Hello, reader! Firstly, happy new year, may this one be kinder to us all! Secondly, welcome back to Kino's Collective Thoughts. Today, I am going to talk to you about film soundtracks, specifically scores, those pieces of music that compliment everything that's going on on-screen (unless you're watching a crazy arthouse film). Essentially, I'll be having a passionate conversation with myself about why I love film music and what it does to me (and probably to you) in and outside of films.
So, let's turn this up to eleven and get a move on!
The Emotional Amplifier: Music in Films
I'm going to make the bold assumption that everyone reading this has seen E.T. (or at least seen this scene). If you haven't, let me explain this picture's context here and then I'll give some substitutes for those who haven't yet had the privilege of crying over an alien that looks like an overcooked sausage.
Music in film is used for very specific reasons. The main one of those is the creation of atmosphere. The music John Williams composed for E.T. is quite possibly some of the most recognisable music composed for a film to date and that is generally for how well it creates atmosphere. The fast flute work that evokes the childlike wonder that Spielberg is known for, paired with the iconic strings that create a sense of wonder that is completely unique to E.T., helping pack the emotional punch when it needs to do so. There are images in this film, such as the silhouette of E.T. and Elliott against the moon, which create a profound feeling of joy, wonder and even hope, but, I think it is fair to say that if you look at the image above, you can almost hear it. Think of the scene without music. It's impossible. The music is what emblazoned that scene and that image into so many minds across the world. Bernard Herrmann, who often composed the music for Alfred Hitchcock films, once said that Hitchcock only did sixty percent of the work, whilst his music finished them. Those of you who have seen Vertigo, think of the scene in which Judy and Scottie kiss after she has emerged from the bathroom after her full makeover, it's absolutely impossible to think of without that haunting music. Even more iconic, think of Psycho without its music. It's nothing! Music makes a film, or is at least the adhesive that sticks them in the mind.
Let's also take some of the really emotional films, those films that have brought you to tears. Whilst the only film that ever makes me cry is Edward Scissorhands (yes, really), I can think of other films that have brought me close. The film that brought me the closest was True Romance (another odd choice, I'm sure many of you are thinking), that scene at the end of the film in which Patricia Arquette's character is reciting an inner monologue, repeating the so innocently delicate line "you're so cool", just packed the emotional punch that was so effective. I must admit, if the power hadn't cut out and the film switched off, I probably would have experienced the rarity that is crying at a film again. Another one was the criminally underrated Stephen Hawking biopic, The Theory of Everything. There were two moments in that one, the first being the montage of Stephen and Jane after their marriage, whilst one of their children plays the piano, the other being Stephen's hallucination near the end of the film. Jojo Rabbit nearly got me too at that moment when Johannes and Elsa dance to a German version of David Bowie's 'Heroes'. There are a few more examples, but the most important thing to say here is that every single moment in any film that has nearly made me cry was to do with music. It pulls on the heartstrings, it plays with your emotions so easily. The many parts in Edward Scissorhands which break me are all accompanied by Danny Elfman's enchanting score. Music gives us the opportunity to become emotional, it's that catalyst that a stone-faced monster like me needs to feel that feeling that the director wants us to experience so badly. Music is an emotional amplifier. Why else would scores be included in a film?
The Emotional Enhancers: The Scores Outside of their Films
Picture this: you are Joaquin Phoenix in this still from Her (great film, you should watch it, if you haven't already), as you can see, the sun is shining bright, it's probably warm, and you are on some form of public transport on the way to [insert ideal sunny summer day activity here], you are excited, relaxed and very happy. Many people like to listen to music on public transport, including me, and so do you (remember, you are Joaquin Phoenix). You could be listening to Talking Heads, or The Mamas and the Papas or Michael Kiwanuka - who knows - but, though all of that music is great, you could be listening to music designed specifically for Joaquin Phoenix sitting on some form of public transport on a warm summer day. Arcade Fire, who composed the soundtrack for Her, wrote the piece of music that plays over the scene that this still was taken from specifically to amplify the atmosphere created by Spike Jonze. Surely, playing that soundtrack wouldn't amplify the atmosphere for me in real life, would it? Answer: yes. Yes, it would.
Whilst you will hardly ever find the exact same situation to play the music in, you will never be Joaquin Phoenix, sitting on some form of public transport on a sunny summer day (unless you are Joaquin Phoenix, in which case, I'd like to let you know that I thought your performance in this film was phenomenal) and I will never have a man with scissors for hands making ice sculptures in my garden, creating snow for me to dance under, you will almost certainly find the right atmosphere for this music to be played in. Just the other day, everything was covered in frost and the fog was some of the thickest I've ever seen. I decided to walk up onto the South Downs with my camera. It was magical. Because I am utterly obsessed with music and listen to it pretty much everywhere I go, I plugged my headphones in and went for my walk listening to the soundtrack for David Lowery's A Ghost Story. If you have seen this cinematic masterpiece, I'm sure you can remember how big a part the music plays in the mood of the film. The score, composed by Daniel Hart, is so hauntingly beautiful and sounds like how I imagine space would sound, if it sounded like anything at all. Because it is so indescribably amazing, I'll put a link here to one of the tracks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4yhtLdH5I0&list=PLfzW_wEeYxk4UhXjEvJavcelvLr_FAokg&index=2). It just sounds like something so similar to a foggy day, so I thought it would be perfect - and it was. I know I would have enjoyed my walk without music, the visuals of the walk were stunning, but I knew that I could amplify that awe for the rare beauty that fog creates by listening to this soundtrack. It's no different to people putting on a playlist of sad music when they feel sad. They do this to wallow in the sadness, which everyone deserves to do. It's natural to feel things like this and it's a beautiful thing to feel such strong emotions, so it's an even more divine feeling when you can make that experience stronger. It makes you feel more human. That is, essentially the greatest thing music can do (realistically). Other music is entertaining, fun to listen to and great to talk about, but music that is specifically made to make you feel something and to make you feel like a human being is surely the greatest genre of music. Forget indie, forget alternative, pop, rap, country, folk - any genre you know - it's time to show soundtrack music the love that it really deserves, as the music and its composers are quite possibly some of the most skilled people in the music industry.
Thanks for stopping by, once again, reader. It's always nice to see people reading what we write, so we are always so grateful for some interaction. With that in mind, I'd love to know what some of your favourite soundtracks are, especially if you like to listen to them in certain conditions. If you feel like I have just enlightened you (I'm flattered) and you'd like to start listening to some soundtracks, here are some of the films with my favourite soundtracks and the artists they were written by. Before you read those, I'll 'sign off' and wish you happy listening!
Some incredible scores:
- Amélie (by Yann Tiersen)
- American Beauty (by Thomas Newman)
- Blade Runner (by Vangelis)
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (by John Williams)
- Donnie Darko (by Michael Andrews)
- Edward Scissorhands (by Danny Elfman)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (by Jon Brion)
- E.T. the Extraterrestrial (by John Williams)
- A Ghost Story (by Daniel Hart)
- The Grand Budapest Hotel (by Alexandre Desplat)
- Her (by Arcade Fire)
- Ladybird (by Jon Brion)
- La La Land (by Justin Hurwitz)
- Levity (by Mark Oliver Everett)
- Solaris (by Cliff Martinez)
- The Straight Story (by Angelo Badalamenti)
- The Theory of Everything (by Jóhan Jóhannsson)
- True Romance (by Hans Zimmer)
Thanks again!
Jay.
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