How Important Is Music/ Score in a Movie For You?

[kguillou]

Greetings. I feel that as I get older and more analytical of films, I've grown to realize, at least for me, music plays, and has played, a HUGE part in my enjoyment of a film. I don't think I've really appreciated until recently just how important a role score is in a movie. It's one of those subliminal things, like cinematography, that you really dont grow to notice until you start paying attention to it. I feel as if a good score can accentuate and already good movie or maybe even elevate a mediocre one.

What would that epic circle shot of The Avengers been like with that goosebumps enducing heroic Silvestri score? What would Wonder Woman's entrance in BvS have been like without that badass theme kicking in? What would Star Wars be without John Williams?

How important are movie scores to you? Insignificant? Can it make or break a movie for you? What are some of your favorite movie scores/ soundtracks?

 

[Pink Ranger]

Music scores (or lack thereof) are highly important. Obviously, a good score cannot itself save a bad movie, but is almost as important as the writing and cinematography. When done right, a score can be like the invisible, speechless narrator of the film.

Best score ever: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

 

[Neno_Kos]

Really important. Some movies wont be good at all without soundtrack. Like Conan Barbarian. That movie wouldnt be nearly memorable without it. It's actually my favorite fantasy sword sorcery movie of all time. Just google that opening scene. Even Conan The Destroyer who is not really good movie overall with score it has It was passable enough to be average. I can add another example. Pacific Rim for instance. Those fights between Kaiju and Jaegers are great, but with out soundtrack movie has movie they wouldnt be nearly good enough.

Usually I say soundtrack score is half of the movie. If you make great movie and add memorable soundtrack you have a classic. Would GotG be nearly good enough without that Awesome Mix Vol. 1? I dont thinks so. That opening scene is classic for all time. Scenes needs to match with tone of the movie, express feelings in audience and elevate them and the characters.

Some examples of great movies with great memorable score is Star Wars. When you hear it. You know it.
I'll just say great score can salvage even bad films. And great score can make good movies even greater. And those become classics.

 

[Pink Ranger]

One thing I like to do is take a movie I like, then pretend the director made it with no dialogue whatsoever. The characters just don't speak, and communicate with each other invisibly and inaudibly, but everything else in the movie is the same; the shot selection, the actions, and most importantly the score. If the score can still tell the story, then it is an amazing score.

 

[mclay18]

For a big franchise like "Star Wars", John Williams's scores is one of the best examples of musical storytelling. The longing brass of 'Binary Sunset', the imposing 'Imperial March' and the feeling of discovery in 'The Jedi Steps and End Credits'. I love that kind of tangible musical storytelling. The late, great Shirley Walker took that approach to animation as well, and she was a sorely underrated composer that got saddled with mostly crap thrillers to score. (She would've done a kickass score for a live-action superhero film.)

I feel that style of score isn't preferable in most big films nowadays. Zimmer's style of scoring has penetrated the studio system and considered the 'in' thing -- with the exceptions like Alan Silvestri's fine work on Captain America and Avengers. It's a shame, the scores for movies like Iron Man or Batman v. Superman are okay, but would really soar with tangible orchestral scores.

I also like the minimalist approach, like Before Midnight's piano and guitar score. It fits the tone of the movie perfectly.

 

[kguillou]

Even though I love Zimmer and his style of score, I agree, it really has penetrated Hollywood and everyone's trying to mimic it. I think my FAVORITE movie score of all time is John Barry's Body Heat. Jazzy, sultry, darkly atmospheric at times, sensual at others, that music just sucks you into the movie.

Avery close runner up is Vangelis' Bladerunner soundtrack. Funny enough, I'm not a big fan of Bladerunner at all but that soundtrack LAWD. One of the finest piece of music I've personally ever listened to. I listen to it constantly.

We really don't get enough movies with those kind of atmospheric sounds anymore.

 

[Kyle]

A score is essential. Just watch deleted scenes or etc without the music to see how much of a difference it makes. Films are like dead air without music, music is what brings it fully to life. Hell, even horror movies with a minimalist score - the scares themselves are largely building the way they are thanks to the music bringing that feeling of dread all the way.

 

[DOBSON10]

I wouldn't say it's that important overall, though I certainly think there are times when the right music can make a great scene or moment even better and every once and awhile a song can be jarring or misplaced. But for the most part, I barely notice or remember music from most movies.

It's only when something really stands out that I remember or take notice, like the Jurassic Park, Jaws or Halloween themes... It has it's importance but story & acting are miles more important to me.

 

[Quasimod0]

To me, it is one of the most important elements of a movie. It can mean the difference between movie being forgettable or memorable. Of course, I think storytelling, script, and acting are more important. But a truly great score (paired with some awesome visuals) can elevate a movie that only has so-so story and dialogue, like Tron: Legacy (which I love).

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

I am in the middle of research for my podcast and am going through the films of 1984 and man... It's amazing the number of films with great scores from that year. And they are varied to say the least.

I think there are times a score can indeed make or break a film but for the most part I think they elevate what is already strong material.

 

[Guts]

A movie where the score was essential.
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[AnneFan]

It's very, very important to me.

 

[the last son]

Very, very important. Music can make a movie. The Last Samurai is one of my favorite movies. Zimmer was fantastic in that movie. He never missed a scene and elevated every scene. If that movie had an average soundtrack i would probably not think so highly of the movie.

 

[smallville fan]

Very, depending on the movie.

 

[Dave McFly]

one of my biggest gripes is the music that is bad and can almost ruin the movie. I remember when I saw Robocop 2 in summer of 90 and I was like the movie is good but the music sucks which was funny as the teaser had the score from part 1 in it.



but then there are scores that at first I did not care for but I grew to like em more later on like the score for Goldeneye. most people don't know but the classic scene with the tank featuring a traditional 007 score was not the original track, here it is dubbed over the scene.

 

[Greens]

A great score can elevate a movie. Very important.

 

[Filmfan93]

A great score can elevate a movie. Very important.

This. The score of a film plays a very important role for me.

 

[kguillou]

I sometimes wonder what would happen if you took a movie a replaced its score with something thats tonally different, how much that would affect the movie and even more interestingly, how it would affect people's perception of the movie. Like, for example, what if you took Man of Steel, the exact same way it is, but replaced Zimmer's sore with John Williams.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Can a score do too much heavy lifting for a film? Can it do too much to evoke emotions that rightly should be done by the script and performances? Can it be too manipulative?

 

[Greens]

Can a score do too much heavy lifting for a film? Can it do too much to evoke emotions that rightly should be done by the script and performances? Can it be too manipulative?

It's a valid question, but I say no. The music is based on the writing and the performances and the mood of the scene. It's a way to enhance what first only existed on the page. A script isn't a movie, it's a script. A performance isn't a movie, it's a performance. The total package of cinematography, performances, story, sound and music is a movie.

 

[the last son]

It can try though. Just look at batman v superman ending where the music is telling you how to feel. I watched that movie with a group of friends who aren't comic book fans who said I guess the music means i should feel sad.

 

[kguillou]

I think of Civil War sometimes. As fantastic as that movie was, man, the score just failed it compeltely. Imagine how much more amazing that movie woild have been with a real rip roaring kick ass soundtrack. Imagine how much more enhanced it would have been if we got an epic sounding score behind it. Black Panther should have had his own theme that was badass, like Wonder Woman's, and cued whenever he made an entrance. I still dont know how Henry Jackman dropped the ball on that one.

 

[Web-Head]

Unless it's a classic, classic score...Like Star Wars, Back to the Future, etc...I hardly ever remember the score after watching a movie. Or it takes me multiple watches to really remember it. I think it's just something I don't pay attention to that much.

 

[Panthro]

The score often makes or breaks the feel of a film, so it's important.

 

[Incarnadine]

A great score can elevate a movie. Very important.

Absolutely.

I remember opening weekend for Black Swan, as the music played at the end the audience sat in stunned silence and the music was perfect.

Lucy is another movie that the odd soundtrack just makes the movie better. Every time I watch it (it's one of my favorites) I end up watching all the credits because of the music.