Editorial: The Music Maketh the Movie

I've been thinking of my favourite movies lately, and I've noticed a striking correlation: nearly all of my favourite movies have superb soundtracks. I really think that film music, for me at least, has a considerable bearing on whether I like the film in question, and it is an area of filmmaking that sometimes can be overlooked.

I tend to be partial to orchestral scores but a good compilation of songs can also add to a film considerably. One of the reasons Tarantino is known so well is because of his instantly iconic soundtracks, generally comprising of obscure hits from the 80s or earlier.

Just looking at the last couple of years, I could identify numerous soundtracks that really added to a movie. In some cases they were the difference between a complete dud and an acceptable way to spend a couple of hours, Eragon being a case in point. I was pretty satisfied with Superman Returns mainly because they used John Williams' classic theme. Indeed, the opening credits of that film are the best part of it, and I have put the DVD on just to watch the start several times.

Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette split audiences somewhat, but I'm a big fan. I was curious to see how modern pop music would work in a period context, and the answer was "very well indeed". Of course, the choice of songs was hugely important, and somehow they all suited it so well. Who'd have thought that The Cure would be perfect for a scene of 18th century Versailles? Sofia Coppola, apparently.

Another one that I loved but was not hugely well received generally last year was Miami Vice. Michael Mann's films generally have expertly selected soundtracks and his latest movie was the same. I went and bought Mogwai's Auto Rock on iTunes straight away after seeing the film.

So I see a trend has emerged. I fairly often seem to like films that have been critically panned or poorly received by the public, and in those cases I generally like their soundtracks. Perhaps I value film music so highly that it distorts my perception of a bad film? Or maybe that's precisely film music's job.

Try to imagine Star Wars without the music. See?

EDIT (3 May): I recently watched Danny Boyle's Sunshine for the second time, and there are moments in that which are just a sublime fusion of stunning visuals and excellent music. That's pure cinema, folks.