File this one under Soundtracks to Shows I’m Unlikely to Ever See alongside David Byrne’s backdrop for ‘The Catherine Wheel’ and his interludes dubbed ‘The Knee Plays’ and probably any quality productions of Sondheim’s ‘Pacific Overtures’ or ‘Chess,’ the musical composed by Tim Rice and the men of ABBA that gave the world ‘One Night in Bangkok.’
Of course, I now notice National Theatre Live once beamed into cinemas a performance of Ivo von Hove’s rethinking of ‘All About Eve,’ still one of the best American films ever made, originally written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. So maybe I’ll witness it someday after all. Until then, I’m content to be tantalized by Polly Jean’s atmospheric score, evocative of Eno and Glass yet distinctively PJ in every haunting refrain; I can feel how much gravitas it surely brings to this time-worn tale of conniving ambition. If you love the film as I and millions more do, give a listen with closed-eyes concentration, replay key moments in your mind while replacing memories of Bette Davis and Anne Baxter with the visages of Gillian Anderson and Lily James, respectively — then marvel as the story springs to modern life. Each actor also provides a vocal performance: Margo somnambulates toward ‘The Sandman,’ Eve surrenders to the spotlight attracting ‘The Moth.’ How those reflect upon or fit into the show itself I’ve yet to learn. By the time I do, I wonder how much I’ll care. Ms. Harvey’s music, enigmatically beguiling as ever, has ways of letting you fill in the blanks.
#SoundtrackSunday 008:
PJ Harvey: ‘All About Eve’
Lakeshore/Invada, 2019
d: Ivo van Hove