ABSTRACT
Music has been central to youth films for decades, with multiple examples illustrating how music, communication and identity formation are intricately connected. Coppola explores how music defines the adolescent individual and the group throughout The Virgin Suicides . Continually, music is used to help construct identity and to facilitate communication where otherwise there would be none for these young people. The Virgin Suicides operates on a dual register in its use of music, via French electronic band Air’s evocative score and soundtrack album, and also a carefully selected set of 1970s pop, folk and rock songs. Anchored by the single ‘Playground Love,’ the soundtrack is essentially variations on the themes of young love, memory and loss, all played out in lush synthesized tones more appropriate to 1975 than to 2000.
The chapter explores the specific instances of Air’s music in relation to the narrative and mise-en-scène, arguing that the Air soundtrack is a key element to the creation of meaning. In a related fashion, the CD tracks expand upon the film soundtrack, considering elements of the story and expanding on their potential interpretation. The chapter proceeds with a close analysis of the songs used by Coppola, their function in the storytelling, and the ways through which they morph the narrative and reflect on the larger experience of adolescent life.
