1	
  

	
  
Music	
  in	
  an	
  animated	
  movie	
  with	
  almost	
  no	
  dialogue:	
  
Analysis	
  of	
  the	
  soundtrack	
  and	
  score	
  of	
  Wall-­‐E	
  
	
  
	
  
by	
  

Bernardo	
  Castro	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
Berklee	
  College	
  of	
  Music	
  
Valencia	
  Campus	
  
	
  
July	
  2015	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  

2	
  

Table	
  of	
  contents	
  
	
  
I.

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………3	
  

II.

Plot	
  Synopsis……………………………………………………………………………..4	
  

III.

Music	
  Overview…………………………………………………………………………6	
  

IV.

Source	
  and	
  Pre-­‐Existing	
  Music…………………………………………………...7	
  

V.

Musical	
  Themes………………………………………………………………………...9	
  

VI.

Music	
  Functions………………………………………………………………………..20	
  

VII.

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….21	
  

VIII.

Works	
  Cited……………………………………………………………………………..23	
  

	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  

3	
  

I.	
  Introduction	
  
The	
  first	
  time	
  that	
  I	
  watched	
  Wall-­‐E	
  I	
  remember	
  walking	
  to	
  the	
  cinema	
  without	
  
knowing	
   what	
   to	
   expect.	
   I	
   had	
   heard	
   very	
   good	
   reviews	
   about	
   it	
   and	
   wanted	
   to	
   find	
  
out	
   what	
   all	
   the	
   fuzz	
   was	
   about.	
   After	
   a	
   few	
   minutes	
   of	
   starting,	
   the	
   movie	
   had	
   me	
  
hooked	
  and	
  impressed	
  by	
  the	
  beauty	
  of	
  the	
  music,	
  the	
  richness	
  and	
  complexity	
  of	
  the	
  
sound	
  design,	
  the	
  detailed	
  character	
  animation	
  and	
  most	
  importantly	
  by	
  the	
  story	
  that	
  
was	
   unfolding	
   in	
   front	
   of	
   me.	
   When	
   the	
   movie	
   ended	
   I	
   was	
   left	
   thinking	
   how	
   an	
  
animated	
   movie	
   with	
   so	
   little	
   dialogue	
   managed	
   to	
   keep	
   the	
   whole	
   audience	
   on	
   the	
  
edge	
  of	
  their	
  seats	
  for	
  the	
  entire	
  98	
  minutes	
  of	
  running	
  time.	
  
This	
  paper	
  aims	
  to	
  analyze	
  the	
  role	
  of	
  the	
  music	
  within	
  the	
  movie	
  Wall-­‐E,	
  and	
  
especially	
   to	
   deconstruct	
   what	
   it	
   is	
   that	
   makes	
   the	
   narrative	
   move	
   forward	
   in	
   a	
   movie	
  
that,	
  as	
  mentioned	
  previously,	
  has	
  very	
  little	
  dialogue.	
  
According	
   to	
   the	
   Internet	
   Movie	
   Database	
   (IMDb),	
   Wall-­‐E,	
   directed	
   by	
   Andrew	
  
Stanton,	
   was	
   released	
   on	
   June	
   23,	
   2008	
   by	
   Walt	
   Disney	
   Pictures	
   and	
   grossed	
   a	
   little	
  
under	
  $224	
  million	
  at	
  the	
  box	
  office.	
  
This	
   was	
   the	
   second	
   collaboration	
   between	
   Andrew	
   Stanton	
   and	
   composer	
  
Thomas	
   Newman,	
   the	
   first	
   one	
   being	
   Finding	
   Nemo,	
   another	
   critically	
   acclaimed	
  
animated	
   movie	
   about	
   a	
   clownfish	
   on	
   a	
   quest	
   to	
   find	
   his	
   son.	
   Stanton	
   decided	
   to	
   work	
  
with	
   Newman	
   again	
   because,	
   as	
   he	
   mentions	
   on	
   the	
   Notes	
   on	
   a	
   Score	
   Interview	
  
available	
  on	
  YouTube,	
  he	
  “got	
  along	
  with	
  him	
  so	
  well	
  on	
  Nemo	
  and	
  because	
  they	
  really	
  
connect	
  on	
  a	
  creative	
  level.”	
  
Thomas	
  Newman,	
  member	
  of	
  the	
  Newman	
  dynasty	
  of	
  film	
  composers,	
  is	
  one	
  of	
  
the	
  sons	
  of	
  the	
  critically	
  acclaimed	
  composer	
  Alfred	
  Newman,	
  who	
  won	
  nine	
  Academy	
  

	
  

4	
  

Awards	
   for	
   Best	
   Film	
   Score.	
   This	
   exposure	
   to	
   film	
   music	
   from	
   an	
   early	
   age	
   made	
  
Thomas	
   Newman	
   discover	
   a	
   unique	
   sound	
   that	
   is	
   easily	
   identifiable	
   in	
   every	
   one	
   of	
  
the	
  films	
  he	
  has	
  worked	
  in.	
  This	
  “Thomas	
  Newman	
  sound”	
  is	
  in	
  part	
  achieved	
  through	
  
a	
  lot	
  of	
  experimentation	
  in	
  the	
  recording	
  studio,	
  where	
  he	
  gets	
  together	
  with	
  four	
  or	
  
five	
   musicians	
   and	
   tries	
   out	
   different	
   instrumentations	
   and	
   different	
   layers	
   for	
   a	
  
specific	
  motive	
  or	
  idea.	
  
This	
  recognizable	
  sound	
  is	
  very	
  present	
  in	
  Wall-­‐E,	
  where	
  some	
  of	
  the	
  sonorities	
  
cannot	
  be	
  easily	
  identified	
  and	
  sound	
  more	
  like	
  a	
  combination	
  of	
  layered	
  instruments.	
  	
  
Ben	
  Burtt	
  voiced	
  Wall-­‐E,	
  the	
  main	
  character,	
  and	
  he	
  was	
  also	
  in	
  charge	
  of	
  the	
  Sound	
  
Design	
  of	
  the	
  movie.	
  
	
  
II.	
  Plot	
  Synopsis	
  
Wall-­‐E	
   is	
  set	
  many	
  years	
  in	
  the	
  future;	
  the	
  Earth	
  has	
  been	
  contaminated	
  to	
  an	
  
extreme	
   point,	
   and	
   therefore	
   everyone	
   has	
   been	
   evacuated	
   to	
   a	
   spaceship	
   called	
  
Axiom.	
  The	
  original	
  plan	
  was	
  to	
  evacuate	
   all	
  living	
  species	
  from	
  the	
  Earth	
  temporarily	
  
while	
  robots	
  called	
  Wall-­‐E,	
  where	
  in	
  charge	
  of	
  cleaning	
  and	
  preparing	
  the	
  Earth	
  to	
  be	
  
inhabitable	
  again,	
  however	
  after	
  several	
  years	
  of	
  cleaning	
  there	
  is	
  only	
  one	
  Wall-­‐E	
  left.	
  
Wall-­‐E’s	
   only	
   friend	
   is	
   a	
   cockroach,	
   with	
   whom	
   he	
   spends	
   his	
   days	
   cleaning	
   and	
  
building	
  structures	
  out	
  of	
  garbage	
  remains.	
  He	
  collects	
  whatever	
  he	
  finds	
  interesting	
  
while	
   going	
   through	
   the	
   debris	
   and	
   he	
   stores	
   everything	
   inside	
   a	
   garage.	
   Wall-­‐E’s	
  
routine	
   is	
   spent	
   in	
   the	
   same	
   manner	
   everyday	
   until	
   one	
   day	
   he	
   finds	
   a	
   plant,	
   which	
   he	
  
collects	
  and	
  stores	
  inside	
  an	
  old	
  shoe.	
  

	
  

5	
  
The	
  following	
  day,	
  a	
  spaceship	
  lands	
  on	
  Earth	
  and	
  drops	
  another	
  robot	
  called	
  

EVE,	
  who	
  attracts	
  Wall-­‐E	
  immediately.	
  After	
  a	
  few	
  of	
  days	
  of	
  trying	
  to	
  approach	
  her,	
  
he	
   manages	
   to	
   take	
   her	
   back	
   to	
   his	
   garage	
   where	
   he	
   shows	
   her	
   all	
   the	
   items	
   he	
   has	
  
collected,	
  including	
  the	
  plant.	
  She	
  puts	
  the	
  plant	
  inside	
  a	
  capsule	
  within	
  her	
  body	
  and	
  
goes	
  into	
  hibernation	
  mode.	
  
A	
   few	
   days	
   later	
   the	
   spaceship	
   appears	
   back	
   on	
   Earth	
   and	
   takes	
   EVE	
   back	
  
onboard.	
  Wall-­‐E	
  is	
  distraught	
  by	
  the	
  thought	
  of	
  losing	
  her	
  and	
  secretly	
  rides	
  the	
  ship	
  
too,	
  which	
  takes	
  them	
  back	
  to	
  the	
  Axiom.	
  Here	
  Wall-­‐E	
  encounters	
  humans	
  for	
  the	
  first	
  
time,	
   they	
   are	
   obese	
   and	
   unable	
   to	
   walk	
   and	
   therefore	
   move	
   around	
   in	
   automatic	
  
chairs.	
  	
  	
  
EVE	
  is	
  taken	
  to	
  the	
  captain,	
  where	
  he	
  puts	
  her	
  off	
  hibernation	
  mode	
  and	
  asks	
  
her	
  to	
  deliver	
  the	
  plant,	
  but	
  as	
  we	
  soon	
  realize,	
  she	
  does	
  not	
  have	
  the	
  plant	
  anymore.	
  
The	
  captain	
  assumes	
  that	
  she	
  has	
  some	
  sort	
  of	
  malfunction	
  and	
  sends	
  both	
  Wall-­‐E	
  and	
  
EVE	
  to	
  get	
  repaired.	
  In	
  the	
  repair	
  section	
  Wall-­‐E	
  thinks	
  that	
  EVE	
  is	
  being	
  harmed	
  and	
  
in	
   an	
   attempt	
   to	
   save	
   her	
   shoots	
   her	
   plasma	
   cannon	
   and	
   thus	
   accidentally	
   releasing	
  
other	
  robots	
  that	
  were	
  being	
  held	
  for	
  reparation.	
  During	
  the	
  breakout,	
  Wall-­‐E	
  and	
  EVE	
  
are	
   catalogued	
   as	
   rogue	
   robots	
   and	
   their	
   photos	
   are	
   displayed	
   all	
   around	
   the	
   Axiom	
  
for	
  humans	
  to	
  be	
  cautious	
  in	
  case	
  they	
  encounter	
  them.	
  EVE	
  gets	
  very	
  upset	
  about	
  all	
  
the	
  chaos	
  that	
  Wall-­‐E	
  generated	
  and	
  tries	
  to	
  send	
  him	
  back	
  to	
  Earth	
  on	
  an	
  escape	
  pod.	
  
Before	
   she	
   is	
   able	
   to	
   send	
   him	
   back,	
   they	
   see	
   a	
   small	
   robot	
   called	
   Gopher	
   sneaking	
   his	
  
way	
  into	
  one	
  of	
  the	
  escape	
  pods	
  and	
  sending	
  the	
  plant	
  back	
  to	
  Earth.	
  Wall-­‐E	
  quickly	
  
gets	
   onto	
   the	
   escape	
   pod	
   trying	
   to	
   recover	
   the	
   plant,	
   but	
   he	
   is	
   sent	
   out	
   into	
   space.	
   Just	
  
when	
   the	
   pod	
   is	
   about	
   to	
   self-­‐destruct	
   Wall-­‐E	
   manages	
   to	
   take	
   the	
   plant	
   with	
   him	
   and	
  

	
  

6	
  

escape	
   from	
   the	
   pod	
   with	
   the	
   help	
   of	
   a	
   fire	
   extinguisher.	
   When	
   EVE	
   realizes	
   that	
   he	
  
saved	
  the	
  plant,	
  she	
  kisses	
  him	
  and	
  flies	
  with	
  him	
  enthusiastically	
  through	
  space.	
  
Afterwards,	
  they	
  both	
  manage	
  to	
  get	
  back	
  to	
  the	
  Captain’s	
  cabin	
  to	
  give	
  him	
  the	
  
plant,	
  but	
  Auto,	
  the	
  ship’s	
  auto	
  pilot	
  system	
  confesses	
  to	
  being	
  the	
  one	
  who	
  took	
  the	
  
plant	
   from	
   EVE	
   earlier	
   and	
   refusing	
   to	
   let	
   them	
   go	
   back	
   to	
   recolonize	
   Earth.	
   Auto	
  
throws	
   a	
   badly	
   injured	
   Wall-­‐E,	
   EVE	
   and	
   the	
   plant	
   through	
   the	
   garbage	
   conduct,	
   and	
  
they	
  barely	
  manage	
  to	
  escape	
  before	
  being	
  sent	
  out	
  to	
  space	
  with	
  the	
  rest	
  of	
  the	
  trash.	
  
With	
  the	
  assistance	
  of	
  the	
  robots	
  that	
  they	
  freed	
  before	
  they	
  manage	
  to	
  get	
  back	
  to	
  the	
  
Captain’s	
   Cabin.	
   On	
   the	
   cabin,	
   the	
   captain	
   turns	
   Auto	
   off	
   and	
   Eve	
   puts	
   the	
   plant	
   in	
   a	
  
machine	
  that	
  will	
  send	
  the	
  Axiom	
  back	
  to	
  Earth	
  as	
  soon	
  as	
  the	
  plant	
  is	
  placed	
  within	
  it.	
  
Once	
  they	
  get	
  to	
  Earth,	
  EVE	
  takes	
  Wall-­‐E	
  back	
  to	
  the	
  garage	
  to	
  repair	
  him,	
  but	
  when	
  he	
  
wakes	
  up	
  he	
  doesn’t	
  recognize	
  her	
  and	
  starts	
  compacting	
  garbage	
  like	
  he	
  used	
  to.	
  EVE	
  
holds	
   his	
   hand	
   and	
   kisses	
   him,	
   rebooting	
   him	
   correctly	
   and	
   making	
   him	
   recognize	
   her	
  
again.	
  At	
  the	
  end	
  the	
  captain	
  teaches	
  the	
  rest	
  of	
  the	
  humans	
  how	
  to	
  take	
  care	
  of	
  the	
  
plant	
  and	
  to	
  farm	
  to	
  recolonize	
  Earth,	
  but	
  as	
  we	
  see	
  on	
  the	
  final	
  shot,	
  outside	
  the	
  city	
  
plants	
  have	
  already	
  started	
  to	
  grow.	
  
	
  
III.	
  Music	
  Overview	
  
As	
   mentioned	
   previously,	
   WALL-­‐E	
   is	
   a	
   movie	
   that	
   relies	
   heavily	
   on	
   music	
   to	
  
move	
  the	
  narrative	
  forward	
  because	
  it	
  has	
  very	
  little	
  dialogue.	
  The	
  full	
  running	
  time	
  of	
  
the	
  movie	
  is	
  98	
  minutes,	
  and	
  there	
  is	
  music	
  playing	
  during	
  68.	
  	
  
I	
   will	
   divide	
   the	
   music	
   in	
   three	
   categories:	
   the	
   score,	
   which	
   refers	
   to	
   Newman’s	
  
original	
   music.	
   Source	
   music,	
   referring	
   to	
   music	
   that	
   is	
   coming	
   from	
   within	
   the	
  

	
  

7	
  

fictional	
  setting	
  and	
  so,	
  is	
  heard	
  by	
  the	
  characters	
  (i.e.	
  music	
  coming	
  from	
  a	
  radio	
  or	
  
TV	
  inside	
  the	
  movie).	
  And	
  finally,	
  pre-­‐existing	
  music	
  that	
  is	
  not	
  coming	
  from	
  a	
  source	
  
within	
  the	
  movie,	
  and	
  that	
  is	
  used	
  to	
  enhance	
  the	
  drama.	
  The	
  68	
  minutes	
  of	
  music	
  that	
  
I	
  previously	
  mentioned	
  include	
  all	
  of	
  these	
  three	
  categories.	
  
On	
  the	
  other	
  hand,	
  the	
  running	
  time	
  of	
  the	
  score	
  is	
  just	
  under	
  55	
  minutes.	
  The	
  
instrumentation	
   is	
   a	
  hybrid	
   between	
   electronic	
   sounds	
   and	
   an	
   orchestra.	
   As	
   we	
   will	
  
see,	
   the	
   harp	
   is	
   the	
   most	
   featured	
   instrument.	
   It	
   also	
   uses	
   additional	
   plucked	
  
instruments	
   that	
   are	
   not	
   part	
   of	
   the	
   orchestra,	
   like	
   processed	
   guitars	
   and	
   tapped	
  
basses	
  that	
  were	
  most	
  likely	
  overdubbed	
  after	
  the	
  orchestral	
  recording	
  session.	
  
	
  
IV.	
  Source	
  and	
  Pre-­‐Existing	
  Music	
  
In	
  Wall-­‐E	
  there	
  are	
  two	
  songs	
  that	
  appear	
  recurrently	
  both	
  as	
  source	
  music	
  and	
  
as	
   part	
   of	
   the	
   soundtrack,	
   these	
   are	
   Put	
   on	
   your	
   Sunday	
   clothes,	
   and	
   It	
   only	
   takes	
  
a	
  moment,	
  both	
  of	
  which	
  where	
  composed	
  by	
  Jerry	
  Herman	
  for	
  the	
  famous	
  Broadway	
  
musical	
  Hello,	
  Dolly.	
  
The	
   movie	
   starts	
   with	
   Put	
   on	
   your	
   Sunday	
   clothes	
   used	
   as	
   the	
   music	
   for	
   the	
  
opening	
  scene.	
  It	
  accompanies	
  the	
  initial	
  shot	
  of	
  the	
  Earth	
  from	
  space	
  and	
  continues	
  
through	
   as	
   the	
   camera	
   goes	
   inside	
   the	
   Earth	
   and	
   onto	
   the	
   view	
   from	
   above	
   of	
  
a	
  desolate	
  city.	
  Interestingly,	
  the	
  music	
  silences	
  for	
  a	
  few	
  seconds	
  and	
  reappears	
  a	
  bit	
  
later,	
  but	
  this	
  time	
  we	
  hear	
  it	
  as	
  source	
  music	
  as	
  we	
  see	
  Wall-­‐E	
  for	
  the	
  first	
  time.	
  The	
  
way	
  the	
  song	
  is	
  mixed	
  tells	
  us	
  that	
  it	
  is	
  now	
  coming	
  from	
  his	
  radio.	
  
It	
  is	
  in	
  great	
  measure	
  through	
  the	
  source	
  music	
  used	
  in	
  the	
  movie,	
  that	
  we	
  get	
  
to	
  know	
  Wall-­‐E	
  and	
  the	
  way	
  he	
  feels.	
  For	
  example,	
  the	
  previously	
  mentioned	
  song	
  It	
  

	
  

8	
  

only	
  takes	
  a	
  moment	
  appears	
  for	
  the	
  first	
  time	
  on	
  Wall-­‐E’s	
  TV	
  while	
  he	
  is	
  organizing	
  
his	
   recently	
   collected	
   items.	
   Wall-­‐E	
   listens	
   to	
   the	
   song	
   and	
   watches	
   as	
   the	
   scene	
   of	
  
Hello,	
   Dolly	
  unfolds.	
  This	
  is	
  where	
  he	
  sees	
  how	
  the	
  characters	
  hold	
  hands	
  and	
  we	
  see	
  
him	
   imitating	
   that	
   action.	
   When	
   this	
   song	
   appears	
   later	
   on	
   in	
   the	
   movie	
   it	
   reflects	
  
Wall-­‐E’s	
  feeling	
  of	
  love	
  and	
  attraction	
  towards	
  EVE,	
  and	
  it	
  is	
  a	
  reminder	
  of	
  why	
  Wall-­‐E	
  
tries	
  to	
  hold	
  hands	
  with	
  her	
  on	
  several	
  occasions.	
  Later	
  on,	
  the	
  song	
  is	
  used	
  to	
  reflect	
  
EVE’s	
  feelings	
  of	
  love	
  towards	
  Wall-­‐E.	
  
Other	
  tracks	
  that	
  appear	
  in	
  the	
  movie	
  as	
  source	
  music	
  include	
  Don’t	
  worry	
  be	
  
happy	
   by	
   Bobby	
   McFerrin,	
   which	
   plays	
   back	
   from	
   an	
   ornamental	
   fish	
   that	
   is	
   part	
   of	
  
Wall-­‐E’s	
   collection	
   inside	
   the	
   garage,	
   the	
   Buy	
   N	
   Large	
   jingle,	
   (Buy	
   N	
   Large	
   is	
   the	
  
fictitious	
  corporation	
  that	
  evacuated	
  the	
  population	
  from	
  Earth	
  in	
  star	
  liners),	
  which	
  
is	
  played	
  through	
  different	
  sources	
  along	
  the	
  movie,	
  and	
  The	
  Blue	
  Danube	
  by	
  Johann	
  
Strauss	
  II,	
  which	
  is	
  heard	
  coming	
  through	
  speakers	
  inside	
  the	
  Captain’s	
  Cabin.	
  
The	
  pre-­‐existing	
  tracks	
  that	
  are	
  used	
  as	
  part	
  of	
  the	
  soundtrack	
  to	
  support	
  the	
  
narrative	
  are	
  La	
  Vie	
  en	
  Rose,	
  performed	
  by	
  Louis	
  Armstrong	
  and	
  used	
  in	
  the	
  montage	
  
where	
   Wall-­‐E	
   follows	
   EVE	
   on	
   Earth,	
   Also	
   Sprach	
   Zarathustra	
   composed	
   by	
   Richard	
  
Strauss	
  and	
  used	
  in	
  the	
  sequence	
  where	
  the	
  Captain	
  stands	
  up	
  for	
  the	
  first	
  time	
  and	
  
turns	
   Auto	
   off,	
   and	
   finally	
   the	
   song	
   Down	
   to	
   Earth,	
   composed	
   by	
   Peter	
   Gabriel	
   and	
  
Thomas	
  Newman,	
  which	
  serves	
  as	
  the	
  music	
  for	
  the	
  End	
  Credits.	
  
Interestingly,	
   Don’t	
   Worry	
   be	
   Happy,	
   The	
   Blue	
   Danube	
   and	
   Also	
   Sprach	
  
Zarathustra	
   were	
   not	
   included	
   in	
   the	
   soundtrack	
   released	
   by	
   Walt	
   Disney	
   Records,	
  
most	
  likely	
  due	
  to	
  copyright	
  issues.	
  On	
  the	
  same	
  note,	
  some	
  of	
  the	
  cues	
  that	
  appear	
  on	
  
the	
  movie	
  as	
  part	
  of	
  the	
  score,	
  are	
  also	
  not	
  included	
  the	
  soundtrack	
  release.	
  	
  

	
  

9	
  

V.	
  Musical	
  Themes	
  
As	
   we	
   will	
   see	
   throughout	
   the	
   movie	
   several	
   themes	
   and	
   motifs	
   are	
   used	
  
recurrently	
  to	
  give	
  cohesion	
  to	
  the	
  score	
  and	
  to	
  provide	
  additional	
  information	
  to	
  the	
  
spectator.	
  	
  
Musical	
   motifs,	
   also	
   known	
   as	
   leitmotifs,	
   were	
   popularized	
   by	
   Wagner,	
   and	
   to	
  
this	
  day	
  are	
  a	
  fundamental	
  part	
  of	
  film	
  music,	
  because	
  like	
  Theodor	
  Adorno	
  and	
  Hanns	
  
Eisler	
   mention	
   in	
   his	
   book	
   Composing	
   for	
   Films,	
   “they	
   function	
   as	
   trademarks,	
   so	
   to	
  
speak,	
  by	
  which	
  persons,	
  emotions,	
  and	
  symbols	
  can	
  instantly	
  be	
  identified”	
  (Adorno	
  
and	
  Eisler	
  4).	
  
The	
   first	
   cue	
   of	
   the	
   original	
   score	
   enters	
   a	
  little	
   bit	
   before	
   a	
  long	
   shot	
   of	
   the	
  
inhabited	
   city.	
   The	
   first	
   thing	
   we	
   hear	
   is	
   a	
  sustained	
   pad,	
   and	
   soon	
   after	
   a	
  harp	
   and	
  
strings	
  come	
  in	
  as	
  we	
  see	
  the	
  title	
  of	
  the	
  movie	
  appear	
  on	
  screen.	
  
This	
   first	
   cue,	
   which	
   is	
   based	
   around	
   harp	
   arpeggios	
   in	
   F	
   minor,	
   reflects	
   the	
  
bleakness	
  and	
  desolation	
  of	
  the	
  current	
  state	
  of	
  the	
  Earth	
  within	
  the	
  movie;	
  set	
  on	
  the	
  
year	
   2805,	
   where	
   the	
   Earth	
   is	
   empty	
   and	
   covered	
   in	
   garbage.	
   I	
   will	
   refer	
   to	
   this	
   as	
   the	
  
Desolation	
  motif.	
  
This	
  is	
  an	
  excerpt	
  of	
  this	
  motif:	
  
	
  

	
  

	
  

10	
  
This	
   first	
   cue	
   fades	
   out	
   and	
   transitions	
   onto	
   the	
   Buy	
   N	
   Large	
   jingle,	
   which	
  

appears	
  as	
  source	
  music	
  coming	
  from	
  the	
  street	
  speakers.	
  	
  
This	
  same	
  previous	
  cue	
  comes	
  in	
  again	
  as	
  we	
  see	
  a	
  long	
  shot	
  of	
  the	
  city,	
  full	
  of	
  
Buy	
  N	
  Large	
  billboards	
  advertising	
  everything	
  from	
  sportswear	
  to	
  food	
  items.	
  As	
  we	
  
come	
  to	
  realize,	
  this	
  corporation	
  is	
  the	
  responsible	
  of	
  the	
  amount	
  of	
  trash	
  that	
  made	
  
the	
   Earth	
   inhabitable	
   and	
   this	
   is	
   accentuated	
   by	
   the	
   music.	
   Newman	
   makes	
  
orchestration	
  choices	
  to	
  follow	
  the	
  action.	
  From	
  an	
  intimate	
  combination	
  of	
  harp	
  and	
  
another	
  stringed	
  instrument	
  when	
  we	
  see	
  Wall-­‐E	
  up	
  close,	
  to	
  a	
  bigger	
  sound	
  that	
  uses	
  
the	
   harp	
   and	
   the	
   mid	
   range	
   of	
   the	
   string	
   section	
   as	
   Wall-­‐E	
   moves.	
   Then,	
   there	
   is	
   an	
  
interesting	
   use	
   of	
   contrast	
   as	
   Wall-­‐E	
   encounters	
   an	
   identical	
   looking	
   robot	
   lying	
  
broken	
   in	
   a	
   pile	
   of	
   trash.	
   Here,	
   Newman	
   changes	
   the	
   orchestration	
   completely	
  
utilizing	
   only	
   the	
   brass	
   section,	
   mimicking	
   Wall-­‐E’s	
   confusion.	
   When	
   the	
   scene	
  
changes	
  and	
  we	
  see	
  a	
  long	
  shot	
  of	
  the	
  city,	
  the	
  music	
  adapts	
  and	
  the	
  orchestration	
  gets	
  
bigger,	
   employing	
   the	
   full	
   range	
   of	
   the	
   string	
   section,	
   plus	
   the	
   Desolation	
   motif	
   that	
  
was	
  introduced	
  earlier	
  by	
  the	
  harp.	
  
This	
   cue,	
   (titled	
   2815	
   A.D.	
   on	
   the	
   album	
   release)	
   keeps	
   on	
   adapting	
   as	
   the	
  
action	
  depicted	
  on	
  screen	
  changes.	
  As	
  soon	
  as	
  we	
  see	
  the	
  ads	
  of	
  the	
  Axiom	
  star	
  liners	
  
and	
   a	
   voice	
   over	
   is	
   introduced,	
   the	
   music	
   slowly	
   becomes	
   less	
   busy	
   to	
   avoid	
  
interfering	
   with	
   what	
   he	
   is	
   saying.	
   The	
   Desolation	
   motif	
   stops	
   and	
   is	
   replaced	
   by	
  
sustained	
   strings	
   and	
   woodwinds.	
   When	
   the	
   voice	
   over	
   stops,	
   the	
   harp	
   fills	
   in	
  
reintroducing	
  the	
  motif.	
  	
  
As	
   we	
   will	
   see,	
   this	
   motif	
   is	
   used	
   a	
   couple	
   of	
   times	
   throughout	
   the	
   movie	
   to	
  
create	
   a	
   psychological	
   mood	
   of	
   despair	
   and	
   hopelessness.	
   First,	
   when	
   we	
   see	
   the	
  

	
  

11	
  

current	
  state	
  of	
  the	
  Earth	
  and	
  later	
  on	
  in	
  the	
  movie,	
  when	
  Wall-­‐E	
  fails	
  to	
  put	
  EVE	
  out	
  
of	
  hibernation	
  mode.	
  This	
  motif	
  appears	
  in	
  the	
  key	
  of	
  F	
  minor	
  both	
  times.	
  
As	
   we	
   see	
   Wall-­‐E’s	
   garage	
   for	
   the	
   first	
   time	
   the	
   music	
   becomes	
   more	
   playful	
  
and	
   child-­‐like	
   with	
   the	
   introduction	
   of	
   a	
   celesta	
   playing	
   a	
   beautiful	
   melody	
  
accompanied	
  by	
  strings	
  filling	
  out	
  the	
  harmony.	
  
This	
  is	
  the	
  second	
  motif,	
  which	
  I	
  will	
  refer	
  to	
  as	
  the	
  Garage	
  Motif:	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  
As	
   I	
   mentioned,	
   this	
   one	
   has	
   a	
   playful	
   quality,	
   but	
   at	
   the	
   same	
   time	
   manages	
   to	
  
provide	
  a	
  sense	
  of	
  wonder	
  as	
  we	
  see	
  Wall-­‐E’s	
  house	
  and	
  collection	
  for	
  the	
  first	
  time.	
  
Later	
   on	
   in	
   the	
   movie,	
   Newman	
   introduces	
   this	
   motif	
   again,	
   but	
   this	
   time	
   his	
  
orchestration	
  choices	
  accentuate	
  this	
  sense	
  of	
  wonder	
  and	
  amazement	
  even	
  more	
  to	
  
reflect	
   the	
   greatness	
   of	
   space	
   and	
   the	
   way	
   Wall-­‐E	
   experiences	
   watching	
   everything	
  
from	
  up	
  there.	
  This	
  time,	
  a	
  solo	
  flute	
  plays	
  the	
  melody	
  while	
  a	
  celesta	
  and	
  high	
  strings	
  
provide	
   the	
   harmony.	
   Then	
   the	
   orchestration	
   gets	
   bigger	
   and	
   the	
   melody	
   goes	
   to	
  
unison	
   violins,	
   while	
   the	
   rest	
   of	
   the	
   string	
   section	
   provides	
   the	
   harmony,	
   as	
   well	
   as	
  
countermelodies.	
   When	
   we	
   see	
   Wall-­‐E	
   travelling	
   close	
   to	
   the	
   sun	
   the	
   motif	
   reaches	
   its	
  

	
  

12	
  

highest	
  point	
  and	
  the	
  brass	
  section	
  joins	
  in	
  playing	
  harmony.	
  The	
  transitions	
  between	
  
the	
  different	
  intensities	
  of	
  the	
  cue	
  are	
  emphasized	
  with	
  harp	
  glissandi.	
  
This	
  motif,	
  like	
  the	
  Desolation	
  motif,	
  also	
  appears	
  in	
  the	
  same	
  key	
  both	
  times,	
  
Db	
  major.	
  However,	
  the	
  second	
  time	
  it	
  is	
  presented	
  it	
  is	
  developed	
  further	
  and	
  in	
  the	
  
climax	
  modulates	
  one	
  semitone	
  down	
  to	
  C	
  major.	
  
The	
  next	
  theme	
  that	
  I	
  will	
  mention	
  is	
  Wall-­‐E’s	
  theme.	
  It	
  appears	
  when	
  we	
  see	
  
the	
  main	
  character	
  leaving	
  his	
  garage	
  in	
  the	
  morning,	
  ready	
  to	
  perform	
  his	
  daily	
  tasks.	
  
It	
  is	
  a	
  playful	
  theme	
  performed	
  on	
  the	
  higher	
  register	
  of	
  the	
  bassoon	
  and	
  accompanied	
  
by	
  pizzicato	
  strings,	
  whistles	
  and	
  different	
  sorts	
  of	
  hand	
  percussion.	
  It	
  is	
  in	
  the	
  key	
  of	
  
Bb	
  major.	
  
The	
  main	
  melody	
  is	
  the	
  following:	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  
The	
  theme	
  continues	
  in	
  this	
  playful	
  staccato	
  fashion	
  throughout	
  the	
  sequence,	
  
until	
   the	
   moment	
   where	
   we	
   see	
   a	
   long	
   shot	
   of	
   Wall-­‐E	
   building	
   structures	
   out	
   of	
   the	
  
debris.	
  It	
  is	
  until	
  this	
  point	
  that	
  legato	
  strings	
  are	
  introduced	
  for	
  the	
  first	
  time	
  to	
  this	
  
theme.	
  
Interestingly	
   enough,	
   this	
   music,	
   used	
   to	
   introduce	
   the	
   main	
   character	
   (the	
  
track	
   is	
   called	
   Wall-­‐E	
   on	
   the	
   album),	
   only	
   appears	
   once	
   more	
   throughout	
   the	
   whole	
  
movie.	
   The	
   music	
   is	
   up-­‐tempo,	
   energetic,	
   and	
   playful	
   (like	
   the	
   character)	
   and	
   is	
  

	
  

13	
  

entirely	
  performed	
  by	
  acoustic	
  instruments,	
  which,	
  in	
  my	
  opinion,	
  is	
  a	
  reflection	
  of	
  his	
  
rudimentary	
  and	
  unsophisticated	
  features	
  as	
  a	
  robot.	
  
When	
   EVE	
   accidentally	
   hurts	
   Wall-­‐E	
   and	
   damages	
   his	
   right	
   eye,	
   the	
   theme	
  
appears	
   again,	
   but	
   in	
   a	
   very	
   transformed	
   and	
   almost	
   unrecognizable	
   way.	
   It	
   is	
   now	
  
presented	
  in	
  6/4,	
  instead	
  of	
  4/4,	
  the	
  melody	
  is	
  played	
  by	
  harp	
  instead	
  of	
  bassoon,	
  and	
  
the	
   playful	
   pizzicato	
   strings	
   have	
   been	
   replaced	
   with	
   more	
   “serious”	
   legato	
   strings.	
  
Still,	
  the	
  original	
  key	
  signature	
  (Bb	
  major)	
  has	
  been	
  maintained	
  for	
  cohesion.	
  
Again,	
   this	
   perfectly	
   reflects	
   what	
   is	
   happening	
   on-­‐screen.	
   The	
   essence	
   of	
   the	
  
character	
  has	
  been	
  altered,	
  things	
  have	
  turned	
  more	
  serious	
  and	
  therefore	
  the	
  theme	
  
has	
  been	
  altered	
  accordingly.	
  
As	
   mentioned	
   before,	
   Wall-­‐E’s	
   theme	
   mainly	
   serves	
   as	
   a	
   brief	
   introduction	
   to	
  
the	
  character,	
  but	
  in	
  terms	
  of	
  character	
  development,	
  the	
  music	
  that	
  best	
  defines	
  him	
  
is	
  the	
  two	
  songs	
  from	
  Hello,	
  Dolly,	
  which	
  are	
  the	
  ones	
  that	
  accompany	
  him	
  throughout	
  
his	
  adventure	
  both	
  on	
  Earth	
  and	
  on	
  space.	
  	
  
Besides	
  It	
  only	
  takes	
  a	
  moment,	
  which	
  as	
  discussed	
  earlier	
  is	
  the	
  love	
  song	
  that	
  
inspires	
   both	
   Wall-­‐E	
   and	
   EVE	
   to	
   hold	
   hands	
   and	
   kiss,	
   there	
   is	
   another	
   theme	
   that	
   is	
  
part	
   of	
   the	
   score	
   composed	
   by	
   Newman,	
   and	
   it	
   is	
   called	
   All	
   that	
   love’s	
   about.	
   This	
  
theme	
   however,	
   is	
   not	
   coming	
   from	
   a	
   source	
   within	
   the	
   movie	
   and	
   therefore	
   is	
  
directed	
  to	
  the	
  viewers	
  and	
  to	
  influence	
  them	
  on	
  a	
  psychological	
  level,	
  enhancing	
  the	
  
feelings	
  of	
  romance	
  depicted	
  on-­‐screen.	
  
Here	
  is	
  a	
  transcription	
  of	
  this	
  theme:	
  

	
  

14	
  

	
  

	
  

15	
  

	
  
	
  
This	
  love	
  theme	
  appears	
  when	
  Wall-­‐E	
  sees	
  EVE	
  for	
  the	
  first	
  time,	
  and	
  makes	
  it	
  clear	
  
that	
  he	
  feels	
  very	
  attracted	
  towards	
  her.	
  It	
  is	
  in	
  the	
  key	
  of	
  B	
  major.	
  
The	
  theme,	
  as	
  others	
  I	
  have	
  mentioned,	
  makes	
  use	
  of	
  the	
  harp	
  as	
  the	
  primary	
  
element	
  that	
  we	
  hear,	
  it	
  also	
  uses	
  a	
  flute	
  with	
  delay,	
  and	
  afterwards	
  high	
  strings	
  are	
  
introduced.	
  
The	
   next	
   time	
   this	
   theme	
   appears,	
   is	
   when	
   EVE	
   is	
   watching	
   the	
   recordings	
   of	
  
how	
   Wall-­‐E	
   took	
   care	
   of	
   her	
   when	
   she	
   was	
   in	
   hibernation	
   mode,	
   and	
   is	
   when	
   we	
  
realize	
   that	
   EVE	
   also	
   has	
   feelings	
   of	
   love	
   towards	
   him.	
   The	
   theme	
   is	
   presented	
   in	
   a	
  
very	
  similar	
  fashion	
  and	
  in	
  the	
  same	
  tonality,	
  but	
  this	
  time	
  it	
  is	
  shorter	
  to	
  fit	
  the	
  image.	
  
The	
  instrumentation	
  is	
  also	
  a	
  bit	
  different;	
  the	
  flute	
  has	
  been	
  removed	
  and	
  some	
  sort	
  
of	
  pulsating	
  synth	
  bass	
  has	
  been	
  added.	
  
The	
   third	
   time	
   the	
   love	
   theme	
   appears	
   is	
   after	
   Wall-­‐E	
   and	
   EVE	
   are	
   almost	
  
disposed	
   into	
   space	
   with	
   all	
   the	
   trash.	
   She	
   realizes	
   that	
   Wall-­‐E,	
   badly	
   damaged,	
  
managed	
   to	
   keep	
   the	
   plant	
   safe	
   and	
   give	
   it	
   back	
   to	
   her.	
   The	
   love	
   theme	
   comes	
   in	
   once	
  

	
  

16	
  

again,	
   in	
   its	
   original	
   version,	
   but	
   stops	
   before	
   the	
   main	
   melody	
   played	
   by	
   strings	
  
appears.	
  
Just	
  like	
  Wall-­‐E’s	
  theme,	
  mentioned	
  earlier,	
  manages	
  to	
  punctuate	
  his	
  character	
  
traits	
   and	
   features,	
   there	
   is	
   a	
   theme	
   that	
   does	
   the	
   exact	
   same	
   thing	
   for	
   EVE.	
   It	
   is,	
  
unsurprisingly,	
  called	
  EVE	
  in	
  the	
  album	
  and	
  is	
  first	
  heard	
  when	
  we	
  see	
  her	
  flying	
  and	
  
displaying	
  her	
  high-­‐tech	
  capacities.	
  
This	
  is	
  an	
  excerpt	
  of	
  the	
  main	
  melody	
  of	
  this	
  theme:	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  
Once	
  again,	
  the	
  melody	
  is	
  presented	
  by	
  harp,	
  with	
  the	
  harmony	
  being	
  provided	
  
by	
   the	
   same	
   instrument.	
   Unlike	
   Wall-­‐E’s	
   theme,	
   this	
   one	
   relies	
   a	
   lot	
   on	
   electronic	
  
elements,	
   like	
   a	
   pulsating	
   synth	
   bass	
   playing	
   a	
   pedal	
   note	
   on	
   Db,	
   and	
   another	
   synth	
  
bass	
   playing	
   arpeggiated	
   patterns	
   underlining	
   the	
   harmony.	
   As	
   we	
   can	
   see	
   on	
   the	
  
transcription	
   above,	
   this	
   motif	
   heavily	
   emphasizes	
   the	
   raised	
   4th	
   degree	
   (G	
   natural),	
  
thus	
   giving	
   the	
   music	
   an	
   ethereal	
   and	
   dreamlike	
   quality.	
   EVE	
   is	
   a	
   highly	
   sophisticated	
  
and	
  technologically	
  advanced	
  robot	
  and	
  this	
  theme	
  effectively	
  conveys	
  that.	
  
Later	
  on,	
  when	
  EVE	
  kisses	
  Wall-­‐E	
  for	
  the	
  first	
  time,	
  this	
  theme	
  is	
  used	
  again	
  in	
  
the	
   same	
   key	
   and	
   with	
   the	
   same	
   instrumentation.	
   As	
   we	
   see	
   Wall-­‐E	
   and	
   EVE	
   flying	
  
through	
   space,	
   the	
   dreaminess	
   and	
   elegance	
   of	
   the	
   music	
   complements	
   their	
   moves.	
  

	
  

17	
  

Meanwhile,	
   we	
   hear	
   the	
   voice	
   of	
   the	
   computer	
   defining	
   the	
   term	
   “dancing”	
   for	
   the	
  
Captain	
  as	
  we	
  see	
  the	
  two	
  robots	
  doing	
  exactly	
  what	
  the	
  computer	
  described.	
  
Later	
   on,	
   when	
   Wall-­‐E	
   is	
   showing	
   EVE	
   his	
   collection,	
   another	
   motif	
   is	
  
introduced.	
   This	
   one	
   is	
   called	
   Bubble	
   Wrap	
   and	
   also	
   features	
   the	
   harp	
   as	
   the	
  
predominant	
  instrument.	
  	
  
Here	
  is	
  an	
  excerpt	
  of	
  this	
  motif:	
  
	
  

	
  
This	
   is	
   an	
   ambiguous	
   theme	
   that	
   goes	
   from	
   Bb	
   major	
   to	
   Bb	
   minor,	
   and	
   just	
   like	
  
EVE’s	
  theme,	
  uses	
  the	
  raised	
  4th	
  degree	
  of	
  the	
  Lydian	
  mode,	
  which	
  in	
  this	
  case	
  is	
  the	
  E	
  
natural.	
  	
  
This	
   theme	
   is	
   the	
   one	
   that	
   repeats	
   more	
   times	
   throughout	
   the	
   entire	
   movie,	
  
even	
   if	
   it	
   is	
   for	
   very	
   short	
   periods	
   at	
   a	
   time	
   and	
   to	
   me,	
   it	
   reflects	
   something	
   like	
  
mischievousness	
   and	
   innocence;	
   we	
   hear	
   it	
   either	
   in	
   scenes	
   where	
   we	
   see	
   two	
  
characters	
  being	
  playful	
  and	
  having	
  fun,	
  or	
  in	
  scenes	
  when	
  one	
  of	
  the	
  two	
  characters	
  is	
  
acting	
  in	
  an	
  innocent	
  manner	
  without	
  realizing	
  that	
  things	
  are	
  more	
  serious	
  than	
  they	
  
appear.	
   As	
   I	
   mentioned	
   before,	
   the	
   first	
   time	
   we	
   hear	
   this	
   theme	
   is	
   when	
   EVE	
   is	
  
playing	
  with	
  Wall-­‐E’s	
  items	
  at	
  his	
  garage.	
  She	
  is	
  just	
  trying	
  to	
  have	
  fun	
  with	
  Wall-­‐E,	
  but	
  
her	
  uncontrolled	
  strength	
  and	
  skills	
  end	
  up	
  inadvertently	
  damaging	
  him	
  or	
  his	
  stuff.	
  

	
  

18	
  

Later	
   on,	
   the	
   same	
   motif	
   is	
   presented	
   when	
   EVE	
   realizes	
   that	
   Wall-­‐E	
   has	
   followed	
   her	
  
to	
  space.	
  This	
  time	
  it	
  is	
  him,	
  who	
  innocently	
  acts	
  as	
  if	
  nothing	
  wrong	
  was	
  happening,	
  
when	
  in	
  reality	
  EVE	
  knows	
  that	
  he	
  is	
  not	
  allowed	
  to	
  be	
  there.	
  
The	
   third	
   time	
   we	
   hear	
   this	
   theme	
   is	
   when	
   EVE	
   takes	
   Wall-­‐E	
   to	
   the	
   escape	
   pod	
  
to	
   send	
   him	
   back	
   to	
   Earth.	
   Again,	
   he	
   acts	
   innocently	
   thinking	
   that	
   EVE	
   is	
   going	
   with	
  
him,	
  without	
  realizing	
  that	
  he	
  is	
  being	
  sent	
  back	
  to	
  Earth	
  alone.	
  	
  
Finally,	
  we	
  hear	
  it	
  again	
  when	
  we	
  see	
  John	
  and	
  Mary	
  playing	
  flirtatiously	
  in	
  the	
  
pool.	
  Like	
  the	
  rest	
  of	
  the	
  motifs	
  I	
  have	
  mentioned	
  previously,	
  this	
  one	
  also	
  appears	
  in	
  
the	
  same	
  key	
  and	
  with	
  almost	
  the	
  same	
  instrumentation	
  every	
  time.	
  
Another	
  motif	
  that	
  is	
  repeated	
  in	
  the	
  movie	
  is	
  one	
  called	
  Foreign	
   Contaminant	
  
and	
   it	
   is	
   used	
   for	
   two	
   tense	
   scenes,	
   where	
   Wall-­‐E	
   is	
   following	
   EVE	
   throughout	
   the	
  
Axiom.	
  
This	
  is	
  a	
  highly	
  chromatic	
  motif	
  played	
  by	
  either	
  two	
  electric	
  tapped	
  basses	
  or	
  
by	
   a	
   Chapman	
   Stick.	
   The	
   same	
   2-­‐bar	
   ostinato	
   repeats	
   over	
   and	
   over	
   again,	
   as	
   more	
  
elements	
  are	
  introduced	
  to	
  add	
  variety.	
  	
  
This	
  is	
  the	
  motif:	
  

	
  
The	
   name	
   of	
   the	
   track	
   (Foreign	
   contaminant)	
   alludes	
   to	
   what	
   we	
   see	
   on	
   the	
  
movie;	
  one	
  of	
  the	
  cleaning	
  robots	
  scans	
  EVE	
  and	
  then	
  Wall-­‐E	
  and	
  realizes	
  that	
  they	
  are	
  
both	
   contaminated	
   by	
   something	
   external,	
   something	
   that	
   does	
   not	
   belong	
   in	
   the	
  

	
  

19	
  

Axiom.	
   The	
   same	
   happens	
   with	
   Newman’s	
   choice	
   of	
   instrumentation	
   for	
   this	
   motif;	
   so	
  
far	
  most	
  of	
  the	
  music	
  has	
  been	
  based	
  around	
  harp	
  and	
  orchestral	
  instruments,	
  with	
  a	
  
few	
  electronic	
  elements.	
  On	
  this	
  theme,	
  the	
  most	
  prominent	
  and	
  featured	
  instrument	
  
is	
  one	
  that	
  we	
  hadn’t	
  heard	
  so	
  far,	
  thus	
  mimicking	
  the	
  idea	
  of	
  a	
  foreign	
  element.	
  
The	
  last	
  theme	
  I	
  am	
  going	
  to	
  discuss	
  is	
  called	
  Repair	
  Ward,	
  and	
  it	
  is	
  used	
  in	
  a	
  
similar	
   context	
   as	
   the	
   previous	
   one,	
   to	
   accompany	
   Wall-­‐E	
   on	
   his	
   search	
   for	
   EVE	
  
through	
  the	
  Axiom.	
  However,	
  this	
  one	
  has	
  a	
  more	
  “sneaky”	
  and	
  less	
  serious	
  mood	
  as	
  
Foreign	
   Contaminant,	
   it	
   even	
   has	
   a	
   comic	
   feel	
   to	
   it	
   and	
   could	
   be	
   described	
   as	
   light	
  
espionage	
  music.	
  
As	
   most	
   sneaky	
   music,	
   this	
   theme,	
   which	
   happens	
   to	
   be	
   the	
   only	
   one	
   that	
   has	
   a	
  
swing	
   feel	
   in	
   the	
   whole	
   soundtrack,	
   prominently	
   uses	
   pizzicato	
   strings	
   and	
   staccato	
  
woodwinds	
  to	
  convey	
  that	
  feeling	
  of	
  someone	
  tiptoeing.	
  
This	
  is	
  an	
  excerpt	
  of	
  the	
  theme:	
  

	
  

	
  

20	
  
As	
  we	
  can	
  see	
  in	
  these	
  four	
  bars,	
  for	
  this	
  theme	
  Newman	
  also	
  makes	
  use	
  of	
  a	
  2-­‐

bar	
   ostinato	
   that	
   repeats	
   and	
   adds	
   new	
   elements	
   as	
   the	
   music	
   evolves.	
   As	
   we	
   have	
  
seen	
   in	
   many	
   examples,	
   this	
   technique	
   of	
   repeating	
   a	
   pattern	
   and	
   building	
   on	
   top	
   of	
   it	
  
is	
  something	
  very	
  common	
  in	
  Newman’s	
  music.	
  	
  
As	
  the	
  composer	
  himself	
  mentioned	
  in	
  the	
  interview	
  Notes	
   on	
   a	
   score,	
  “a	
  lot	
  of	
  
my	
   music	
   tends	
   to	
   be	
   patterned	
   and	
   repeating,	
   so	
   oftentimes	
   I’ll	
   get	
   together	
   with	
   a	
  
percussionist	
   or	
   a	
   guitarist	
   who	
   can	
   take	
   these	
   patterns	
   and	
   add	
   to	
   them,	
   and	
  
therefore	
  make	
  them	
  more	
  sonically	
  interesting”.	
  Regarding	
  the	
  benefits	
  of	
  using	
  this	
  
technique,	
  Newman	
  said,	
  “If	
  you	
  have	
  repeating	
  phrases,	
  oftentimes	
  it	
  allows	
  the	
  ear	
  
then	
  to	
  hear	
  colors	
  in	
  a	
  way	
  that	
  widens	
  your	
  perception	
  of	
  sound	
  and	
  music	
  and	
  how	
  
it	
  comes	
  at	
  you”.	
  This	
  is	
  especially	
  true	
  in	
  a	
  movie	
  like	
  Wall-­‐E,	
  where	
  the	
  dialogue	
  is	
  
very	
  sparse.	
  The	
  composer	
  needs	
  to	
  create	
  pieces	
  of	
  music	
  that	
  make	
  it	
  easier	
  for	
  the	
  
viewer	
   to	
   get	
   entrapped	
   in	
   the	
   narrative	
   through	
   repetition,	
   which	
   is	
   exactly	
   what	
  
Newman	
  does	
  so	
  effectively	
  in	
  Wall-­‐E.	
  
	
  
VI.	
  Music	
  Functions	
  
Before	
  analyzing	
  what	
  the	
  purpose	
  of	
  the	
  music	
  in	
  Wall-­‐E	
  is,	
  I	
  will	
  summarize	
  
the	
  three	
  general	
  categories	
  of	
  dramatic	
  functions	
  that	
  music	
  can	
  have	
  within	
  a	
  movie,	
  
as	
  explained	
  by	
  composer	
  Dan	
  Wilkins	
  in	
  his	
  online	
  course	
  Film	
  Scoring	
  101.	
  The	
  three	
  
categories	
  are:	
  physical,	
  psychological	
  and	
  technical	
  functions.	
  
The	
  physical	
  functions	
  are	
  those	
  in	
  which	
  the	
  music	
  evokes	
  a	
  physical	
  setting	
  
or	
  location,	
  creates	
  a	
  physical	
  atmosphere	
  (time	
  of	
  day,	
  climate),	
  evokes	
  a	
  time	
  period,	
  
culture	
  or	
  nationality,	
  or	
  underlines	
  the	
  action	
  on-­‐screen.	
  

	
  

21	
  
The	
   psychological	
   functions	
   of	
   the	
   music	
   include	
   creating	
   a	
   mood	
   (suspense,	
  

drama,	
   etc.),	
   rounding	
   off	
   the	
   film,	
   suggesting	
   unspoken	
   thoughts	
   of	
   a	
   character,	
  
revealing	
   unseen	
   implications	
   of	
   a	
   situation,	
   revealing	
   psychological	
   makeup	
   of	
   a	
  
character,	
  underlining	
  the	
  expected	
  reaction	
  of	
  an	
  audience,	
  deceiving	
  an	
  audience	
  as	
  
to	
   what	
   actually	
   happened,	
   making	
   a	
   philosophical	
   point	
   (also	
   known	
   as	
   “playing	
  
against	
  the	
  drama”)	
  or	
  setting	
  up	
  an	
  audience	
  for	
  a	
  subsequent	
  surprise.	
  
Finally,	
  the	
  technical	
  functions	
  are	
  used	
  to	
  build	
  continuity	
  from	
  scene	
  to	
  scene	
  
or	
  to	
  build	
  overall	
  continuity.	
  
The	
   musical	
   motifs	
   that	
   appear	
   recurrently	
   in	
   Wall-­‐E,	
   mainly	
   fall	
   into	
   the	
  
psychological	
  function	
  category.	
  It	
  is	
  by	
  the	
  repetition	
  of	
  these	
  themes	
  that	
  we	
  become	
  
more	
  acquainted	
  with	
  the	
  characters	
  and	
  their	
  feelings.	
  
As	
  I	
  mentioned	
  earlier,	
  there	
  are	
  short	
  some	
  cues	
  that	
  appear	
  in	
  the	
  movie	
  that	
  
are	
   not	
   part	
   of	
   the	
   album	
   release.	
   These	
   primarily	
   fall	
   into	
   the	
   physical	
   functions	
  
category	
   since	
   it	
   is	
   music	
   that	
   Thomas	
   Newman	
   uses	
   to	
   underline	
   the	
   action	
   on-­‐
screen.	
  
	
  
VII.	
  Conclusion	
  
As	
   we	
   have	
   seen	
   throughout	
   this	
   paper,	
   it	
   is	
   in	
   great	
   measure	
   because	
   of	
  
Thomas	
   Newman’s	
   use	
   of	
   music	
   and	
   motifs	
   that	
   the	
   narrative	
   in	
   Wall-­‐E	
   develops	
   so	
  
flawlessly	
  and	
  effortlessly	
  despite	
  the	
  sparse	
  use	
  of	
  dialogue.	
  This	
  movie	
  serves	
  as	
  an	
  
example	
  of	
  the	
  importance	
  of	
  music	
  in	
  film	
  and	
  the	
  way	
  that	
  music	
  helps	
  to	
  connect	
  
the	
  audience	
  with	
  the	
  characters.	
  Like	
  film	
  director	
  Sidney	
  Lumet	
  claimed	
  on	
  his	
  book	
  

	
  

22	
  

Making	
   Movies,	
   “almost	
   every	
   picture	
   is	
   improved	
   by	
   a	
   good	
   musical	
   score”	
   (Lumet	
  
149),	
  and	
  Wall-­‐E	
  certainly	
  exemplifies	
  this	
  statement.	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  

	
  

23	
  
Works	
  Cited	
  

Eisler,	
  Hanns,	
  and	
  Theodor	
  W.	
  Adorno.	
  Composing	
  for	
  the	
  Films.	
  London:	
  Athlone,	
  
1994.	
  Print.	
  
	
  
Lumet,	
  Sidney.	
  Making	
  Movies.	
  New	
  York:	
  A.A.	
  Knopf,	
  1995.	
  Print.	
  
	
  
"Thomas	
  Newman	
  -­‐	
  Notes	
  on	
  a	
  Score	
  Interview	
  (Wall-­‐e)."	
  YouTube.	
  YouTube,	
  31	
  Aug.	
  
2011.	
  Web.	
  8	
  May	
  2015.	
  
	
  
"WALL·E."	
  IMDb.	
  IMDb.com,	
  n.d.	
  Web.	
  5	
  May	
  2015.	
  
	
  
Wilkins,	
  Dan.	
  "Film	
  Scoring	
  101."	
  Berklee	
  Online.	
  Berklee	
  College	
  of	
  Music,	
  n.d.	
  Web.	
  19	
  
May	
  2015.