Moonrise Kingdom and Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten was a noted 20^th century English composer and conductor. His work includes everything from operas to orchestral and chamber pieces. Britten's music is notable for its attention toward children, which is something it has in common with the cinema of Wes Anderson. Anderson's films often put their emphasis on the plight of the young characters, as is the case in Moonrise Kingdom. This shared focus on children is likely a strong motivation for Anderson's heavy inclusion of Britten into Kingdom's score.

One of Britten's more notable works, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, was originally composed with the intention of educating children in classical music. To this day, it remains among one of the most popular pieces included in youth music education.

Likely for this reason, it was featured early on in the soundtrack to Moonrise Kingdom. Another reason it could be featured in the film might have something to do with the structure of the piece. The work introduces each section of an orchestra and then combines them together at the end. Much in the same way is the structure of the movie. In the beginning, each character is introduced separately, and by the end of the film, each of those parts come together and interact together to fulfill the story's plot.

Among other compositions included in the soundtrack are selections from Britten's opera Noye's Fludde (which tells the story of Noah's Ark). At one point during the movie, in a flashback scene, Sam and Suzy are shown participating in an opera at a church. This is where they first meet. The opera they are performing is Noye's Fludde. Britten wrote the opera with young, amateur performers in mind, so it makes for an appropriate choice for this movie. In a way, there is almost a parallel between the story of Noah's Ark and Moonrise Kingdom. In the movie, Sam and Suzy, like Noah, are attempting to escape from a flood. Except for them, it is more of a figurative flood than an actual one. There is a flood of animosity about their running away together, liberating themselves from the hostilities they feel they live with. (Suzy is disdainful of her parent's treatment toward her and Sam is bored and tired of the scouts.) In this way, Captain Sharp and Scout Master Ward, among the other adults, become the water of the figurative flood that is chasing Sam and Suzy.

Another interesting connection to note is between Moonrise Kingdom and that of Britten's opera Peter Grimes. While no piece of music from Peter Grimes is featured in Anderson's film, there are other striking similarities. For instance, both stories take place in fictional coastal towns (Grimes in England and Kingdom in New England). Both examine the struggle of individuals against the masses and both stories feature a powerful storm. In Moonrise Kingdom though, the storm plays a more central role.

Also included on the Moonrise Kingdom soundtrack are various selections of Britten's works ranging from some of his orchestral pieces to selections from his version of "A Midsummer's Night Dream".