Gustavo Santaolalla says his country’s brutal past inspired his score for ‘The Last of Us’.
The Argentine composer, 72, has been behind some of the most memorable movie scores in recent cinematic history, including ‘Brokeback Mountain’ and ‘Babel’, but has recently been hailed for his haunting, emotive soundtrack for the critically acclaimed game and its subsequent HBO adaptation.
Critics say Santaolalla’s score for ‘The Last of Us’ captures the desolate beauty and intense emotional depth of the story, which follows the harrowing journey of Joel and Ellie through a post-apocalyptic America.
He told NME about his inspiration for the music: “These life experiences have converged into what I do. Coming from a country in which 30,000 people disappeared at the hands of the government, I was in jail many times since I was 16 – for nothing! I didn’t belong to a political party, or do any drugs. I just had long hair and played electric guitar.”
Santaolalla, who has recently performed at London’s Game Music Festival, also discussed how his personal history informs his creative process. He added: “It’s more like sharing experiences and ways to approach creating. Life, in general, is so connected to creating.”
Critics say this connection is evident in his minimalist approach to the score for ‘The Last of Us’, which saw him integrate sounds of "humanity" that many sound engineers typically edit out.
The musician added: “It creates a tension and texture that make (music) more human, and I’m looking for that, you know? The right note, hidden as a wrong note.”
Reviewers say the use of the ronroco, banjo, and guitar results in an intimate, folksy sound that underscores the narrative’s emotional weight in ‘The Last of Us’.
Santaolalla said his aim was to capture a sense of “primitiveness” and raw human emotion.
He compared his process to the parkour sport, adding: “The note you choose to jump from, and then the note you’re going to land on.
“I have a sense of the universe of ‘The Last of Us’.
“Lots of times when I’m writing – I’m constantly composing and writing – sometimes I do something, and think it could belong to the world of ‘The Last of Us’, so I put it aside.”
His performance at the Game Music Festival, including the ballad ‘A Love That Will Never Grow Old’ from ‘Brokeback Mountain’, was dedicated to the couple in HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ series and was met with a standing ovation.
Santaolalla said his involvement in his compositions is deeply personal, adding: “I’ve been told by several people that sometimes my scores feel like another character in a movie.
“It’s one thing to hear a song (covered) – it can be great – but another thing when you hear it by the person who wrote it.”
