Before voices were ever heard on the silver screen, cinematic stories were told through music. Think about some of the most memorable moments in film history and it’s difficult to find one that didn’t have music driving the emotion.
Even terrible films can be redeemed by a well-constructed soundtrack (see Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace). Amidst all the awful pop music running teenagers’ lives these days, original orchestrated music does still exist. Even as the entertainment industry slips deeper into the hands of pop culture, one aspect has remained constant: movie music.
Today, we are blessed with endless possibilities in a digital age where a single cello can represent the most revolting villain. Original scores are becoming more powerful every year, especially with the onslaught of new composers like Clint Mansell (Requiem For A Dream) and Abel Korzeniowski (A Single Man). Yet, we are constantly graced with the near-perfect sounds of John Williams (Star Wars) and Hans Zimmer (Gladiator). The addition of a legitimate composer to a film can be just as enticing as any actor or director.
Music can bring us onto the dance floor at a ritualistic Italian wedding, celebrate a fallen gladiator, communicate with extraterrestrials, or even genuinely fear an attacking shark. Just think about the fact that we don’t even see the shark in Jaws until the 3rd act. Up until then it is all suspense, in part created by music.
I won’t deny that great performances, well-written scripts, or genuinely unique stories are what stand out and earn recognition. These are all essential to a complete and memorable cinematic experience. But it’s what the musical collaborators create from absolutely nothing that allows audiences to connect on a scale they can’t even imagine. Some people will never claim to “hear” the music, but so rarely is a film without it. They fill the voids between scenes and moments where you might otherwise nitpick and notice the intricate flaws of every interaction. Sometimes it takes subtlety to stir emotion, while other times require the music to be loud and in your face.
Just this year, Michael Giacchino won the Oscar for Best Original Score for Up. On its own, the film is heart-breaking and funny from start to end. However, it is the seriousness with which Giacchino (who also scores ABC’s Lost) takes in telling the story through music, rather than words, which transforms an animated feature into more than just colorful images. Given, Up was brilliantly written, but the music is what gave us the personal permission to cry for the loss of a cartoon character.
2010 Best Score Nominees (James Horner, Buck Sanders, Michael Giacchino, Marco Beltrami, Hans Zimmer)
Imagine what the Star Wars saga would be without John Williams’ brilliant touch. Of course, the first thought in your mind was likely the iconic title sequence, and it’s not so crazy to think that track is more recognizable than the films, or even the late Darth Vader. The music of the saga has had a profound effect on me as a film lover. It is likely the original source of my passion for composed scores and I find myself going back to it whenever I’m in need of some tunes. Whether it is the romantically-charged Princess Leia’s Theme, the intensely awesome Duel of the Fates, or the moving Binary Sunset, only one track in all six films has faced the delete button on my iTunes: Jedi Rocks. I dare anybody to last the entire 2:50 of that joke.
It’s rare that poorly composed music will make a film unwatchable. I can’t actually think of a score that was so out of place it actually hurt the overall movie. Yet, a poorly made film can be infinitely more enjoyable with the magic touch of good music. Of course, going back to Star Wars, the most recent trilogy was made a little more bearable thanks to John Williams. Or take Mission: Impossible 2: most of the general public disliked it, however, it still possessed a brilliant score from Hans Zimmer.
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Even if the film itself is total crap (and we've had more than our fair share of those lately), a well-done orchestral score can make all the difference.
I also freely admit that when I hear about an upcoming film, after wondering about casting and who the director will be, the next question on my mind is who will be scoring the film.
And in the interest of full disclosure, my father collected soundtrack albums for a number of years, and he was always interested in who would be composing the music for a particular film. That love of movie music was passed on to me, and there are certain composers that I really enjoy listening to, including Danny Elfman, Michael Giacchino and Hans Zimmer.
Currently, my favorite soundtracks are The Wolfman, Sherlock Holmes and Star Trek. But what has me a wee bit peeved is that Giacchino's score for Up was supposed to have been released as a soundtrack album last year, but so far, I haven't seen it yet. Hope that will be corrected very soon.
I got it the Up score on iTunes a couple weeks ago. What do you mean? Is there a different version?
Anything by Lalo Schifrin, or Michael Small – who scored Klute, The Parallax View and Marathon Man – instantly evokes “1970s tense thriller/cop show”. It's something about the sparse orchestration.
Jerry Goldsmith's incredible free-form soundtrack played a major part in establishing the skewed world of Planet Of The Apes. Ditto Vangelis with Blade Runner, and the “electronic tonalities” of Forbidden Planet. Howard Shore's understated drones and sick pulses were perfect for the emotionless, almost documentary style (and I mean that in a good way) of David Cronenberg's movies, and added to the queasy, unsettling feel of Silence Of The Lambs and Seven. Sergio Leone's films would be entirely different beasts without the flamboyance of Ennio Morricone.
Non-original soundtracks can do the trick as long as they're well-chosen. Hearing the likes of Photek, Source Direct and The Aphex Twin was one of the highlights of the first Blade movie for me. The musical pieces Stanley Kubrick chose for 2001: A Space Odyssey are now totally inseparable from his visuals. I saw it on the big screen again in '01 and those unearthly compositions by Ligeti – particularly the one used during the “Stargate” sequence towards the end – made the experience overwhelming and awesome (as in “inspiring awe” rather than “awesome, dude”).
The songs Richard Kelly selected for Donnie Darko combined perfectly with the atmospheric pieces composed by Michael Andrews. One of the best ever uses of both original and “found” music, I reckon.
It was supposed to be released on CD shortly after the movie was in theaters, and I haven't found the CD yet. I'm not a fan of iTunes, because it constantly updates itself, and it gets annoying.
Unfortunately, by that time Disney was putting out all its soundtracks that didn't have exploitable songs a la “Hannah Montana The Movie” and “The Princess And The Frog” via downloads (except for “Old Dogs,” which despite not being a John Debney score album – in fact, Debney has no tracks on it at all – was only digitally released). Which was annoying, especially re “A Christmas Carol.”
They seem to have backtracked now, what with “Alice In Wonderland” getting a physical CD. Or maybe they know you don't mess around with Danny Elfman…
Mike – - can I just say spot on about John Williams. Especially his work on “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “E.T.,” “Hook,” “Jurassic Park,” “The Patriot,” “Catch Me If You Can” (which was just a pleasant surpirse). I like his use of the themes. Connecting lines of music that unite the picture. You just have to hear a piece and you're right back there. Everytime I heard amazing music I just assumed it was John Williams.
I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to Alan Silvestri. I always thought that “Back to the Future” was John Williams because it was so awesome. But a number of years ago I learned the turth and wanted to say good job.
I'm also a fan of Danny Elfman, Jerry Goldsmith, Hans Zimmer (I love what he did with “Hannibal” and with Klaus Badelt's original score from “Pirates of the Caribbean”), Alan Silvestri (obviously), Michael Giacchino (although I really think his Oscar should've been for “Star Trek” if he had to win one at all), Carter Burwell on “In Bruges” was phenomenal, although I didn't mind his work on “Twilight.”
Mike – - can I just say spot on about John Williams. Especially his work on “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “E.T.,” “Hook,” “Jurassic Park,” “The Patriot,” “Catch Me If You Can” (which was just a pleasant surpirse). I like his use of the themes. Connecting lines of music that unite the picture. You just have to hear a piece and you're right back there. Everytime I heard amazing music I just assumed it was John Williams.
I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to Alan Silvestri. I always thought that “Back to the Future” was John Williams because it was so awesome. But a number of years ago I learned the turth and wanted to say good job.
I'm also a fan of Danny Elfman, Jerry Goldsmith, Hans Zimmer (I love what he did with “Hannibal” and with Klaus Badelt's original score from “Pirates of the Caribbean”), Alan Silvestri (obviously), Michael Giacchino (although I really think his Oscar should've been for “Star Trek” if he had to win one at all), Carter Burwell on “In Bruges” was phenomenal, although I didn't mind his work on “Twilight.”