Experimental composer and musician Tom Hodge joins to talk about his latest film score: The Mauritanian. It is a Golden Globe nominated political and legal drama starring Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, and Benedict Cumberbatch. We also talk about various and historical approaches to film music, dealing with difficult subject matter, and advice for young composers.
Tom on scoring The Mauritanian and dealing with its brutality and, at times, hopelessness: “I’d be going to a despairing place, [asking] what does this say about humanity? . . . But for that period of time when I was watching it over and over again, I definitely wasn’t sleeping that well; it was a sort of dark despair.”
Have a listen to our conversation below or wherever you get your podcasts (including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube).
You can find more information about Tom on his website. The Mauritanian is currently in theaters while Tom’s score (and much of his other music) is available on all major streaming platforms.
“Directed by Kevin Macdonald and based on the NY Times best-selling memoir Guantánamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi, this is inspiring the true story of Slahi’s fight for freedom after being detained and imprisoned without charge by the U.S. Government for years. Alone and afraid, Slahi (Tahar Rahim) finds allies in defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley) who battle the U.S. government in a fight for justice that tests their commitment to the law and their client at every turn. Their controversial advocacy, along with evidence uncovered by a formidable military prosecutor, Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch), uncovers shocking truths and ultimately proves that the human spirit cannot be locked up.” – The Mauritanian official website.