UCLA

The purpose of this dissertation is to shed light on the diegetic role of music in simulated reality films. The analytical focus of this dissertation will be on three films from the ’90s: Total Recall (1990), The Truman Show (1998), and The Matrix (1999). I am particularly interested in musical strategies employed by composers to enhance mise en abyme storytelling and differentiate between reality and illusion. Film music in simulated reality movies acts as a powerful immersive tool that enhances ‘reality vs illusion’ mise en abyme. In this research, I will be analyzing the original score and source music in The Truman Show. Each layer of reality in this film is represented by a different musical style. In fact, two different composers are credited on the original soundtrack of this film: Philip Glass for the non-diegetic score and Burkhard Dallwitz for the reality show music within the film. I will also analyze scenes with works by Mozart that are used to intelligently transition between diegetic spaces. I will also be comparing the scores of Jerry Goldsmith (Total Recall) and Don Davis (The Matrix), particularly in their portrayal of illusion. On one hand, Goldsmith evokes a general atmosphere of ambiguity, and on the other hand, Davis highlights the central theme of ‘reality vs simulation’ in a very methodical way, by using leitmotifs associated with important characters and screen actions. Finally, I will begin by exploring different types of mise en abyme in film, music, painting, and literature. Filmmakers in the late ’90s were inspired by this technique and embraced a complexification of storytelling originating from science fiction literature and philosophical theories of the ’60s. Furthermore, I will show how recurring Hollywood themes about A.I., simulation theory and techno-dystopias are better understood as reflexive narratives that express a societal ‘future shock’ for new technologies. This research is accompanied by my original score for a fifty-minute excerpt from Total Recall (1990). In my score, I am applying compositional techniques from my analysis to effectively portray ‘illusion vs reality’ mise en abyme.