# ‘It’s the Meryl Streep of the orchestra’: why cinema loves the cello

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/its-the-meryl-streep-of-the-orchestra-why-cinema-loves-the-cello/
- Published: 2026-07-30T14:00:16+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-30T15:51:16+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/30/its-the-meryl-streep-of-the-orchestra-why-cinema-loves-the-cello
- Topics: Art, Culture

## Key points

- The cello is cinema’s shorthand for emotional complexity.
- Its voice-like sound makes it especially expressive.
- Films favour its dramatic look and cultural associations.

## Summary

Cinema has repeatedly used the cello as a shorthand for sensitivity, intensity and emotional depth, with a new Pedro Pascal film, Behemoth!, continuing that tradition. The article argues that the instrument has become almost a character in its own right because its sound and physical performance communicate emotion without dialogue.

Cellist and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir says the cello resembles the human voice in range and expressive intonation, while its bowing is visually compelling on screen. Examples range from Audrey Hepburn in Love in the Afternoon to Hilary and Jackie, Tár and A Late Quartet; The Soloist even changed Nathaniel Ayers’s instrument from double bass to cello for the film.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.