Music, Marianne, and the Movie

Emma Thompson’s theatrical version of Sense and Sensibility, offers to the general public a true to text rendition of Jane Austen’s classic novel.   In the movie, the use of music adds a new level of insight to the film by assisting in the development of Austen’s novel’s central theme of Enlightenment versus Romanticism.  For example, Marianne’s outward emotions are emphasized not only in the book but throughout the film through music.  Marianne is often seen playing the piano throughout the film and her scenes are often accompanied by dramatic scores.  In the opening of the film, Marianne is seen at the piano playing, “Weep You No More Sad Fountains.”  In this scene, the song embodies Marianne’s exaggeration expression of emotions as she wears her heart on her sleeve.  This tone is contradicted at the end of the film as Marianne runs to the home of Willoughby.  During this scene, the music has a much more mournful tone.  However, as the rain picks up and the storm becomes more violent, the musical score is filled with heavy percussion.  As Marianne falls to the ground, a loud clap of the cymbal indicates the climax of the emotion.  The juxtaposition of these two emotions highlights Marianne’s inability to control her emotions and highlights her Romantic tendencies.