Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is widely considered one of the most innovative and visually creative directors of his generation. Having directed several critically acclaimed films like Prisoners, Sicario, and Blade Runner 2049, Villeneuve continued his superior writing and directing skills with his sci-fi blockbuster Dune in 2021.
Villeneuve is also known to address many political and social issues in his films, either through writing or through other aspects of filmmaking. In 2016, he directed Arrival which earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Director at the 2017 Academy Awards. The film also featured a composition from prolific music director Max Richter’s album apart from composer Johann Johannson’s stunning score. Unfortunately, the sentiment behind Richter’s composition disqualified the film from being nominated for its music.
Also Read: The 1 Thing Jason Momoa Was Ready to Do for Denis Villeneuve Every Morning to Thank Him for Dune
The Soundtrack Of Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival Was Banned From The Oscars
Arrival directed by Denis Villeneuve is a sci-fi film starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, that follows a linguistics expert and her team who must interpret the language of aliens who have come to Earth in a mysterious spaceship. Apart from Villeneuve’s trademark visuals and nuanced writing, the film also benefitted from the beautiful use of composer Max Richter’s powerful and soul-stirring piece On the Nature of Daylight, along with Johann Johannson’s sweeping background score.
This composition seamlessly complemented the poignancy of the film and was woven into Arrival’s opening and closing scenes by the Sicario director. This piece by Richter is considered one of the more important modern works of music, as it served as a symbol of the composer’s stand against the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.
These anti-war sentiments though, were seen as controversial by the Academy Awards committee. While Johann Johansson had composed more than 80% of the music, Villeneuve’s film was unfortunately disqualified from the Original Soundtrack Race that year at the Oscars owing to Richter’s composition.
Making Dune Was A Teenage Dream For Denis Villeneuve
It isn’t always that life grants people the opportunity to make their childhood dreams come true, but Denis Villeneuve is one of the lucky ones. The Canadian director created waves by adapting Dune, Frank Herbert’s complex novel of politics, ecology, and philosophy in a sci-fi world.
Villeneuve, who was a teenager when he first read the books, was so enamored by the world that Herbert had created, that he manifested a time when he could visually capture its glory on screen. Speaking to Wired, the Sicario director said,
“I read it when I was 13 or 14 years old. The first Dune book is a tremendous, powerful adventure of a young boy discovering a new world. It stayed with me through the years, haunted me. So, when people were saying, ‘Well, what would be your biggest dream?’ I would say, Dune.”
Villeneuve expressed his gratitude for being allowed to visualize his favorite story of all time in a manner that fulfilled all of his childhood desires.
