Vox Lux «ESSENTIAL HOW-TO»

One of the most misunderstood aspects of Vox Lux is the role of Eleanor. In lesser hands, the sister would simply be the martyr—the quiet genius enabling the star. But Corbet complicates this. Eleanor is the architect of Celeste’s sound. She is the one who, in 1999, dressed Celeste in a revealing red dress for the VMAs. She is the one who stays behind the curtain, writing the sad piano ballads that Celeste performs.

Vox Lux is unique for having two distinct soundtracks that are at war with each other. The first is the score by legendary composer Scott Walker (in his final film work before his death). Walker’s music is atonal, industrial, and terrifying—comprised of distorted metallic scrapes, deep bass drones, and choral shrieks. It sounds like a factory collapsing. This score represents the reality of Celeste’s soul: trauma, noise, and anxiety. Vox Lux

The film is divided into two distinct halves, tracking the evolution of its protagonist, Celeste: One of the most misunderstood aspects of Vox