What Movies Teach Us About Mozart

[@Ten_Fingerz]

You are the KZbinr I would most likely watch even if the subject matter didn’t interest me. Your level of fascination with the topics you write about is infectious and I will continue to click on your videos with great haste.

[@AxxLAfriku]

I have fewer than 1 friend in the World. That's right. Everybody disses me for making bad videos. I think they are perfect though. Who is right? My dissers or me? Which side are you on, dear eli

[@maryc333]

@Eli Westmoreland Same here..!! I love this channel

[@nabkawe]

If you enjoy Nerdwriter, you may enjoy, Aperture, also Lemmino

[@DannySullivanMusic]

agreed! 110% true

[@AndersonKuba]

perfect

[@starkingbiker]

there is no film like Come and See. The emotions I had watching this film are indescribable. It's absolute trauma brought out through an incredible cinematic language.

[@KitagumaIgen]

The film I will neither re-watch nor forget. Once was enough for my lifetime.

[@dccalling5960]

Come and see has one of the most haunting transformations of characters I've ever seen. The image of his face at the end makes him look absolutely ancient and completely destroyed. An old man in the body of a child.

[@FreakieFan]

(Not so) fun fact: The lead actor of the film found the process of making it so stressful and emotionally harrowing that his hair turned grey. (He was still a kid at that point)

[@dccalling5960]

@@FreakieFan jeez

[@michaelcookfilm]

@@FreakieFan There’s a really interesting video where he describes the process being incredibly harrowing but also one of the most educational and important experiences of his life that he wouldn’t trade. Such a young kid having that level of maturity speaks to his acting ability and giving one of the best performances ever

[@robinsandquist]

It's very nice that you mentioned Come and See, and in particular that scene, love that film. One of the most abrasive and real war films made. The scene you mentioned is a very rewarding finish to that film, although it first struck me as a bit out of place, with the stock footage and all. But I completely agree with that point. And I think it's interesting these times when music and media transcends and creates something new, like Also sprach Zarathustra in 2001:A Space Odyssey, where also the footage together with music has created a new meaning and feeling of the piece, and the piece is now used (mostly) in that context.

[@DannySullivanMusic]

i concur. 1000% correct dude

[@FranekComposes]

I am so, so thrilled to have seen this video essay appear in my sub feed today. The Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem was arguably the most impressionable movement upon me as a young musician and person, before I even began exploring the nuances of Composer's lives. It is always such a pleasure to encounter well researched and presented material about Mozart, but I find it particularly captivating when the surprisingly dark and deeply human aspects of his life are given much needed focus. Thank you for such incredible content as always & looking forward to picking up my own book copy in the Spring💥

[@JMarchel]

Your comment was a delight to read.

[@maryc333]

I totally agree with your thoughts! Yes the Lacrimosa from Mozart’s Requiem was and still is very moving every time I hear it. Furthermore, when I watched the Amadeus movie, although some facts were incorrect, the movie had a profound impact on me too. This year I found that someone was able to do a scrolling score along with the scene where Mozart was composing Lacrimosa and it is truly interesting to see the notes appearing in the score one by one : kzbin.info/www/bejne/i37akpx3ap1kd7M

[@DannySullivanMusic]

this comment is 110% right!

[@robinhahnsopran]

Hi! Opera singer here, and particular lover of Mozart. LOVE this! I wanted to add that the way that media interacts with other forms of media also works the other way, too: people's awareness of these pieces from movies and TV can shape their experiences live and in the theatre at operas or symphonies. That's one of my favourite things about working in classical music! For example, the Susanna/Countess duet from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro is more mournful and melancholic the more you think about the scene in Shawshank Redemption where he plays that over the PA, and therefore directly makes the duet MORE beautiful to hear. It's one way to help draw new audiences in to the art form, is to directly interact with the ways that movies and TV portray this music. Of course, videos like this do a lot to interest new people in classical music, too! Thank you SO much for spending the time to make this! ✨

[@bencarlson4300]

Come and See hits the viewer with several of the most traumatic sequences in film history to the point that blind rage and grief are almost all-consuming by the end, but then when the culprits are captured and punished there is no catharsis. There is no feeling that justice has been served. Then we see Hitler and one of the most affecting montages ever with Lacrimosa playing over it. This particular use (which I had actually forgotten since I try not to think of Come and See too often) of Lacrimosa is the definitive use because it emphasizes the feelings of immense grief and the enormous scale of the evil that had been spread by Nazism while also implying that the child we have been experiencing the entire film with will probably go on to fuel more violence in the future due to the horrific acts he has witnessed throughout his short life. Violence begets more violence.

[@RetroEste]

My two favorite things in the world. Mozart and Cinema. Thank you so much Nerdwriter. Can’t wait to watch this in a few seconds. Edit: Great video as always. Come and See is probably my favorite use of Lacrimosa. That piece as well as his Ave Verum Corpus always makes me cry.

[@arsenal10141014]

Amadeus - one of the greatest movies in the last 40 years. Btw, mass graves were very common at that time.

[@HelgaCavoli]

Salieri wasn't portraited fairly and it's unfortunate.

[@arsenal10141014]

@@HelgaCavoli creative license to frame a story. Doesn’t change the fact it’s a great movie

[@christophershonafelt8299]

I guessed Come and See would feature prominently as soon as I got the notification for this video. Flyora managing to hold on to a shred of his humanity after everything he's seen and been through is one of the saddest and most complex happy endings of all time and Lacrymosa goes with it perfectly

[@tiaxanderson9725]

I'd imagine that this is an inherit property of bringing multiple forms of media together. I wouldn't be surprised if video games, or even just electronic board games that have music (not that I'm aware it exists, but is entirely within the realm of possibilities) would do the same. Which is a good thing to realize for all our art forms. To be aware of the potential of your music, painting, sketch, moral conundrum, scene, and more, from within another form of media.

[@ConDude25]

I think it’s interesting to examine the way our sense try to draw connections between whatever is occurring simultaneously in the world around us. if you listen to music while you look at a painting, you’ll begin to conflate the two in an emotional way. i would venture to say that this is a product of evolution - our senses are wired to perceive the world holistically, so naturally we weave them together for context. artistic media rely on a mastery and control of sense perception to evoke an emotional response. i wonder, would it be fair to suggest that the emotional payoff we get from these movie scenes is in some way a reaction synthesized in our brain in an attempt to perceive the world for our survival?

[@earthgrazer2164]

Jocib Geller did a video on that aspect of video games - his videos are long form and personally obliged

[@earthgrazer2164]

Jacob Geller

[@DannySullivanMusic]

yup. unequivocally correct

[@TheR6R6R]

Yes! In some ways video games could do what movies couldn't possibly do due to its interactive nature. It makes it easier for the 'player' to understand the things Nerdwriter pointed out in the video, as opposed to how a regular movie experience would do, simply by placing the 'viewer' in the midst of it all.

[@capabartz7380]

I’m so happy you brought up hunter x hunters use of the song. It was the first thing I thought of when I heard the song in this video but I was definitely not expecting to see it referenced here.

[@luzstrik5739]

Same same !

[@ladnavar]

YES!!! MY MAN ACTUALLY SPOKE ABOUT THE PHANTOM TROUPE

[@StephySon]

That scene kinda had me surprised that they were just merking everyone, Hunter just goes into these places that have you bugged out bro

[@DannySullivanMusic]

i agree! 10000% accurate

[@soumya_ranjan.]

I have barely seen someone create as good video essays as this man can. Each of these videos is a 15 minute marvel that will be watched even after 20 or 30 years.

[@genever_lover]

there is something unspeakably frightening about lacrimosa. it might be because it’s a piece so closely tied to death, given that it was mozart’s last work as well as a requiem for the dead, but personally i associate it with a kind of spiritual release, or absolution. a release from consequences, suffering, toil. it just sounds so resigned to fate. it seems to say that everything will happen as has already been ordained. maybe that’s why lacrimosa frightens me, and why so many filmmakers are drawn to it.

[@ThomasPeeters]

I also sense this in the music. I feel the fear of the inevitable, the unstoppable rush towards fate. Lacrimosa holds the desperate cries of a weeping Wolfgang, comforted only by the knowledge he will soon be released from his loneliness and suffering.

[@AaronOrtiz]

the words to it are probably the most terrifying thing that a believer in the Christian god could face: the completely hopeless sadness of being confronted with the prospect of eternal damnation. The confutatis maledictis / vocame cum benedictis section is even more spine-tingling (condemn the evil ones, call me with the blessed)

[@EdouardTavinor]

The use of rhythm is important. It's written in a compound time (groups of three), divided into a strong beat and two lighter beats joined together. This reminds us of the beating of the heart: the smaller heart chamber is the first beat and the larger heart chamber is the second two beats (the same rhythm is found in the iambus in poetry). What Mozart does is put the first beat of the larger heart chamber on a dissonance which then resolves. This makes you think that something is wrong with the rhythm of the heart while the incessant nature increases the feeling of inevitability.

[@aniessays]

It’s use in Hunter x Hunter is one of my favorites! Not only does it mimic the literally requiem the characters have for their dead friend but it also recontextualizes Kurapika (our main character for the arc) as his former self is essentially killed after he murders a member of the troupe. His anger turning him into something different. Fantastic Video!

[@NikhilSingh-mk9kc]

As soon as the video started, I was waiting for the Big Lebowski reference and how serious brooding music can be parodied and wasn't disappointed. However, I was not ready for the Come and See part. Brilliant work man!

[@TerrorTerros]

Haha, my thought exactly... "strong men also cry, ... strong men.. also.. cry"

[@nabney7777]

Perhaps worth adding another thing that sets the scene in Come and See apart from the others is Flyora's tears, which are particularly pertinent given the meaning of the Latin phrase 'lacrimosa dies illa' - that tearful day. From the clips (because I haven't seen most of the films), I would say 'Come and See' and Amadeus are much more able to bear the emotional weight of the movement than many of the others, which don't seem to take its full meaning on.

[@howimettheopera]

Very beautifully used by "Come and See", to have him burst into tears just as the "Lacrimosa" ("day of tears/ tearful day") starts playing. Great video, as usual.

[@tstercula]

It's such a haunting piece of music. I tend to interpret its use in film/TV as a signifier that something has broken. It feels so fatalistic, like all of the moments of time have led up to the moment we are seeing and nothing will ever be the same again.

[@otiagomarques]

Since we're talking about Mozart's Requiem use in films, I can't avoid mentioning that the Die Iraes motif is in almost every score for scenes depeacting death, either inverted, pitch shifted, reharmonized, but it's almost always there. Just a cool esater egg, once you know it you'll spot it evrywhere!

[@worldsgayest]

So so glad you mentioned Hannibal (2013)! Finally getting its much deserved praise for its dynamic use of music to frame important moments and paint key scenes with a heightened sense of dread and reality. And it isn't just for Lacrymosa either, the way they thread musical motifs throughout episodes to further submerge the audience into the all-encompassing evil of Hannibal Lecter and his complicated connection with Will Graham is just. Pure excellence. Great video, man.

[@ReynaSingh]

Your videos are some of the best. Excited for the book

[@LoseMillion]

Me too but I hope he will adapt to the format because if it’s just video scrips it will miss something without the editing.

[@creepermk]

Come and See is available on KZbin with English subs, but I suggest buying it in high definition. It’s an absolute masterpiece and deserves it. Still, the KZbin version is harrowing enough.

[@paramoir]

The narration is just so soothing, from the tone to the audio setup it's soooo good it makes me want to listen even more

[@opcomment]

The transition from Primal Fear to Hunter x Hunter at 3:22

[@36AnimeLover42]

Never would’ve thought Hunter x Hunter would be used as an example for Nerdwriter video essays.

[@alexasteckbeck2556]

Ordered my book! I can’t wait till May.

[@dr_volberg]

5:06 - The Big Lebowski is the only movie in this video that is not accompanied the the year it was released. Which seems fitting since it is such a timeless classic :)

[@pedrorochadacunha8129]

It's a good movie, but 80% of its popularity is because of weed smokers, lol. People just love the way he talks and live because they also like weed and have some of the mannerism and such... Which is not wrong, haha, but we have to keep in mind that a lot of the attention/praise that it gets is not exactly due its technical quality, but how it talks with part of the public (smokers). I'm not a smoker but also don't hate it (or those who smoke), and for me, movies like Boogie Nights and Reservoir Dogs are way better while getting less attention.

[@brunoalc5422]

Its a good day when Nerdwriter releases a new video.

[@UMMACKAY]

for everyone who subscribed years ago, remember to hit the bell to get notified when a new video gets released. this guy deserves way more views than he is currently getting!

[@JMarchel]

Yes!

[@crenshawshank]

Peak Nerdwriter content. I wish the essays I had to read in school were all out productions like this haha. Excellent writing!

[@TravisFirestine]

Come and See is one of my all time favorite films. Incredibly powerful

[@lalicen25]

I genuinely enjoy your perspectives on every form of art you analyze. Your take on these topics motivates me to read and research more on history, art, music, cinema, etc. Thank you!

[@lemurlicker1846]

When I hear this piece, I hear fruition. I hear the culmination of many smaller forces into one, often unforeseeable, consequence. It's a realization. Perhaps it's fitting that the context it was written in was Mozart's final days. As though, at the very end, with one foot beyond this life, it all finally makes sense. Thanks for another quality and thought provoking video, Nerdwriter.

[@Patinizer]

I was literally watching this, holding my breath to see if Come and See would arrive. That film makes such a dramatic song feel so empty.

[@jakedesnake97]

I saw my local philharmonic perform the full Requiem a few months ago and it made me realize that, while lacrymosa by itself is a powerful piece of music, it is an integral part of the composition and it's effect is magnified by taking it in context. The choir beginning the first couple of words of the movements was one of the few times music has genuienly moved me to the point of tears.

[@bogosbinted]

That shot of the boy in Come and See staring at the camera with that slew of emotions on his face almost made me cry and I haven't even seen the film

[@MariaVosa]

Beautiful. I don't mind saying this essay made me tear up at the end. The essay and Lacrimosa.

[@VivaLaHustle]

Your level of commitment to the research and the ability to curate and organize information is quite impressive and inspiring. Keep up the great work and wishing you much continued success. Cheers

[@MrMman30]

The requiem use in Hunter X Hunter was for two reasons:- 1) The murder of Uvogin a founding member of the Spider sent out to intially steal from Yorkshin City Gangsters but unexpectedly killed and the sadness it left in the heart of his compatriots. 2) The wrath and punishment launched by the Spider's leader and then cascaded to the rankand file to avenge the killing of Uvo and destroy the Yorkshin Mafia (instead of the intial goal to just rob them they decimated them, killed their leadership and then stole them blind).

[@InqMozgus]

I don't think the purpose of the killing was for revenge, or because they were sad by his loss. I think the purpose of it was to give Uvogin a send off. They wanted to send him off doing the only thing he loved to do: slaughter. I think the use of Lacrimosa was intended for this reason too. I think the killing was a sort of funeral for Uvogin, hence using Lacrimosa. It gave the dark tone of a funeral, but also was grandiose enough to fit well with the murdering. Chrollo acting as an orchestrator was intentional to show this purpose too. He was orchestrating the funeral, the killing, just like a conductor would do. Which is another reason why Lacrimosa works here. Genuinely an amazing scene and one of my favourites in HxH. If you look at it this way, you can feel the sadness and purpose in every murder and flick of Chrollo's wrist. Fucked up, but very beautiful.

[@EletroSensor]

"Uvo-san, can you hear us? We are playing a requiem for you." I'm thrilled the Nerdwriter mentioned Hunter x Hunter this episode.

[@aldolopez9564]

I admire so much the way you articulate your thesis. I look your videos as an inspiration to write essays looking to emulate the way you put your ideas in words.

[@exiszentriker2952]

I am glad you finished this video with come and see. Its one of the most if not the most powerful movie ever made and the use of Lacrimosa at the end was brilliant.

[@julietrc15]

Thank you so much for talking about The Good Fight, it's an incredible series. Lacrimosa is one of my favourite pieces, unique and thrilling. Amazing video as always.

[@Deedeejj]

I always enjoy when music perfectly adds and creates the scene

[@LilShrooms]

I HAVE to watch Come and See now. wow that scene was amazing w almost no context it must be insane in the film!

[@iMizutsune]

I was shocked to see you mention Come and See, what a masterpiece.

[@SebastianTinajero]

The phantom troupe arc in Hunter x Hunter was my favorite of the entire series

[@annika_panicka]

I was looking for scholarly discussions on Mozart's Requiem as I'll be attending a community sing of the piece next week, but I've been long interested in the work's frequent use in film and TV (especially the Confutatis and Lacrimosa). Thanks for this video! I don't know why I've never searched for one before. This one is excellent and I might not look any further for now. If you mention "30 Rock" I can die a happy girl.

[@shvsagar]

Thank you for including revolver ❤️

[@juantanamo7485]

Hey nerdwriter I love you cause your content inspires me to chase knowledge and learn about the world, and that is something that neither school nor university does anymore

[@marisapatch431]

It would be so amazing if you did a video on Archibald Motley and his artwork! There aren't many in-depth videos about him on this website and you just seem to have such a special way of communicating the beauty of art in the most universal and genuine way possible. I recently rewatched your Edward Hopper video and I couldn't help but think about the contrast between Hoppers Nighthawks and Motley's Nightlife. Regardless, thank you for continuing to release such incredible videos, it's always a treat.

[@finallyspoken1735]

I have been here for 2 hours now, and massively impressed by what I stumbled on.

[@MsOduh]

So glad you included divines, I sobbed during the end of that movie, lacrymosa's presence really put a pit in my stomach

[@Angel_Gomez]

The best scene with the Lacrimosa is the Come and See ending scene

[@nicholasbodo4327]

There’s something so satisfying to me of Nerdwriter mentioning HxH in this video

[@jong3404]

Thanks for always teaching us something; and helping to deepen our appreciation for this most beloved composer.

[@labelfilms6838]

I just watched Come and See last night…. I might never watch it again but the effect it has will be there for a long time

[@kazuhirala]

V for Vendetta surely made me appreciate music, that’s for sure

[@ginc31]

"are you listening, uvo-san ? we made a requiem for you" - chrollo lucilfer 🔥

[@bran8961]

I am just incredibly amazed by this channel, one of the best channels for every art lover for sure.

[@chilanya]

a movie scene that made a profound impact on me caused mostly by the music is the final scene of Runaway Train with John Voight that uses the Et in terra pax from Vivaldi's Gloria

[@alldreamscometrue100]

Thank you for another great video, and an amazing start to my morning! Also, I just saw you have 3M subs, Congrats! I've been watching you since around 100k, so i'm thrilled to see your channels growth!

[@burnthewitch_]

Thank you for these videos. I always get lost in a new fascination for a while, and it's so satisfying. You do great work, well done.

[@shammianand6980]

I don't think many people realise this but this is the best place to be on KZbin

[@A3City]

Was waiting for the Big Lebowski bit, did not disappoint

[@ericO141]

The times it gets played in other media would make this piece “overplayed” but the uniqueness, emotion, and power of lacrimosa makes get away from that. Also I would recommend listening to all of it, as my favorite parts are the “Introitus”, “Kyrie” and “Rex Tremendae”. It’s not like lacrimosa is the only one.

[@TeutonicEmperor1198]

dies irae is also a very common part used in media!

[@Freudstherapist]

I genuinely believe his requiem is the most emotion packed piece of music ever created. Never have I felt such grandiosity listening to anything else, I don’t know how the hell he did it, but it’s as if god himself composed that piece. It’s amazingly religious and existential, and as an existentialist it’s the only piece of music that has ever made me feel any connection to god, it really opened my eyes to how beneficial religion can be for people. Everyone should listen to it

[@meta_ai]

Enjoyed the video as always, but I would like to mention something. This style of editing clouds my senses. I come to watch your videos to listen, to understand between the pauses of your sentences. The way you're doing it right now is continuously talk as background music played. There is no silence, there is no space to think. I don't feel like watching something profound, something that demands attention. Instead it seems like an extended advertisement, cluttered and layered like any run of the mill KZbin video. I want to listen, to see and to understand. This time, your words were drowned by the music, which was on repeat, I would have loved it if you played the music once and let us soak that in, and then once it is familiar and in our working memory only then you would have talked about it, and how it shaped memory in movies. Thanks for these videos, I always wait for you to upload new ones desperately. Thanks Evan

[@pinoyguy75]

I seriously hope you're recording an audiobook version of your new novel. Great episode as usual. I love the usage of music in visual storytelling. It can such a great union of two art forms

[@brendanlorenzo7298]

You’re the only KZbinr I have bell notifications turned on for! Your videos are brilliant.

[@mandar13579]

I am so grateful to algorithms and internet serendipity to have come across this channel. I appreciate the way you go into things nice and smooth. I too have largely diverse interests and love to realise the interconnectedness. I also love to feel that you have a certain respect for and a sense of ease with what you have to say. Could you please list the paintings of Mozart you have used herein? I had not seen some of them before.

[@dayton2559]

Getting a clean Hunter x Hunter reference in a Nerdwriter video? It's a cool world I get to live in

[@TarekMidani]

Finally someone who appreciates the legendary series of Hannibal

[@Kenghym]

'Sideways' is a channel pretty much dedicated to this. strongly recommend

[@samer17579]

awww I was hoping you would mention the Tree of Life sequence on the creation of the universe and life

[@setupurohit1054]

Nerdwriter video truly makes this day great!

[@bitnev]

Real respect for Come and See.

[@kushlinfield7106]

Requiem is a contender for my favourite piece of music of all time but by god it’s used in film ad nauseam. It’s the “Sympathy for the Devil” of classical needle drops in films.

[@ZzaChristian]

Bro, your material is elegant, I absolutely love it.

[@maximilianwidmer9075]

so stellar as always, dude. cannot wait for your book.

[@birk3nstock]

I was waiting for come and see and I was not disappointed.

[@SuperLlamaJuice]

Meek Mill's song "lord knows" samples lacrimosa really effectively. Always stuck with me.

[@lovekittyforever]

Excellent video, the feeling Lacrimosa gives reminds me of Light of the Seven by Ramin Djawadi

[@Add__1]

Transition at 3:27 is niceeee

[@rickypatrick3907]

Every time I see your videos pop up it’s a must watch keep up the good work

[@deepaklobo1992]

8:20 goosebumps!

[@underline360]

U forgot to mention the best Lacrimosa usage. That Raven-Symoné clip.

[@maxdondada]

Waiting for my book to ship :)

[@frontierjustice438]

Been a film student using lacrimosa my whole life. Very fun

[@frontierjustice438]

This video was amazing bud

[@augustosarmentodeoliveira3023]

Nerdwriter is the Goat of video-essayists

[@buckshottify]

You’re a Mozart fan.I love him too.I looove Mozart! He was Austrian,you know.But for this kind of work,he’s a little bit light,so i tend to go for the heavier guys.

[@inveterateforeigner2780]

>suspense and inevitability nice catch. You get both those feelings in spades if you're able to recognise and realise your own mortality.

[@HxH2011DRA]

Oh snap HxH reference!

[@ianosborne3101]

If you made this a series where you analyzed other music from movies it might just be one of the best series on KZbin

[@zinekaizerzen-pokemonunite1390]

3:28 HXH GANG 3:28!!!

[@StevenSeagull123]

Come and see is the only war movie that deserves to be called a war movie. It is full of surrealistic and horrific imagery that will stay with you for a long time.

[@niranjandevadiga7908]

I was waiting for the Come & See reference.

[@raylast3873]

Bunny! She was the light of my life!

[@108hugh]

Intertextuality is part of art.

[@staciapurdie5604]

Absolutely brilliant content! I'm obsessed with this connection. Bravo!