Interview: Adam Janota Bzowski on Scoring ‘Saint Maud’
Saint Maud, the directorial debut of British filmmaker Rose Glass, is a brilliant and mesmerizing exploration of grief and desolation. Centered on hospice nurse Maud (played by the excellent Morfydd Clark), the film charts her emotional journey as she sinks deeper and deeper into her own misguided beliefs and delusions. Aided by stunning cinematography courtesy of Ben Fordesman and sharp editing from Mark Towns, Saint Maud will undoubtedly capture audiences’ attentions and haunt their nightmares in the same way that fellow horror films The Witch and Hereditary did in 2016 and 2018 respectively – but what really holds Saint Maud together is the haunting, yearning score courtesy of composer Adam Janota Bzowski, who manages to perfectly mirror Maud’s tumultuous journey with his excellent contributions. Film Updates had the opportunity to speak to Bzowski about his brilliant score and what audiences can expect next from him in the near future.
Can you tell us how you became involved with Saint Maud?
A chance encounter at a party led me to Oliver Kassman [the producer]. After hassling him for an opportunity, I was given the treatment for the film. This consisted of a brief outline of the plot alongside some macabre photos and images. From this, I created a 30 minute demo showing my ‘statement of intent’ – which secured me the position.
You’ve previously scored a few short films before but Saint Maud is the first time you score a feature-length film. What was that experience like? Were there any nerves or hesitation?
100%. This was everything I had worked towards my whole career. I was convinced it could be taken away at any moment. The reality only solidified on the day we premiered at the London Film Festival [in October 2019] when I saw my name in the end credits.
Can you walk us through the process of scoring the movie? Did you get a chance to read the script first?
I printed out the script, turned on some moody red lights and absorbed the words of the film. Generally, I like to take a lot of written notes, sketching rough ideas and jotting down those initial reactions. Much of it is completely unused but builds a foundation of understanding. After a few chats with the director, Rose Glass, we found the sound world that best suited the film. From then on, it was an incredibly natural process.
One thing that struck us about the score was how mournful and sad it was in the beginning before it sours into something that sounds incredibly intense and almost angry, almost like you were mirroring Maud’s journey. Was that intentional?
Rose wanted the film to very much be ‘inside’ Maud’s head. It had to be incredibly claustrophobic yet mostly contained, as though [the] pressure was building towards the inevitable release. My default is always to make sad music, I simply cannot help it.
Some parts of the score sounded very sparse and they really blended well with and complemented the sound design of the film, creating this really tense, haunting atmosphere straight from the start. Did you work with the sound designer closely or at all while you were scoring the film?
Firstly, Paul Davies [the film’s sound designer] is such an incredible talent and a kind soul. My score came first and then came the sound design, so Paul’s work very much complimented the spaces I had already inhabited. My background is in sound design, so naturally the music occupies similar terrain.
The movie really amassed this incredibly dedicated fanbase before it even came out. Did you anticipate that and what was your reaction to it?
The film has so many iconic looks and moments in it. I am so incredibly happy that people are responding to it well. There was no way I could have anticipated such a response. When scoring a film, you are watching scenes over and over again [that] they begin to lose meaning. My focus would shift to how beautiful the wallpaper in the background was rather than what was occurring in the plot. When I watched the premiere with my friends, their reaction to it made me realize we had made something special.
The movie has been delayed several times throughout the past year – what’s like it seeing it finally get a release both in the UK and the US? It must be such a relief for you.
An incredible weight off [my shoulders]. I am also so grateful for Film Updates! Otherwise, I would never know what was happening with the film.
Were there any particular pieces you made for the film that were left on the cutting room floor?
There were many instances where cues had to be redone. My initial pass of the film had a lot more romanticism in the music, a lot more melody, but Rose required a more ethereal and strange approach. There are some cues that are not present in the official soundtrack release which I just felt sounded a bit plain. One cue in particular, ‘I Think It Went Well’, was a particularly difficult cue to approve. We were working with an alternative when Rose changed it right at the last moment and we tried a more suitable direction. So people who saw it at festivals may have seen a slightly different version.
What was your reaction to seeing the finished cut of the film?
I am very easily scared so it was pretty shocking. Cinema is like a magic trick, even being involved in the process doesn’t make it any less enchanting.
You’re scoring Stacey Gregg’s Here Before and Andrew Cumming’s The Origin. Congratulations, we are so incredibly excited for both. Have you finished scoring them yet and what can we expect from your score for both?
Here Before is all done and premiering soon. It was a wonderful job to follow on from Saint Maud. The score weaves a lot more melody and atonality – somber with a jazz-like quality. I am submerged in the scoring of The Origin right now. I have just received the first cut [of the film] and it is incredibly brutal. I just finished a recording session with a conch shell blower in Australia so expect colossal terror and a primitive, punishing atmosphere.
Saint Maud is currently playing in limited release in theaters around the US. It will be released on Epix on February 12, 2021.