Rastko explores the influence of music in eccentric cinema
Rastko Buljančević from Montenegro is a talented musician and musicologist who is doing his doctoral research in the field of film musicology. In his doctoral thesis, he analyses the various musical styles used in Yorgos Lanthimos’ feature films, known for their often eccentric style, including the critically acclaimed “Poor Things.” The soundtrack in Lanthimos’ cinema reflects the cracks in society in a comically bizarre way,” says Rastko.
He started out as an accordionist before becoming a classical pianist. Today, Rastko can look back on his career as both a musician and a composer.
The fact that he simultaneously was demonstrating solid academic talent presented Rastko with a choice. A decision he describes in his own words:
“Life’s mysterious pathways led me to take up a different profession, but fortunately one that is explicitly linked to music.”
A vacant doctoral position at the Department of Cultural Sciences caught his attention.
“I had the impression that the department would offer a stimulating and diverse research environment. What also particularly appealed to me was that I would have a supervisor familiar with film music,” explains Rastko. “That was particularly inspiring, because that was the focus I had chosen as a doctoral student”.
In addition to musicology, the Department of Cultural Sciences also offers research and teaching within subjects such as film studies, gender studies, art history and visual studies, ethnology and cultural studies.
“If you make a comparison with other universities in Sweden and internationally, it’s quite unique to find musicology in an environment with such different disciplines,” says Rastko.
Dynamic research topic
Rastko is one of several doctoral students who began their positions in the fields of musicology, ethnology, art history and visual studies, film studies, gender studies and cultural studies at the department in autumn 2023. He is the only doctoral student in musicology.
Rastko describes his research topic as dynamic, changeable and susceptible to influences since the 1970s.
Today’s musicology not only has points of contact with other humanities subjects, but also with completely different sciences such as physics, ecology and computer science.
For example, musicologists can devote themselves to researching the behaviour of sound waves, the relationship between music, culture and nature, or the advanced algorithms and music recommendations we see on various streaming platforms.
For students, the broad spectrum of the subject offers several opportunities to steer their education in the desired direction. Towards archival work, ethnographic research or analysing music in a broader historical and socio-political context. This breadth gives numerous options to students who want to study musicology, says Rastko.
Rastko is now utilising the experience he himself gained as a professional musician and classical composer.
“As a composer and pianist, I was given a lot of space to develop my own imagination, perseverance and creativity. At the same time, I was forced to take risks in order to be succesful,” he says. Today, this combination of qualities strengthens my perseverance and tenacity as a music scholar.
What does the music say about Yorgos Lanthimos' films?
In his thesis project, Rastko is analysing the soundtrack in the films of Yorgos Lanthimos. The Greek director made his breakthrough with international audiences with the black comedy “The Lobster” (2015). He had previously made several highly acclaimed films in his home country – including “Dogtooth” (2009), which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
Rastko is interested in why the music in Lanthimos’ films is so relevant, as it enables critical reflections on our contemporary world.
Rastko outlines how Lanthimos succeeds in portraying the divisions and contradictions in society in his films in a way that is both comical and bizarre. He aptly highlights dilemmas such as restricted rights, moral decay, the undermining of authority and the erosion of neoliberal capitalism.
"I think the music in Lanthimos’ films illustrates, amplifies and obscures these fissures", he says.
In “Poor Things” (2023), Lanthimos decided to use original music for the first time. Previously, classical music had often played an important role in his films. The famous composers were key players in the plot. In "The Lobster," for example, one can find renowned works by Beethoven, Strauss and Schnittke.
When the aesthetically and emotionally charged classical music meets the absurdist atmosphere of the films, a sharp contrast is created that makes the films seem even more absurd.
“The transition to original score in the later films can be described as a radical change in the director’s filmmaking,” says Rastko. They influence how the films are perceived, narrated and internalised. According to Rastko, this could be the reason why Lanthimos has undergone a metamorphosis as a filmmaker. Perhaps commercial success has meant that he has had to adapt to market expectations much more than before.
– “It is this radical change that I want to understand with my project,” continues Rastko.
But a postgraduate education is a marathon that spans at least four years, and for Rastko several stages still remain before the finish line.
In addition to his doctoral thesis, Rastko writes articles, takes part in seminars and panel discussions and travels to conferences. And he has not only changed countries, cultures and languages. He will also have to familiarise himself with a completely new educational system. During the spring semester, Rastko will be responsible for the film music course at the department and has therefore taken courses in higher education pedagogy. There, for example, he has learned how to create a syllabus.
Part of a graduate school
When he applied for the PhD position, Rastko already knew that he would be part of the FUDEM graduate school in addition to his regular position. FUDEM is a multidisciplinary graduate school, bringing together researchers and doctoral students from six universities and situated at the Department of Cultural Sciences. FUDEM aims to investigate and analyse the symptoms of modern crises, in particular the phenomenon of illiberal populism.
Academic diversity is key to FUDEM, in which the four participating research disciplines of ethnology, gender studies, cultural studies and musicology will interact with each other.
Rastko is one of two doctoral students in musicology. Together they are eleven doctoral students who exchange experiences and take joint courses. This spring, a course on cultural analyses of crises will be held.
“In FUDEM, we can step out of our comfort zone, meet across borders and question our own preconceptions,” says Rastko. “This can be a challenge, as we also deal with topics within the graduate school that are drastically different from those of our own doctoral projects. And the broader humanities perspective might not be only useful but also necessary to explore illiberal, populist and undemocratic sentiments by analysing cultural, historical, class, political, affective, gender and ethical dimensions.”
He continues:
“I look forward to bringing my own topics to the graduate school in the future and discussing how film and music shape society and how they symbolically attempt to reflect/comment on our reality."
By: Erik Pedersen and Rastko Buljančević