day three, large-scale studio productions

Now, Voyager, 1942, Dir. Irving Rapper

     Throughout the 1942 film Now, Voyager, there are two primary leitmotifs that run throughout the duration of the film. The first is experienced from the introduction of the film through Charlotte’s admission into Dr. Jaquith’s institution; the tune emits a soft palette of sound that produces the feeling of hesitation—which is complementary to Charlotte’s state of mind when walking down the staircase to see her mother and again when Dr. Jaquith is present in her room. Moreover, the second leitmotif a viewer experiences in the film not only follows the film for the remainder of its duration, but it also depicts the relationship between Charlotte and Jerry. The love theme first appears when Charlotte and Jerry are traveling on boat to South America and at one of the stops, the pair travel through the city in hopes of finding presents for his two children at home. While the two dine, their leitmotif, which will inevitably accompany their love throughout the film, is first introduced. Upon Jerry’s departure and Charlotte’s return home, this theme takes a hiatus as Charlotte begins to identify herself as independent of her mother and begins seeing Elliot. Upon Charlotte and Elliot’s arrival at a party, Charlotte is reintroduced to Jerry and their love theme extravagantly appears again, conveying the element of surprise and rekindling of feelings of the main protagonist. From this point onwards, the love theme is constantly implemented, as Charlotte breaks off her engagement with Elliot, begins mentoring Tina, and as you might expect, renews her love with Jerry. The love theme of the film not only presents itself when Charlotte and Jerry are directly interacting with one another, but it additionally appears with the psychological presence of Jerry. This sense of presence allows a viewer to experience the intensity of the protagonist’s love and commitment to Jerry.