This period drama from director François Girard follows a silkworm merchant-turned-smuggler across the landscapes of Europe, Egypt, Russia, and Japan, unfolding like a travelogue set to a sweeping orchestral score by Ryuichi Sakamoto. Depicting the journey from the snow-covered Siberian steppe to Japan, the track First Trip to Japan begins with a melancholic string melody that expands to a majestic soundscape led by horns and cymbals, ultimately guiding the listener to an exotic world marked by the sound of a stone flute. At times suggestive of a ryūteki (bamboo flute), the stone flute’s harmonic overtones blend seamlessly with the sound of the orchestra. Upon reaching Japan, the protagonist finds his way to a village buried deep in snow. The slow, sustained reverb of the piano in Snowy Village conveys the chill of winter frost and the palpable density of the air. Appropriately, the piano parts were recorded at Glenn Gould Studio in Canada, and the score indeed carries an undercurrent of solitude that seems to channel the spirit of Gould himself. When the protagonist first sets eyes on the concubine who will become his love interest in the village, The Girl creates a beautiful effect with a wispy violin melody that intertwines around the unhurried arpeggios of a piano. The wavering pitch and breathy, almost scratchy voice of the violin lend the piece a distinctly non-Western sound, suggesting an affinity for an Eastern aesthetic that accentuates the allure of the woman clad in her silk kimono. The protagonist makes a total of three trips to Japan over the course of the film. Sakamoto composed themes for both the outbound and return legs of the journeys, elaborating on those themes with further variations to reflect the evolving circumstances of the second and third trips, shaping both the film’s pacing and the passage of time. Overall, the compositions tend toward an understated classical sensibility, as evinced by the pizzicato used in small interludes such as Mill Theme and Building the Garden. Still, the mood takes an ominous turn in Revolution, showcasing the full breadth of Sakamoto’s creative range as a film composer.