The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe (Moonrise Kingdom)

Bold and almost absurdly theatrical, this piece charges forward with the gleeful energy of a child who has decided today will be an adventure regardless of what the weather thinks. Brass figures announce themselves with mock-heroic swagger while the strings scramble underneath in urgent, bubbling patterns. Desplat plays the whole thing with a knowing wink — the grandeur is real but the scale is small, the heroism genuine but slightly ridiculous. There's a physicality to the rhythm, a sense of bodies in motion across difficult terrain, splashing through puddles and scrambling over rocks with absolute conviction. The orchestration is surprisingly full for such a whimsical premise, giving it actual dramatic weight beneath the comedy. It belongs to the tradition of adventure music but filtered through a child's sense of what adventure means — monumental in feeling if modest in geography. Put this on when you need to tackle something unglamorous with disproportionate enthusiasm.