Interaction of Music and the Mythical Chronotope: Comparative Analysis of the Films by L. Visconti and F. Zeller

Abstract

The paper addresses the interaction of music with a mythical chronotope in the cinematographic work. The temporal and spatial properties of the audio component in cinema were characterized. A terminological basis, which allows outlining most of the variants ofspatio-temporal interaction of music in the cinematographic space in detail, is provided. It is assumed that the fantastical gap—the moment of transition from diegetic to nondiegetic space and vice versa—can have a wider meaning and application. Variants of the interplay of music with the mythical chronotope are described due to the conflicts of linear and cyclic time, real and ideal space. The paper focuses on such interaction in the works of the classic Italian cinema director Luchino Visconti because his filmography is largely associated with the category of the mythical. The episodes of the director’s two films, in which the characters’ consciousness shifts in time and space occur, are analyzed. A comparison of the regularities of the combination of music and the mythical chronotope in L. Visconti’s films with the debut of one of the Franco-British playwright and director Florian Zeller is performed. The similarity in the way the directors work with the depiction of the conflict between the mythical space and objective reality is revealed. It was proven that F. Zeller’s use of academic music citations functions similarly to the corresponding technique in L. Visconti’s films: in both cases, such quotes emphasize the space of the “ideal.” The difference in the directors’ approaches is justified, which consists in choosing the “ideal” dimension of the hero: for the characters of L. Visconti, it is a myth, while for the characters of F. Zeller, it is an objective reality. It is concluded that the way music interacts with the mythical chronotope can be influenced not only by external factors of the spatio-temporal connections of audio and video tracks but also by intra-narrative ones—for example, the existential choice of the hero.