The Year of Living Dangerously: Opera and Vangelis

This blog explores the creative collaboration between Greek composer Vangelis and Australian director Peter Weir, which resulted in the film score for The Year of Living Dangerously.

Introduction

The Year of Living Dangerously is a 1982 Australian film directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver. The screenplay by David Williamson is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher J. Koch, who also wrote the screenplay for Weir’s 1975 film The 1975 Brisbane Floods.

The film was set in Indonesia in 1965 and marked the beginning of Gibson’s international career as an actor. It was nominated for three Academy Awards, all in the category of Best Original Score: Vangelis composed the film’s score, which won him his first Oscar; Maurice Jarre was nominated for his score for Raiders of the Lost Ark; and Nino Rota was nominated posthumously for his score for Otto e Mezzo (8½).

The Year of Living Dangerously

On the heels of their respective successes with Blade Runner, Greek composer Vangelis and Australian director Peter Weir joined forces for The Year of Living Dangerously. The result is one of the most atmospheric and evocative scores of the 1980s.

The Movie

The Year of Living Dangerously is a 1982 Australian drama film directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver, Linda Hunt, and Bill Kerr. The film chronicles a period of political turmoil in Indonesia during the rule of President Sukarno in the mid-1960s. It follows a group of foreign correspondents in Jakarta on the eve of an attempted coup by the Indonesian military.

The film’s title is derived from Italian journalist Mike McCarthy’s book In the Year of the Poisonous Cloud, which detailed the 1965 Indonesian coup attempt. Weir began development on the film after reading McCarthy’s book and being struck by its portrayal of “a world gone mad”. He enlisted screenwriter David Williamson to rewrite McCarthy’s script, which resulted in significant changes to the characters and plot.

The Year of Living Dangerously was filmed entirely on location in Indonesia over a three-month period in 1982. The film’s production was marked by political instability in Indonesia, with several military coups taking place during production. Weirboldly decided to shoot the film anyway, even though he was aware that it could be shut down at any moment.

Despite its low budget, The Year of Living Dangerously received widespread critical acclaim upon its release. It won multiple awards, including two Oscars (for Best Cinematography and Best Editing), and has been credited with revitalizing Gibson’s career.

The Music

The Year of Living Dangerously, an opera in two acts by Goran Bregovic, with a libretto by Doris Dorrie and Marie Janin, was first performed at the Frankfurt Opera on March 3, 2006. The work is based on the 1982 film of the same name directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver.

The music of the opera is a combination of traditional Bulgarian folk songs, mystery and suspense thriller elements by Greek composer Vangelis.

The Opera

The opera is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Koch. The story is set in Indonesia in the period leading up to and during the Indonesian coup of 1965. It follows the life of a foreign correspondent, Guy Hamilton, and his involvement with a British journalist, Jean Henderson.

The Plot

The plot of “The Year of Living Dangerously” is set against the backdrop of the Indonesian Revolution of 1965. Australian journalist Guy Hamilton (Mel Gibson) is stationed in Jakarta, where he meets and falls in love with British diplomat Diana Kellett (Sigourney Weaver). However, their relationship is threatened by the political unrest in the country, as well as by Guy’s close friendship with radical Communist photographer Billy Kwan (Liam Neeson).

The Music

Opera and Vangelis have a long and complicated history. The two first worked together on the 1981 film “Blade Runner,” for which Vangelis composed the score. Though the film was not initially a success, it has since become a cult classic, and the soundtrack has been widely praised.

In 1982, Opera and Vangelis collaborated again on the film “Missing,” which was nominated for an Academy Award. They continued to work together sporadically over the next few years, including on the documentary “The troops in New York” (1985) and the miniseries “Napoleon” (1987).

In 1991, they released the album “The Year of Living Dangerously,” which was their first joint studio album. The album was not a commercial success, but it received critical acclaim.

They released another album in 1994, entitled “1492: Conquest of Paradise.” This album was more successful, both commercially and critically. It included the song “Conquest of Paradise,” which became a hit single in many countries.

Opera and Vangelis have not released any new material since 1994, but they have continued to tour together sporadically. They most recently performed together in 2006, at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Conclusion

It was an incredible experience, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to see it. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything quite like it before. The music was beautiful and emotive, and the opera itself was a work of art. If you have the chance to see it, I highly recommend it.