The Sound Behind Moonrise Kingdom

For director Wes Anderson and his longtime music supervisor Randall Poster, Anderson’s new film Moonrise Kingdom allowed the two individuals to take a journey through classical music.

In a recent interview with Pitchfork Magazine, the two individuals discussed the music behind the film and how it came to be.

According to Poster, even before Anderson had written the script for Moonrise Kingdom, the director stated he wanted to incorporate 20^th-century composer, Benjamin Britten, into the film.  Anderson’s interest in the composer stems from childhood, when he and his brother were in the chorus of Britten’s children’s opera, Noye's Fludde (Noah’s Flood). Anderson found himself never forgetting the music and becoming more interested in Britten pieces over the past several years.  When it was time to begin focusing on the sound behind Moonrise Kingdom, turning to the classic sounds of Noye’s Fludde was an obvious decision for the director. 

Moonrise Kingdom follows the journey of two 12-year-old children who form a bond with one another after being outcast by everyone else they know.  Britten’s Noye’s Fludd  is featured significantly in the film, and also serves as a foundation for the rest of the score.  A track from the soundtrack can be listened to here and the film's trailer is below.