Grand Budapest Hotel: How to Write Music for a Fake Country

How Alexandre Desplat creates a musical language for a country that doesn't actually exist.
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Script by Adam Smetana
Narrated by Oscar Osicki

[@sibadityapal1493]

Someone please make a film called the 'Curious Case of Benjamin Britten'.

[@soundtrackswithbirdman]

Crowd fund that!

[@stricttime6481]

🤣

[@itamarbar9580]

What would be the plot?

[@dlee645]

Ha!

[@2ridiculous41]

@@itamarbar9580 a corpse decomposing.

[@kestrel4733]

Not only is the score inventive and interesting musically, it also fits so damn well with the nostalgic and sort of “era gone by” themes presented by the movie it’s really elegantly done by Desplat. Great video breaking it down!

[@ruto_o2931]

Yeah great point. Really feels like a lost refined art. Left in the dust by the modern age.

[@juniorjames7076]

My favorite Wes Anderson film, named after my favorite European city (visited twice!). I grew up reading literature, graphic novels and watching movies steeped in the Victorian/Late 18th Century Europe- my favorite historical period, so when I arrived at the grand train station in Budapest, I felt like I was stepping into an Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holms mystery- surely there would be a murder on the train before we arrived in Prague!!!!

[@chrisamies2141]

Is the non-existent country basically Austro-Hungary? The present-day Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, part of Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, some of Poland, and others. Instead of collapsing after the 1914-18 War it continues into the post-war period.

[@jensboomgaard]

That's exactly what I was thinking as well, but I haven't watched the film so I cannot confirm it.

[@sieyes9356]

Yes and no, the fictional country in the movie is decaying and falling prey to fascist militias, on the brink of war. More similar to a successor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, than to the Empire itself had it survived WWI

[@schwermetall666]

The country of The Grand Budapest Hotel is definitely a fantasy version of eastern European countries of the 1920s and 30s: becoming independent of the Habsburg rule in 1918, struggling with the establishment of nationhood, civil unrest and later on (as in the frame of the movie) communism and the post-communist era. The heritage of the now distant imperial past forms the background through architecture and cultural artefacts (like music, or the multi ethnic makeup of cities like the fictitious Lutz and the fact that, for example, the stops of its local tramway are written out in German). Sorry for rambling here, but I *really* enjoy how Wes Anderson captured this layer-like essence of the history and culture in that part of the world.

[@TheAmazingBenoslav]

as a trained musician in austrian/czech music, listening to to this analysis makes it seem as if "El Jarabe Tapatio" is the pinnacle of "mexican" music. I do not disagree it is a good soundtrack, but it is as stereotypical as can be. it is closer to being a parody of central/eastern european music than an example of possible evolution.

[@jacobfinch9563]

The movie is based on/inspired by the life and writings of Stefan Zweig who was an Austro-Hungarian writer.

[@dionysianapollomarx]

Movie was so good with the nostalgia effect that I didn't know Mitteleropa wasn't real. I thought it was a real Hungarian place especially with the misleading name of the Grand Budapest Hotel. Google broke that illusion.

[@francescorighini9303]

Mitteleuropa is real, Zubrowka isn't (though there is a place named so in eastern Poland)

[@dionysianapollomarx]

@@francescorighini9303 okay, I thought I meant the fictional country, thanks for the correction though

[@nicholasbartulovic6221]

Desplat and Anderson are not just creating music and images teeming with borrowed or misplaced nostalgia for a world that was, but actually IS in the fullest sense. This is the same reason that Mahler’s music continues to be so powerful and shares a lot of the same characteristics of Desplat’s score here. Both are playing in worlds that, in their own times, do not exist anymore but are seeking to create a new, IDEAL, world of memory in the mind of the viewer/listener. I don’t know, just a thought.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Haha, I love that you kept “Benjamin Britten” in. 😂 I’d absolutely watch that movie!

[@mccookies3664]

“Everything seems to live in Wes Anderson’s cinematic snowglobe” Now that you mention it, that’s kind of how every part of a Wes Anderson movie feels.

[@PalpatineMC]

I did not expect to suddenly see my house when speaking about life in switzerland. I wasn't sure if I went to another tab. Great video, as always !

[@valzalel5203]

Nice house

[@jennaschmidt3332]

"A nostalgic feeling for something that didn‘t exist" that perfectly sums up this movie I think! Thanks for the video! Grand Budapest Hotel is one of my favorite movies. This world that Alexandre Desplat has created with his music also brilliantly mirrors M. Gustaves character, I have just realized after watching your video. Monsieur Gustave was described as, in the end, someone who kept the illusion of the Grand Budapest Hotel alive. The hotel‘s - and therefore his - era has long passed (due to the uprising of fascist regimes etc.). His world was already "dead", so to speak. But he still managed to breathe life into it, if only for a brief moment. Just as Alexandre created this nostalgic-feeling music for a country that is "dead", non-existent.

[@nicketaevani-fzukunf007]

Nice that you are mentioning him. His music was one of my early steps to classical music.

[@mousikopaigmonas23]

Yet it's not classical music. It is a film score, very different.

[@InsidetheScore]

I went from film scores to classical - so film scores are such an important stepping stone for many people. For me it was Lord of the Rings and Star Wars as a natural stepping stone (hence why my first videos on this channel are on LOTR and Star Wars - so other people can undergo the same journey). Many classical fans nowadays are starting their journey with film, so we may as well embrace it!

[@Pattamatt1998]

@@InsidetheScore I take it that step from soundtrack music to classical is only becoming much more common, I know for myself Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Koji Kondo's work in the Mario and The Legend of Zelda games really established my love for orchestral music that led me to Beethoven, Mussorgski, Holst, and Chopin.

[@nicketaevani-fzukunf007]

@@InsidetheScoreBack then I was like ten, I didn't categorised music in genres. Although I have interest in Music in films, video games, mobile games and other media, I actually started with Piano Tiles, Violin Magical Bow, Ringtones and Piano hd Piano+. Some of the ringtones apps even have info about composers and pieces .And , thanks to those, I became familiar with both popular and less popular composers and pieces ,even before I found out classical music or music itself is a thing.

[@lucasmossman3820]

As a huge fan of filmscores, this video was awesome! You should totally check out the score for Requiem for a Dream by Clint Mansell, it's an insane sounding score that's still very meticulously crafted to fit what's going on in the film. And he also achieves this without the use of a large ensemble, it's written only for string quartet and some synths/samplers.

[@jarls5890]

...also Mansells music for "The Fountain"!

[@mylesjordan9970]

“Grand Budapest Hotel” has a fantastic soundtrack, certainly one of the best ever created. Desplat does there what every important composer active before the First World War did. There’s nothing wrong with that style; the problem is, the general public stopped with Ravel.

[@odeimaginations5267]

Oh my god, I'm dying! 5:44 "There's a harp, a glockenspiel, a xylophone, and, for whatever reason... a recorder ensemble" as you splice in a clip of Team Recorder playing what looks like a 5$ plastic recorder :D Too funny

[@Team_Recorder]

I only just saw this!

[@Supernaturlisch]

One of my favorite film composers! He’s made a wide range of films, yet I always recognize his sensibilities in whatever he does.

[@LetsGoGetThem]

I love the feel of this movie it depicts the dying old world of the Austro-Hungary to the modern world, its a time period really not covered.

[@tjenadonn6158]

You see some of it in the few movies set in Weimar-era Germany, with Cabaret being the most famous example thereof, but those focus less on the death of the old world and more on the rise of the Nazis, a la the infamous "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" scene.

[@AlipashaSadri]

One of the aspects of this particular soundtrack that I like is the tempo. For most of the film, there is a race against time and the themes and tracks carry a roughly 60 bpm (at least on the accent notes), which is the tempo of a clock :D. I don't know if this was intentional or even a *thing* but that is one of the things I find interesting and brilliant in this score.

[@michaelgregg5030]

One of my favorite films and favorite soundtracks. Thank you for making this video, I appreciate your research and insight….as always.

[@franciscorojas8088]

Excellent explanation! Can't wait to see some more of your videos!

[@theelegantcouplesbookrevie8734]

Exceptional work on this video! It was also such a nostalgically beautiful film!!

[@pchabanowich]

Gorgeously presented! Such a genius for scoring! Thank you.💐

[@chefoli9530]

This film is one of my biggest favourites to watch and the score is especially great. The nostalgia is so strong and really does capture the forgotten era

[@Dirk80241]

Thank you for making me aware of the full depth of the music in The Grand Budapest Hotel. Desplat has done a masterful job for a superb film - Oscar well deserved! - and you have done a great job in putting other artists' excellent work in the spotlight. That in itself is an accomplishment: to show the greatness of others without being in the way.

[@caydilemma3309]

Just watched this movie for the first time last night, great timing!

[@marigarassy5467]

I'm so glad you made a video about this movie and its music. It's so beautiful and expressive!

[@MegaKoutsou]

When I first watched the film as a child, my imagination was swept up by this fictional place. It felt like it had more worldbuilding than 90% of the fantasy genre, without mentioning a detailed list of royal succession going back 1000 years or the names of battles fought centuries ago

[@moctawolf]

The Grand Budapest Hotel is my all-time favourite movie. From the amazing cast (who all did a fantastic acting job), to the story, and of course *the music*, it will remain my top 1 for decades

[@robertrust]

Such a great video! Thanks!

[@soundtrackswithbirdman]

The score that got me interested in Alexandre Desplante.

[@willschneider4616]

I've never heard the term "threatening trombones" before, aside from the dreaded eighth position.

[@rachmusic9873]

So weird - just watched this movie and then you post this! Have always loved your channel

[@bicyclist2]

I was very blessed to have gone to Europe in Aug 1990. The pic at 3:00 looks like the Matterhorn. This is my favorite movie. Thanks.

[@toric6005]

Welp you’ve convinced me. This is in my to listen to list!!!!

[@leewolf6434]

This movie is fantastic and the music goes perfectly with what we’re shown on screen. 10/10 for this film.

[@Ehab-Elgingihy]

I love this. Great job

[@vincentmoore1058]

There is good reason this is my favorite Anderson film, and one of my all time favorites.

[@yorktown99]

There's a lot of comments here about the legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and it is absolutely the real-life source of Zubrowka. Wes Anderson openly stated in interviews that he was trying to create, "a pastiche of the greatest hits of Eastern Europe," desiring to revive the whimsical fiction of Stefan Zweig. So what is this ostensibly fictional country? Americans (and British) know of the heavyweights of Western Europe: France, Germany, Italy, Spain. As it happens, this comprises the major nations that were not occupied by the Soviets after 1945. Eastwards was closed. By the time Americans began to pay attention to the Continent (since 1917), Eastern Europe was a strange assortment of obscure nationalities all living on top of one another, where great empires swelled and began to disintegrate at the start of the 20th Century, whereupon a few decades of violent nationalism culminated in a half-century of Soviet (Russian) repression. The story was already past its peak before American culture was able to take notice of it. So yes, Zubrowka has this Teutonic overlay, but in a slapstick manner where even the fascists can't be taken seriously. It has a Slavic sensibility underneath; itself a blend of Croatia, Slovakia, Czechia, Slovenia, Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria. It has the ethno-linguistic outliers; the Hungarians, the Romanians, the Moldovans, the Bosnians, the Macedonians, the Jews. And just hinting around the edges are the vanguard of the exotic orient of the Mediterranean; Albanians, Turks, Greeks, Gypsies. It has a bizarre and difficult to categorize identity because it was never built around a modern nation-state sensibility. This is the leftovers of the Hapsburg Dynasty's attempt to carry on the legacy of the Roman Empire. It's not that it was a doomed effort, but the transition from aristocracies to democracies requires a demos, a People to take over, not a vaguely defined multiculturalism fronting for a not-so-secretly posh world of inherited money and privilege. It's a transition that leaves behind places like Zubrowka bereft of their history and heritage on the other side of a national border, a transition that can't afford to keep up the lavishness of past glory (especially after both the Fascists and Communists loot it), and a transition that has no place for a gentleman like Monsieur Gustave H.

[@TheStickCollector]

Neat. I will use this.

[@Bullroarer-oj3sp]

I’ve loved this movie since I first watched it. It immediately felt as if it was a film from my childhood. Beautiful sweet movie. Truly unique.

[@chickendrawsdogs3343]

That's really how his name is pronounced, "Des-plat"? The whole time I thought for a French composer his name would be something like "Deh-pla" or something. 😅

[@Zestrayswede]

Yeah it's pronounced [dɛspla], only the "t" is silent

[@dxb338]

my french isn't amazing but the name was probably originally Des Plats (of the plates or dishes.) so you get a liason on the first s that ordinarily would be silent: dez-plats. then the name probably went to desplat but kept that liason. idk just guessing.

[@miladeskandari7]

Great work. A video on Ennio Morricone would be nice too

[@klaudiso]

I never really realized that the fictional country of Zubrowka is literally a name of Polish vodka lol

[@ghastlyghandi4301]

I didn’t even know grand Budapest took place in a fake country, I just thought it took place in ww2 ear Austria.

[@MaximilianMKGill]

Very clean video.

[@thatguyzorv6650]

Finally someone speaks about the music in this movie. Won an Oscar and this is the only video on KZbin I can find about the music.

[@michaelrosenstock9187]

I used to think having a favorite film of all times for me would be impossible to say , until I saw this movie

[@sean..L]

The Swiss song at the beginning of the movie reminds me of the Swiss song at the beginning another movie: Werner Herzog's Heart of glass.

[@juniorjames7076]

My favorite Wes Anderson film, named after my favorite European city (visited twice!). I grew up reading literature, comic books and watching movies steeped in the Victorian/Late 18th Century Europe- my favorite historical period, so when I arrived at the grand train station in Budapest, I felt like I was stepping into an Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holms mystery- surely there would be a murder on the train before we arrived in Prague!!!!

[@Dragonnox]

Can you make a video about Dario Marianelli's compositions?

[@_rstcm]

The Cimbalom and the way it is played reminds me of the Indian Santur.

[@supreetsahu1964]

I love this movie's soundtrack

[@kikicallahan3662]

One of Fox Searchlight's few blockbusters, considering that FSLP is mainly known for films aimed at a small group of people.

[@ajfirefox5095]

I couldn't get in😔.. guss it doesn't work with Gmail. But the video itself was incredibly informative. I am now I'm going to keep an eye on the artist and learn from his work.😁

[@richiejohnson]

Marvelous videos! Isn't the world of music magnificent!

[@kikicallahan3662]

Please do quick guides for Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas and String Quartets?

[@danielherrin]

DUDE!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!

[@InsidetheScore]

Haha - thanks Daniel

[@xavodash7847]

i really love that movie, and the musicis one of the reasons i like it

[@kyma3798]

Nice video

[@joaojoseazevedo872]

Man the grand Budapest is my favorite movie

[@WeeGrahamsaccount]

I would love to see the film 'Curious Case of Benjamin Britten'. Would that be Peter Grimes Music?

[@houseof192]

Man I want to see the curious case of Benjamin Britten

[@thisishere3071]

very cool

[@Shindai]

Never seen the film. Think I read the book back in the day. Lovely soundtrack, might be worth checking out sometime

[@jacksonlarson6099]

You definitely should. It's one of my favorites.

[@yesornah2925]

It would be worth it just for the soundtrack. But the rest is really well done too. One of my favourite films ever!

[@orbitaljellyfish808]

Some of the music is similar to the level select screen music in Super Mario 3

[@RonReynolds]

Great score, however many of us film score nerds agree that Zimmer was absolutley robbed of the Oscar that year, after composing Interstellar.

[@wabearchemedes]

Can you do a reevaluation of Meyerbeer's music?

[@josephkitchens1644]

Great video…such a great score!! And unique film. While he certainly deserves the Oscar’s he has received….Hans Zimmer should have one that year for Interstellar

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes, he should have gotten an Oscar for Interstellar! Ugh, that’s such a fantastic movie.

[@songfulmusicofsongs]

Why is it such an obscure movie? It sounds really interesting, not only the music but also the plot... Why do such things always pass by without being noticed?

[@Just_A_Simple_Time_Traveller]

Nice

[@kikicallahan3662]

Does Zubrowka have its own language?

[@chriscarpenter1920]

Do you think John Williams faced a similar situation with "The Terminal"?

[@DJSimmons]

I love how he said "many different people" then every guy in the clip look the same lol 2:39

[@bigscarysteve]

Another great video!--but again, with some mistakes. I see you read my comment on your last video about your German pronunciation. For proper names, you could simply consult Wikipedia, as it usually provides pronunciations for foreign names. To be fair, as for the song "s'Rothe-Zäuerli," I couldn't find a pronunciation for non-German speakers with a quick Google search. I would suggest consulting something like Olly Richard's "Complete Beginner's Guide to German Pronunciation." You might want to follow these steps for languages other than German, as well. Also, it's "Benjamin BUTTON," not "Benjamin BRITTEN."

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Oscar acknowledged his mistake with Benjamin BUTTON/BRITTEN in his Discord server, but decided to let it keep the final cut for giggles. 😂

[@Jahu-qs2us]

"S'ró-teh Tsóy-air-lée" im Not Swiss but German so i dont know whether the Swiss have a different pronunciation

[@seronymus]

I suddenly feel the urge to write a symphony for alternate history scenarios like Paradox Interactive games (Europa Universalis 4, Hearts of Iron, etc). Inspiring stuff.

[@meta5175]

This topic reminds me of the avatar film music story

[@mr_lim2009]

Am i the only one who noticed at 5:40 he said: "horns" but shows an image of a trumpet 🤣

[@skelterheiter]

this video is really good but the mixing on your vocals makes s noises really loud, sharp and abraisive, I had to turn the audio down very low to not hurt my ears

[@joshuam.1240]

Off topic... I was just wondering if you could explore more composers that are American born or of African descent. You could bring a great deal of awareness to composers of African descent in the classical music world. Just curious. Enjoy your videos very much!! Thank you!! But don't stop analyzing and sharing your love for this great art!!! ~From USA

[@rosiefay7283]

It seems that the work of Americans is already over-represented.

[@NadDew]

I'm musically deaf, I don't mean I have ears problems in fact my hearing is 10/10 (i guess) but I never noticed musics in movies, I so a video for someone watching ost for undertale video game and his eyes started to tear up without knowing anything about the game, which is very bizarre to me.

[@Noone-of-your-Business]

0:53 - The Curious Case of Benjamin *_"Britain"?!?_*

[@isleofdead1337]

5:31 why is it so comedically large?!

[@lim7lim]

This was interesting, but I wish you'd given us more time to listen to the examples, instead of just listing off instruments.

[@poofan5086]

they most likely couldn't because of copyright

[@mikhailthetenor3387]

Why create a fictional central European country that may have the name of some Polish region (voivodship) or village or small town or something based in either Czech or Slovakia? Great Slavic and non-Slavic music though by Monsieur Desplat.

[@orbitaljellyfish808]

I think it’s more than 2 yodelers. Or they overdubbed.

[@magdalenazivkovic4173]

idk it kinda just feels like this classical german orientalism towards the balkans

[@longschlongsilver7628]

A hammered dulcimer?

[@MegaSomething]

Are we going to look past "Benjamin Briton"???

[@c7g4n8]

"How to Write Music for a Fake Country" - It would be really interesting to make a video on Bear McCreary's score for Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power. While it does feel in general Lord-Of-The-Ringsy, each location and character has some really individual themes and instrumentation that would be a blast to dive through, especially Numenor and Durin.

[@pixibelle3282]

I wonder if he writes music for virtual games like World of Warcraft?

[@JohnathandosSantos]

Is the Benjamin Britten joke a mistake? hahaha

[@ianbeck741]

Britten or Button?

[@balash1048]

Где-то в Богемии..

[@bigbob1699]

When in doubt, use every instrument known to man.

[@bencraik]

Essex is a continent.

[@Kabodanki]

it is not desssssplait it's "déplat" in the pronunciation.

[@amadeosendiulo2137]

5:15 Z?

[@natheniel]

5:47 that is *not A XYLOPHONE!!!!!* you should know better

[@alonzomarsh480]

Ｐｒⓞм𝕠𝕤𝐌

[@RobertOrgRobert]

This film’s music was the winner of an Oscar ! Considering some of the music is a couple of centuries old i think Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar was robbed !

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes, I agree! Interstellar was fantastic.

[@madraven07]

Alexandre Desplat. Are you certain you’re pronouncing his name correctly?

[@InsidetheScore]

Well Americans are notorious for pronouncing French incorrectly ("Notre Dame University"!!!) so who knows what exactly he goes by at this stage!

[@Irydion]

@@InsidetheScore Don't worry, you are pronouncing it right. There are several videos of the man himself saying his own name in french, and it's definitely like you do.

[@SmileytheSmile]

... Bass balalaika.