Sufjan Stevens’ Oscar-Nominated Love Stories
Published February 14, 2018
Exploring Sufjan Stevens’ storytelling is a delicate task that digs deep.
He’s an American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter known for his indie-folk vibe and spiritually thematic music. With two Oscar nominations in hand, Sufjan Stevens captivates an audience worldwide with original and provocative music relating to the stories behind films “I, Tonya” and “Call Me by Your Name.”
For someone like Stevens, it’s hard not to extract deeper meaning from ardent love stories and controversial humans. With a unique soft voice and smooth acoustical sounds, Stevens crafts his music as lullaby-like anecdotes that grab at your heart. So, when moved to create original tunes for films with such evocative storylines, Stevens was certain to deliver.
“I’ve been trying to write a Tonya Harding song since I first saw her skate at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1991,” Stevens wrote in an article in December.
“I, Tonya” is a film that revolves around the skepticism, rumors, and controversial yet staggering life of 90’s Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. While considered one of the greatest skaters of her time, Tonya was feisty and athletic; a girl with all the right intentions, who was nonetheless resented. She didn’t fit the elegant mold that was a female figure skater, and suffered under an abusive, high-stakes household. Not long after her Olympic break, Tonya was convicted of playing a part in a violent ploy to win gold, in which her opponent Nancy Kerrigan was left injured and vengeful. Then came the press, the rumors, the lies, and Tonya’s fall; all things Stevens wanted to dig into to extrapolate a message, and thus, a real story of a real “American hero.”
“I admit, early drafts of this song contained more than a few puns, punch lines and light-hearted jabs – sex tapes and celebrity boxing make for an entertaining narrative arc.”
Stevens’ rendition of Tonya’s life seems to stem from an interest in shedding light on every one of her flaws and failings that were made public. Lacking a chorus and finite structure, Stevens uses his anecdotal style and apologetic tone to expose his “American star” and the hardships that surrounded her plight against society’s pointed finger. And in the end, we find that Stevens had used all of her shortcomings to praise her bravery, and sings in encouragement: “fight on as you are my American princess.”
Stevens submitted the song to the music supervisors on set in hopes of a feature in the film, but they responded that they “couldn’t find a way to use it.”
With Oscar season kicking into high gear, however, Stevens managed to snag two nominations for Best Original Song.
As if a story could get any deeper than Tonya’s, Stevens has further proved himself with his highly emotional songs written and sung by himself for “Call Me by Your Name.”
If you have not seen it yet, you must. “Call Me by Your Name” is a sumptuous love story filmed in 1980s northern Italy and complete with a rich cast of dynamic characters. The film follows two boys, Elio and Oliver, on a journey into each other’s hearts. As their feelings for one another slowly and seamlessly multiply and flood into your soul, so do Stevens’ quiet melodies in the background, telling the story in another form, and a beautiful one at that. “Mystery of Love” explores the gradual cultivation of love in the film, and its effect on two infatuated humans stung by eventual separation. Its plot is complemented by a fluttering acoustic backdrop, and Stevens’ voice is pervasive as ever; you can’t help but take in and feel every word of his story.
The film ends on a sad note, but also a beautiful one. As the credits role, so does the tear on your cheek, and Stevens’ pretty melody and heart-tapping piano ballads. “Visions of Gideon” tugs the heartstrings and uses biblical allusions to beg the question: how could a love so intense and painful even exist?