The Worst Person In The World

(Film, 2021)

Timeless lyrical counterpoint vs. subtle instrumental support.

Musical cues used throughout the film were intended to leave the audience without an obvious emotional read. One of the lead supervisors on the film, Goran Obad, said this was to match the wider sense of ambiguity and indecision that director, Joachim Trier, was aiming for.

In this particular scene, we follow Julie as she finally acts upon a decision that has been weighing on her mind. Julie, quite literally, flips a switch and runs through the streets to find Eivind, leaving Aksel and the rest of Oslo frozen in time.

With the scene being largely dialogue-free, the cue must take on more responsibility in mapping the narrative arc seen on screen. Wide, cinematic shots are held on screen for long periods of time, this patient editing style means fast tracks with rigid, repetitive percussion may clash. Julie is also seen smiling throughout her run to Eivind, so, while aiming for a complex emotional read, the cue needs to have an element of optimism to match.

In what is one of my favourite movie soundtracks of all time, Obad and his team built an eclectic musical world, carefully balancing genres, eras and sources, with some cues that led the scene, and others which which sat back. I attempt to show both sides of that balance here. The first features two tracks which utilise the scene’s lack of dialogue with contrasting lyrics that mirror Julie’s conflicted state of mind. The second is more subtle, using careful instrumentation to build up to and provide tonal support to the narrative crescendo the scene pivots on.

Option One: Two timeless tracks signalling hesitation through lyrical counterpoint

for portfolio use only

Arthur Russell - I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face

In: 00:53:45 (00:22)

Out: 00:55:34 (02:11)

Fred Neil - Faretheewell (Fred’s Tune)

In: 00:55:35 (02:12)

Out: 00:56:49 (03:26)

  • Musical Choice:

    • Intimate, fragile vocal-led track recorded in the 1980s, released posthumously

    • Sparse arrangement with exposed percussion hits and sudden dropouts

    • Opening led by diegetic light switch, introducing song’s opening smoothly

    Creative Reasoning:

    • Lyrically mirrors Julie’s on-screen emotional avoidance and indecision as she literally freezes time and runs away

    • Russell’s anxious tone adds tension beneath Julie’s on-screen smile

    • Julie freezing time and running without speaking reframes the song’s meaning visually

    • Silence gaps within the track reinforce the feeling of hesitation and emotional withholding

    Practical/Licensing Notes:

    • Posthumous release may mean potential estate approval sensitivity

    • Natural breaks in percussion allow clean editorial trims without feeling forced

    • Unified indie-control and previous sync usage suggests clearance feasibility

    • Edits removes internal section, preserves integrity of opening and ending, less risk of objection

  • Master: Beggars Group Media Limited (ISRC: USAK20800108)

    Publishing: Domino Publishing Company Ltd (sole writer: Arthur Russell)

    Control: Indie (Master), Indie (Publishing)

    Notes: Unified indie control through Beggars/Domino network, potential estate approval required.

  • Musical Choice:

    • Warm, melodic folk track led by Neil’s rich, enveloping vocal

    • Brief instrumental intro allows timed build into emotional climax

    • Tonally softer and more grounded than the preceding cue

    • Lyrical content about departure and farewell disguised by style of delivery and instrumentation

    Creative Reasoning:

    • Serves as emotional pivot cue, signalling Julie’s internal shift from tension to freedom

    • Communicates similar themes of love and connection, but with calm assurance

    • Highlights the contrast between Julie’s two relationships (Aksel: pressure, expectation, future-facing decisions; Eivind: freedom, immediacy, emotional openness)

    • Familiar instrumentation help scene feel timeless, echoing original soundtrack’s cross-generational nature

    • Entering coffee shop marks shift from pursuit to connection, song arrives at that moment

    • Like Russell, Neil’s non-native voice fits in Trier’s internationally varied soundtrack

    Practical/Licensing Notes:

    • Gentle intro allows precise timing to picture without rushing the cue

    • Sits comfortably without competing with dialogue or ambient sound

    • Stylistic contrast makes the transition between cues feel intentional, not jarring

    • Established sync history, simple major label controlled rights structure

    • Potential estate approval sensitivity

  • Fred Neil - Faretheewell (Fred’s Tune)

    Master: Universal Music Operations Ltd (ISRC: USCA29601088)

    Publishing: BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited (sole writer: Fred Neil)

    Control: Major (Master), Major (Publishing)

    Notes: Major-controlled on both sides, potential estate approval required.

  • Arthur Russell’s posthumously-released ‘I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face’ appears as Julie freezes time. I used the light switch sound to introduce the cue, helping its bold opening enter seamlessly into the scene without any diegetic integration needed.

    On the surface, the track is a simple break-up song. But as the chorus repeats with long, sweeping shots of Julie on screen, Russell’s nervous delivery exacerbates his lyrical themes of emotional avoidance and fear of commitment. There’s a melancholic undertone to the track, but its expressive flourishes keep the mood confident enough to match the image on screen.

    Those flourishes often arrive at moments which give way to negative space, providing flexibility for sound editors. I utilised this to retain the song’s original beginning and end, removing one section from the middle and increasing the negative space between the remaining sections.

    The second half of the scene is scored by Fred Neil’s ‘Faretheewell (Fred’s Tune)’. It’s another song about saying goodbye to a lover, however that meaning is somewhat disguised by the images on screen and the warmth with which Neil sings. Literally, the two songs’ lyrics tell a similar story, but the contrasting deliveries help map the shift in attitude you see in Julie as she moves from Aksel to Eivind, and from pressure to freedom.

    To signal that mood change, I began the cue as we cut to inside Eivind’s coffee shop. It’s timed so that a brief non-diegetic instrumental opening builds to the scene’s emotional climax and Fred Neil’s caramel tones take us away to the two of them under a tree as their evening of freedom begins.

    I loved how the soundtrack of the film gave a fresh platform to music from a variety of past generations. This scene, largely dialogue-free, is a perfect spot to do just that and, with both artists having a sync history, chances of securing rights look positive.

Option Two: A considered build towards an instrumental climax

for portfolio use only

Flaer - Follow

In: 00:53:46 (00:23)

Pause: 00:54:31 (01:08)

Loop: 00:55:05 (01:42)

Out: 00:56:50 (03:27)

  • Musical Choice:

    • Instrumental composition structured in cyclical phases with gradual build in density

    • Organic textures: hand plucking guitar, strings, ambient birdsong

    • Continuous birdsong avoids silence and supports looping

    Creative Reasoning:

    • Mirrors the scene’s emotional arc by repeatedly building tension, releasing it, and starting again

    • Build into third phase aligns with arrival at coffee shop and emotional crescendo

    • Subtle, ambiguity-preserving cue more aligned with film’s original restraint

    • Bittersweet emotional tonality sustains tension between optimism and doubt without being too prescriptive

    • Birdsong subtly reinforces the seasonal and emotional shift

    Practical Notes:

    • Cyclical structure and quiet passages allow phases of the track to be delayed or repositioned for picture sync

    • Birdsong geographic consistency risk may require edit or sound design adjustments

    • Instrumental avoids dialogue clashes or lyrical translation complications for Norwegian audience

    • Looping and phase delays are very useful but require careful edit to avoid repetition or momentum loss

  • Master: Flaer under exclusive license to Odda Recordings Ltd (per release credit)

    Publishing: No PRS listing located (sole writer: Realf Heygate)

    Control: Independent (Master), Artist-Controlled (Publishing)

    Notes: No PRS or PPL registration at time of search. Clearance likely direct with Odda (Master) and writer (Publishing).

  • Here I went for an instrumental selection, more true to the original and which provides a more affordable option compared to the Russell-Neil double bill. ‘Follow’ by Flaer is a song composed in three cyclical phases, each building in both energy and pace, before winding down as the cycle starts again.

    The track remains subdued through the first two sections: an audible hand plucking arpeggios on guitar is gently layered over some birdsong. Timid instrumentation repeats with brief moments of warmth, mirroring Julie as her facial expressions flip between being pensive and jubilant.

    When Julie arrives at Eivind’s coffeeshop, her smile becomes a permanent feature, tension rises, and the final section of the song begins to play. and the third section plays. The aforementioned hand begins playing more complex melodies with strings accompany it as a new sense of vigour builds in the score. Being the start of the cycle, the song’s instrumentation is at its most minimal, but there is an increased sense of purpose readying the viewer for Julie’s imminent moment of connection and the scene’s emotional climax. The track’s bittersweet nature, at once both optimistic and contemplative, connects to Julie’s complex state of mind and plays into the intended ambiguous emotional reading.

    Like the Arthur Russell track, ‘Follow’ has useful moments of calm, where I was able to delay the beginning of each phase allowing the music to synchronise with shot changes. Unlike Russell’s track, ‘Follow’ never goes completely quiet with underlying birdsong playing throughout. I looped the birdsong during those ambient moments to avoid momentum breaking with an awkward silence.

    Unfortunately, I have a worrying lack of knowledge on Norway’s native bird species, so location-specific ambience would need to be verified. As it is, the birdsong arriving after the switch is flipped helps emphasise the change in weather on screen.

Final Thoughts

The scene is not about romance, it’s about uncertainty and indecision surrounding that theme. I resisted the urge to flatten the scene’s emotional climax to a moment of pure liberation, instead opting for two different approaches that allow the viewer to draw their own emotional read from the serene. One features a lyrical counterpoint with opposing vocal styles forming a generational texture. The other is more introspective, using a textural propulsion to map the narrative arc.

Choosing not to use Nordic artists fits aligns with the international, cross-generational nature of the original soundtrack. This eclectic nature further solidifies the intended sense of ambiguity, allowing the viewer to form truly personal reactions to the film.

The strongest cues allow viewers to arrive at feeling themselves. It strengthens their emotional attachment to the story you’re telling and allows the moment to sit in their minds for much longer.

Julie is neither good or bad and the cue isn’t here to give you the answer. It’s up to you to decide.