How do you capture the essence of evil through music? That's just one of the challenges that composer Tom Holkenborg faced when creating the score for Black Mass, based on the true-life story of James "Whitey" Bulger, a violent Irish mobster who turned FBI informant in order to eliminate a Mafia family that was taking over his turf.
In this exclusive video, Holkenborg discusses how he used the musical themes to underscore the relationship between Bulger (Johnny Depp) and FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton). He also shows how, with subtle changes, he was able to completely alter the emotions of a piece to reflect Bulger's relationship with his wife, Lindsay (Dakota Johnson).
Enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at how music not only enhances a film emotionally, but also can be a powerful storytelling tool that brings you closer to the characters.
Black Mass is in theaters September 18.
