lonely nurse who loves romance novels. She was nice enough to nurse Paul Sheldon, her favorite author, back to health in her home because it's too dangerous to take him to the hospital. She shows her true colors after she discovers he killed her favorite romance character, Misery, forcing Paul to write a new novel bringing her back to life. Her favorite artist is Liberace and she plays his versions of classical works throughout the film. The following scene, backed by Liberace playing Ludwig van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is one of the most iconic and frightening scenes.



4) Ernessa from The Moth Diaries


Ernessa is a cultured, British girl new the all girl's boarding school that Rebecca attends. Rebecca grows more and more jealous and suspicious of Ernessa due to her friend stealing ways and odd habits, like pacing outside at night. The real question is whether Ernessa is a vampire or not arises after Rebecca's best friend Lucie gets more and more sick after spending time with her. One clue towards this suspicion is her ability to play pieces by Frederic Chopin flawlessly and memorized. The specific piece is Nocturne op. 9 no. 1 in Bb minor. The Chopin-esque score also gives a great mood to this atmospheric, feminine film.



Did I miss your favorite classical music-loving villain? Please share below!

2 comments:

M.A.D. said...

You nailed it with my all-time fav -
Lestat/Interview w/The Vampire! Got the cd several years back, it's a great one to write/draw/paint to, very evocative and creatively inspiring! <3

titania86 said...

That soundtrack is pretty awesome, but this piece isn't on it. I downloaded it separately. Thanks!