Toru Takemitsu - L.A., New York, Paris, Rome, Helsinki (1991)

The wonderful things that happen. Or not.

In 1991, Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu was invited by American director Jim Jarmusch to write the original music for his film "Night on Earth", but his finished work was subsequently rejected by the director. The supposedly lost music by Takemitsu was aptly titled “L.A., New York, Paris, Rome, Helsinki” - five cities featured in Jarmusch’s film.


Comments

Pandabonium said…
Perhaps just as well that his music will not be associated with that film. Jamusch ended up with music by Tom Waits. Fitting for the 'dark' comedy.

Takemitsu wrote the music for Imamura's "Black Rain" (1989), a great movie. Jamusch did not deserve Takemitsu.
9:32 am, December 11, 2018
Paul MacLean said…
It's a lovely film, to which Takemitsu's music -- which I've heard -- would have added enormous warmth and humanity. The production is less-impressive with the "stoner guitar" music which replaced it. I strongly suspect that Jarmusch rejected Takemitsu's music because of the huge dimension it added to his movie. Directors often resent the significant interpretive contribution a score makes to a film (composers often spotlight emotional nuances of the movie which the directors weren't even aware of).
8:29 am, August 18, 2025
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