BRINGING a contemporary musical twist to an old film that kicks off with a grisly axe murder was the murky mission composer Chris de Groot accepted.
Tuart Hill resident De Groot has created an original score to accompany the black and white flicker of 1927 French silent film Ménilmontant, which will be performed live at the Astor this week.
The 40-minute Dimitri Kirsanoff film, generally regarded as a striking and disturbing masterpiece of early cinema, follows the lives of two hapless young sisters who witness the brutal murder of their parents in the family home.
Not to scrimp on the bleakness, Kirsanoff’s film sees the girls flee to Paris, where they struggle to survive in the seedy neighbourhood of Ménilmontant.
But De Groot, who is already earning awards for his soundtrack work, said the dark nature of the saga was one of the more appealing elements when it came time to select a silent film to provide a score for as part of his WAAPA master’s degree.
“Kirsanoff’s experimental film-making style brilliantly serves the tragic nature of this story,” he said.
“I’ve tried to create an evocative and moving musical accompaniment to the film by using manipulated found sounds and electronics in combination with the live musicians.”
In parts De Groot also employs a record of pre-taped music which he uses to blur the lines between what the characters on screen and what the audience can hear.
“I’m trying to mess with the audience’s head a bit,” he laughs.
To bring his score to life at the Astor, De Groot will unleash his 19-piece Annexia Ensemble, which he formed earlier in the year with some of Perth’s finest and most diverse musicians.
“I really wanted to bring out a larger ensemble; I wanted to do something bigger and different,” De Groot said of the screening.
With the impact of the extensive musical backing and the intrigue of the dark film, he said the pairing should have a broad appeal.
“It’s quite an amazing experience to hear live music and to hear such a large ensemble,” he said.
“I think this particular film, because it looks so modern with handheld camera work, will appeal to people as well.”
Ménilmontant backed by the Annexia Ensemble is on at The Astor, 8pm, Saturday, August 8, with all tickets $25.