ROCKSTAR

It's one of my favorite all time couples: images & music. The way they both compliment and go with each other can be endlessly beautiful, violent, tragic, or just plain romantic.

This is a thread to discuss specific scenes or just the general concept of music and movies wether it be source music or score.

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Subjects like this could instantly favor musicals like Rent and Chicago where film and music are the soul of the concept. But a more traditional movie like 13 going on 30 has a fantastic montage where music takes over the piece and all you need to know you can learn by closing your eyes and listening to the song playing.

Then there's Walk the Line going all out making music as important to the audience as it was for the subject matter (Johnny Cash). Music was his life, so the movie lives and dies with every song. And every one of them works like a gem. James Mangold truly captured the concert feel and the roughness of some lyrics without ever being graphic. He has a gentle touch.

Romeo & Juliet is brilliant in the scene when the two lovers gaze at each through water with the background being carried by Des'ree's chilling performance of her ballad "I'm Kissing You". Alexander has a wonderful score that never fails to make the hair on my arms stand up.

Brighter Than Sunshine

One of the most intense movie scenes for me had to be the suicide scene in "The Rules of Attraction". And the song that plays just makes it even more intense. When the girls starts the water in the bathtub and "Without You" by Harry Nilsson starts to play. At first you don't see who it is, but the person starts lining up their rings on the edge of the bathtub, ending with a razor, while the song goes,

"No, I can't forget this evening
Or your face as you were leaving
But I guess that's just the way the story goes
You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes, it shows
"

The song continues as the girl gets into the bathtub. You see her cut herself and the pain in her face as the song starts getting more, i guess upbeat, lol, almost like screaming as if the song is trying to convey the pain that the girl is going through,

"I can't live if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give any more
Can't live if living is without you
I can't give, I can't give any more"

The song seemingly drones on as everything goes in slow motion. Then we get a over the head shot of her lying in the tub, then an up close of the water dripping from the facet as the song ends.

I now honestly cannot listen to that song without playing the scene on loop in my head.

goodbreakingbad

I was just thinking of that moment when I read the title of this thread. That had to me one movie moment that the music just gave me shiver-me-timbers! I loved it...and how they didn't say anything, just gazed at each other, so magical!

Another for me is in ROA, the bathtub scene, that was just powerful! And seeing that was the girl who had been sending him the love letters.....

ETA: Brit, you said the same thing.

Brighter Than Sunshine

^ Well, it was a powerful scene.

goodbreakingbad

Your name is Britney....right? Sorry, it's been awhile, and I suck at names.

You explained it way better than I did though. But you are right, it was really powerful.

Brighter Than Sunshine

^ Yep, thats my name.

lol. Thank you. Definally a cult classic scene. You could feel her pain, more so because of the song. That movie had a lot of awsome music actually.

LilMouse

I think all of John William's music works really well in movies like Star Wars, Jaws, ET - it can make you nervous like when Elliot is trying to get ET to his spaceship or when the shark is coming. It can make you sad like in ROTS when Anakin is killing all the jedi.

caro_fk

I loved the music in the Lord of the rings trilogy

shrrshrr

Excellent thread idea!

Well, aside from the more general references you've all mentioned, I really love when music because part of the plot, or an actual character. Two movies that come to mind (I believe the latter was in homage to the former):

The Graduate - which was the first film to incorporate an entire soundtrack by a single music artist/group with music made just for the film.

Risky Business

In both these films there's a single moment when you hear the music, it's pounding away, the hero/protagonist (Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, respectively) are in the process of driving a car - when the car stalls and the music stops with it.

Two of the most comedic uses of music ever, and very, VERY funny. The first is when Dustin Hoffman's character is driving to rescue Elaine from her wedding, and he's cruising south down Highwawy 101, rushing along in his little roadster, when his car starts to sputter and stall. The music - the instrumental part of Simon and Garfunkle's "Mrs. Robinson" - sputters and stalls, too. Freakin' hilarious (turns out he's out of gas).

In Risky Business, Tom Cruise's partents are away and have left him in charege of the house with explicit instructions not to do certain things - including driving his father's Porsche. But his friends (naturally) egg him on, so he gets in and the music pounds and he starts to back out of the garage and the music continues to pound and you know he's going to go drive off like a maniac in his father's souped up sports car - and the car suddenly stalls, the music stalling with it. He hasn't even made it out of the driveway!

In both cases the music is used to emphasize the sense of anticlimax, and becomes a visceral part of the plot, not just background or emphasis for the storyline.

jalapeno_wildchild

i liked the music they used in Braveheart for the big battle scenes.

General Maximus

I may be going a different angle, but here is a brief list of favorite scenes in a movie with the right song playing.

End of Wicker Park - Coldplay - The Scientist
Brandon Lee returning to his apartment and putting on the makeup The Crow - The Cure - Burn
Dawn of the Dead (remake) - Accapella version of Disturbed - Down With The Sickness
Matthew takes the party stand and goes to kiss Danielle in The Girl Next Door - David Gray - This Years Love

ROCKSTAR

Titanic's score is at its best when the iceberg is about to hit and when eventually it does. Everytime I watch those scenes my heart wants to jump out of my chest, the music dominates me w/ fear.

BehrItAll

I agree about John Williams' music

and the music in 13 going on 30

I also love the songs in Dirty Dancing. LOOOOOOOOVE Hungry Eyes
each song expresses the scene well.

and in Steal Magnolias when M'lynn was driving to see her grandson after Shelby died, I bawl and the music adds to the emotion.

BYtheSEA

The scene I immediately thought of is El Tango de Roxanne from Moulin Rouge. It is the most amazing and effective use of visuals (editing, dancing, etc.) and music.

As for a non-musical, all of the Star Wars movies use John Williams' music quite effectively. Duel of the Fates is the best and most dramatic.

Another great use of music is in Pride & Prejudice. It's just wonderful, lovely music that helps set the tone of the movie.

shrrshrr

*looks around* Sometimes I feel like I'm speaking an entirely different language from everyone else...

Anyway, the idea of character theme music is one that's been around for a while, but it certainly was perfect for the film, Laura, and well-used by John Williams (gives in to your references briefly). You know when the character is about to enter the room or is going to be discussed because of the music, even if you know it subliminally.