Music and Film
You know by now that I had been planning to show "O, Brother Where Art Thou?" as part of our proceedings this semester. I thought that film would have nicely picked up some of the strands of our discussion regarding Dylan and the folk tradition, as well as the ideas of wandering and homelessness that have inhered in much of what we've read and listened to this semester. It would also have served nicely as an introduction to our discussion of the jazz aesthetic and the Morrison novel, and it would have anticipated the ideas of music as resistance and music as signifier of cultural authenticity. And then there's the wonderful way that music works as a form of storytelling in that film.
Even though our two film days are now off the schedule -- which I regret, but which I think was the right decision in this case -- I remain curious about what springs to your mind when you consider the convergence of music and film. What films are memorable to you in terms of music (and why)? You might respond with films that to varying degrees include music as their subject matter, or films that are almost unimaginable without their soundtracks or scores (can you imagine "Jaws" without John Williams's score??), or films that use music to advance or augment narrative, or films that use musical technique as a structuring device, etc. What film might have fit particularly well in the schedule for this course (and why)? Sara recently reminded me of the conversations about jazz that occur in Michael Mann's recent film "Collateral" (with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx), which would be a good example to share (and as I remember Mann's use of rousing Irish music during that pulsating flight to the waterfall sequence in "The Last of the Mohicans," clearly here's a director who consistently uses music memorably in his films).
(incidentally, y'all, there's still plenty of good stuff you might respond to nestled within this blog ... even going as far back as the very first posting, which asked you to nominate the all-time most melancholy songs! Simply click on "comments" and add your voice to the chorus!)
posted by Eric @ 12:37 PM
8 Comments:
Ok, so it is partly my fault that this topic started, so I feel the need to pipe in.
Since everyone else has avoided the obvious example of "Music and Film" and I am a former drama major / unabashed theatre geek I have to mention the Musical.
Songs from "Singin' in the Rain" (Title song with Gene Kelly's unforgettable dance, Good Mornin', Moses Supposes his toeses are Roses) for example aren't poetry - but they are both crucial to the movies story and characters themselves. And where would the holidays be without the movie "White Christmas".
My point being that music in movies sets the mood and that can be done with or without poetry. One could even argue that if the music in a movie is too profound on its own, it is distracting (you are no longer engaged with the characters or plot, but the song - that should be serving to inform one or both). So if music in film is serving such a subserviant function - is it still art?
I certainly don't know.
I know that music for mood or as Kate phrased it music for pop-culture appeal works. "Top Gun", "Dirty Dancing", "The Crow", "The Matrix", and "Shrek" would be substantially different movies (and it would be awfully weird for Jennifer Gray and Swayze to dance dirty) with no tunes. Music is necessary conceptually - these are examples of a modern reinvention of the musical.
Sometimes in my mind it works perfectly; Doris Day's "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" in Strictly Ballroom, or Bowie singing "As the World Falls Down" in Labyrinth.
Most of the time music is used as a crutch, those are the movies that don't have quiet moments - because if you aren't continually entertained by a soundtrack slight-of-hand you will realize how thin the movie really is (Charlie's Angels 2 - not that the first one was flawless by any means).
And not letting Baz Luhrman slip to the side (Strictly Ballroom reference above) his use of music and film is especially interesting - with a modern re-tooling of "Romeo and Juliet" then "Moulin Rouge" that reminded people that we like musicals, (and song remakes, because then we already know all the words to sing along).
I guess I don't really have anything resembling a point, or maybe I do - go, rent a musical (just not xanadu - man that movie stinks, in spite of Gene Kelly, fun soundtrack though).
I feel somewhat compelled to add to this conversation that stories told by music are a part of cultural evolution, and that this evolution is probably why music is now included in movies. One only has to think of any repressed culture to see the history of music played out. In the Caribbean islands music played several roles: music as rebellion, music as history, music as communication, as social glue. . . . If anything our technology has merely addapted in order to be able to incorporate something that has been culturally significant for ages. The radio evolved as a means of communication, and while it is by no means in its former state of glory, what came out of that were stories told with, and enhanced by music. The first sounds added to silent movies were record tracks, and it seems fitting that even though we can now be told the stories directly from the characters in a movie, we at some level feel compelled to include a "hidden message" if you will, in the form of music. That music can function with or without lyrics as a form of personal and social expression is important, and it seems fitting that in following this tradition music has become a fully integrated part of our television/movie experience.
[Karin posted as anonymous]
I have to agree that music, film, etc. is all twined together in this age of media. When I think of music as an integral part of the characters, I think of movies like Saturday Night Fever and Amadeus. But, being a huge jazz fan I think that Woody Allen is probably one of the best at combining score and film. Think of Manhattan with the opening scenes of the skyline and Gershwin banging out Rhapsody in Blue on the piano. The entire movie score is Gershwin. It's an integral part of the rhapsodical sequence of the movie.
In Hannah and Her Sisters, Allen uses themes in his score. Hannah's actor parents are always at the piano singing "Isn't it Romantic?" Elliot, Hannah's husband is introduced by an uptempo jazz theme which accompanies his new, unstoppable lust for his wife's sister. Allen's character is introduced by a frantic theme which accompanies his frantic, neurotic, hypocondriac personality. I think that Allen realizes and elucidates that we all carry around personal scores--as Tony Manero did with disco in S.N.F. At least I can relate. My personal score is Miles' "Kind of Blue."
I'm thinking about all of Spike Lee's movies. He uses music like another character, usually a starring one. The music, for the most part, like in his (I believe it was called) GET ON THE BUS, runs the entire length of the movie. Or, in THE 25th HOUR, I've never seen/heard a better example of a score driving the intensity of the story or acting. Some of those sceens with Edward Norton wouldn't have the same punch without the music.
--Nick Newton
I am an enormous fan of the successful and appropriate use of pop music in film soundtracks. This topic leads to think of the recent utilization of pop music by younger and independent directors such as Wes Anderson and Sophia Coppola.
Wes Anderson’s most recent film, The Life Aquatic, wonderfully incorporated both older pop music from the ‘70s, The Stooges’ “Search and Destroy,” as well as the multitude of original David Bowie songs and the many “re-invented” Portuguese versions, along with the contemporary music of Sigur Ros and minimal-electronic work of former Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh.
Sophia Coppola’s Lost in Translation soundtrack consisted almost entirely of very unknown indie-rock and pop groups, but was able to define the mood of her film perfectly through these very disparate projects.
While of course many big-budget Hollywood films contrive soundtracks which will sell well along side the mediocre film, I do not think there is anything wrong with wanting to define the mood and themes of a film through the strategic placement of pop music. Would any of us who were 10 years old at the time really come to appreciate the genius of Queen later in life if we had not been introduced to them through “Bohemian Rhapsody” in Wayne’s World? Think about that.
Pop songs in film seems to be the common thread here. Ryan brought up the excellent example of Wes Anderson and his usage of pop, from then and now, in his recent film "The Life Aquatic...". Anderson's a great example of what I think is a more deft maneuver in this field through his design for the soundtrack to his sophmore film "Rushmore" (the soundtracks to all his movies have been excellent though). In his comment in the liner notes to the "Rushmore" soundtrack, he speaks of how he had originally intended for the soundtrack to be entirely comprised of the kinks: they were young angry teenagers dressed in blazers and ties just like his lead character Max. This concept ended up being broadened to include (for the most part) all British invasion tunes. While he saught to adhere a specific concept to his film, it does not come across as forced or awkward; quite the opposite. His placement, editing, and selection of music within the film (all of his films) is superba dn compliments the visual material being presented in the most touching, emotive, and effective ways.
Switching from the pop song discussion, there is the other primary use in which music is employed in cinema, when it is scored and composed specifically for the film. Often times when this is brought up, swelling orchestral movements spring to mind that evoke the mighty dramatic landscapes that are found in films such as "Lord of the Rings", "Braveheart", and other dramas. Cheesy. Who could listen to this stuff at home, in such a banal environment, without imaging yourself as Frodo or William Wallace on the crest of a verdant hilltop overlooking an opposing army? Cinematic music can work though, and work well. The films of P.T.Anderson (he's done a bunch, but i'm thinking of "Magnolia" and, more specifically, "Punch Drunk Love" here) use specifically composed music to great results. Perhaps I should be focused more on the work of Jon Brion here, who is an excellent producer who has done a number of great films such as the to aforementioned Anderson films as well as "Eternal Sunshine"; he is also a record producer, responsible for such releases as Elliott Smith's "Figure 8" and Beck's "Sea Change". But back to "Punch Drunk Love"... music plays a huge role in the film in that it carries the emotional state of the main character, Barry (played by Adam Sandler), across into the gut of the viewer. The sonic element of the film causes us at times to feel as uncomfortable and miserable (downright manic at one point), or elated as Barry does.
There's one more example I'd like to cite: "Amelie". Notice the sounds in this film. The music is great, yes, but the sounds. So sharp! So clean! You can so vividly hear her drop her glass dauber on the floor, hear it roll across the bathroom tile, hear it 'clink' so clearly against the ceramic on the moulding to knock the tile lose (where she discovers the box, etc... haven't you seen it?) This is a case where sound is the focus, where the viewer is drawn in by a sense of a heightened perception of what is occurring on the screen. Often the sound of things, such as a toy's click or a broken lettuce leaf are left to the background (a gun cocking might be the one exception, a sound effect ALWAYS placed in the forefront). Jeunot does not do this. Tiny things are important in "Amelie" as they are important to Amelie.
-Brendan (who has forgotten his password...)
One film I could not imagine without its music is Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien’s works are filled with music; song creates the history of Middle-Earth. Music was a huge part of Tolkien’s universe, as we’ve already seen in “Ainulindalë,” the creation myth of Middle-Earth. Through music, the story relives itself. “The Lay of Beren and Luthièn,” for example, is the ancient story of an elf princess who becomes mortal to wed a human. The same thing happens thousands of years later during the War of the Ring with Aragorn and Arwen.
Howard Shore had quite a daunting task while composing the music for the three films, because Tolkien’s work is filled with lyrics, but no musical notation. Shore managed to give these proto-songs instantly memorable melodies. Some of the musical phrasing is quite breathtaking – for example, when Boromir is talking during the Council of Elrond (in the first film), we hear a very subtle, subdued version of the Gondor theme. This theme doesn’t appear in full until the third film. The score pulls each of the three parts together. The fact that Howard Shore accomplished this, on the schedule he had (if you watch the extended DVD extras, you’ll discover that Peter Jackson had Shore re-scoring scenes mere weeks before the film’s release date), is amazing.
But the best musical moment in the film has nothing to do with Howard Shore. It occurs in Return of the King, when Denethor asks Pippin to sing for him. The juxtaposition of words (Tolkien’s), music, and film (shots of Faramir’s hopeless charge to retake Osgiliath and Denethor greedily devouring his royal meal) is breathtaking. The best part is that the stirring melody wasn’t even written by shore. Billy Body (the actor who plays Pippin) composed it overnight. In my opinion this is the best scene in the entire trilogy, and the music is what does it for me.
My first thoughts: The Piano, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Rocky Horror (any kind of rockumentary or musical really), Moulin Rouge, The Red Violin. These movies obviously just wouldn’t work out without music.
And since I had a John Cusack movie night last month, I have to mention the song in Say Anything. Specifically, the one playing in the scene where he’s holding up the boombox, serenading his ex-girlfriend with the song they made love to earlier in the movie. I think I saw something on VH1 about how the director tried a different song for those crucial scenes in the movie. I heard a clip of it, and all I can say is that it was a good thing that they went with Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.”
I know it’s a television show, but The Sopranos has excellent music. David Chase decided to source music instead of score music because it gives the series a sense of reality. Rather than a score coming in and telling you how to feel, there’s a radio on or music in a club that provides background noise, a creative bridge rather than a crutch, as well as a kind of soundtrack. Joss Whedon’s Firefly, a quirky space western, also has great music, but he hired someone to compose the musical scores as well the twangy theme song for this series. I don’t think Whedon would have been able to FIND music to fit this particular television series, for one thing because it’s set in the future, so scoring music was the way to go. There’s a scene where some of the characters are carrying a casket in the snow that has a really touching score that’s also a memorial to the end of the short-lived series. What do you guys think—score or source?
Personally, I have to agree that digging up some great indy music is the way to go. It’s less of a distraction than pop music because movie goers will most likely not be familiar with the tracks. It just feels more thoughtful and mature than pop music or stock musical scores. Yet it still influences the emotions of the audience. I don’t think there’s a way around that. The ending scene of Garden State comes to mind. I’m trying to imagine it without Frou Frou’s song “Let Go” and I think it would be painfully boring without. That scene would have no where near the same intensity. Also, even though Prof. Reimer already mentioned Collateral, I had a completely different song from that movie in mind when I first saw the title. The scene in the dance club with that Korean incredibly repetitive techno song playing really loudly (I felt like I was in the club watching because I was sitting in a dark room with surround sound) as Tom Cruise’s character stakes out his mark was just as intense as the score from Jaws for me. Finally some action in a movie without the mindlessness of “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor”!
Speaking of indy music, even commercials have great soundtracks these days. I saw a Fruit of the Loom commercial (I think) a few years back with Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.” The Muffs had one of their songs used in a Frutopia commercial. I have a great, dramatic song with an operatic soprano accompanied by cello and violin and a techno beat from a VW Jetta VR6 ad on tv. And then The Sounds “Dance With Me” was on an MTV commercial for a while. Guy Richie’s commercials have great music as well.
...I forgot my password too. Sorry!
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