Sunday, March 21, 2010

My Favorite Film Scores of All Time Part 2 of 2

I must admit that I'm distracted quite easily, thus I completely forgot to finish my favorite film scores of all time list. I know, I know... People were rioting in the streets due to the unrest my forgetfulness caused. With this in mind, I apologize to you all for falling behind. Listed below is the remainder of my list, but I must say, there are many more scores I still love that didn't make the cut, so in the future you may be seeing a bonus edition. So, let’s finish this up!

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Oh look! Another Jon Brion score on my list. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m quite enamored with the orchestrations Jon Brion creates. They’re often romantic (confessing this makes me feel naked) and off beat from the usual fodder one may find in film. With “Eternal Sunshine…” being a film that deftly balances science fiction (traveling through memories) and grounded romance, Jon Brion seems like the natural choice to score such an ambitious film. Obviously he does a terrific job, as he constructs short, but powerful ballads that not only capture the heartwarming (and wrenching) romance between our two leads (Winslet and Carrey), but also captures the playful enthusiasm and innovative thoughts writer Charlie Kaufman instills in the film.

The 400 Blows I could only find one track from Francois Truffaut’s French classic, but it’s the most important one: the theme. Composed by Jean Constatin, the main theme of the film is probably one of the more recognizable pieces of music in movie history. First and foremost, no matter how old it sounds and how many times I listen to it, it always sounds achingly beautiful. Yet what is most powerful about this piece of music is how easily it encapsulates Truffaut’s entire film into a three minute orchestration. It starts out light and breezy, much like the main character’s plight, but as soon as his world starts to spiral out of control at an expedited speed, the music picks up and eventually comes to a slow, melancholic roll, leaving the last moments of the piece on par with the protagonist’s own realization at the end of the film.

Amelie If I had only a few words to describe this fantastic French film it would be “charming” and “magical”. Such a distinction can be attributed to the uncanny direction by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and the magnificent performance by Audrey Tautou in the lead, but one must also consider the music that fills this already buoyant film. Composed by Yann Tiersen, the film features an eclectic assortment of instruments consisting of accordions, banjos, strings, pianos, and even a bicycle wheel! Obviously with the use of the accordion, the score definitely sounds French and Parisian, but never does it sound basic or expected. Instead, by using a variety of sounds and tools, Tiersen was able to create an appropriate mixture that not only made the sound distinct, but it also helped perpetuate the whimsy found pulsating through “Amelie.” Tautou and Jeunet give us a feast for our eyes, but such a feast is supplemented by the auditory splendor constructed by Tiersen.

Big Fish There are a lot of expectations that go into a Tim Burton movie. Most expectations are focused on the visual style of the film, and rightfully so, but what’s usually an interest for me is the score that Danny Elfman can concoct for Burton’s gothic vehicle. More often than not he doesn’t disappoint, but the one Elfman score that really grasped me was the one he brought to life in “Big Fish.” What initially did it for me was that it really didn’t sound like a Danny Elfman score. Sure it has the ever ready bombastic horns and drums, and the usual choral piece, but Elfman’s ability to distill it through a backwoods mindset gives the film a southern twang that not only deepens the atmosphere, but enhances the films visual and emotional palette.

The Godfather

Nina Rota is simply a genius. You don’t need to be a movie lover to fully appreciate and know the themes that Rota conceived for the legendary film “The Godfather.” Just by listening to the score one can tell that the film is just dripping with drama. Never mind that the music shouts “Italian!” with merely a few notes. What’s most impressive is how Rota can take a simple theme and manipulate it in a matter of ways to convey a plethora of messages. The score can be brooding, romantic, and violent from moment to moment, as well as all at once.

The Dark Knight

Hans Zimmer has never really been a composer known for his restraint, and his score for “The Dark Knight” doesn’t change this at all, but it does represent how Zimmer’s ambition can create a pulse pounding score that adequately captures the action and dark turmoil that resides in Christopher Nolan’s Shakespearean tragedy. Using horns, drums, and sharp shrills that emanate from a set of strings that seem to be played at a violent rate, Zimmer heightens the tension found on screen to epic heights. Furthermore, Zimmer creates memorable character themes, especially the one belonging to the Joker, which inventively makes use of a guitar, creating what seems like a siren sounding off. This not only acts as a warning sign to the audience, but also as a representation of man beyond crazy and understanding.

A Couple of Random Theme’s I’ve Enjoyed:

Nino Rota’s “8 ½ Theme”-

This particular piece more than adequately captures the mad-cap, surreal feeling one feels when watching Federico Fellini’s mind bending “8 ½.”

Paul Cantelon’s theme for “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”-

The only original music found in the film is also the most uplifting and heartbreaking pieces of music I’ve ever heard.

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2 comments:

  1. Chris TiaanApril 22, 2010 at 12:33 PM

    Very nice. I'm surprised you didn't have any Ennio Morricone in here, but a splendid list nonetheless.

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  2. mmonty86April 22, 2010 at 2:10 PM

    Well, to be completely honest I haven't seen many films with a Morricone score. But I'm hoping to squelch that issue with my next wave of films from Netflix.

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