Music in Movies is So Important

I have been watching and reviewing movies for years. YEARS. (I write as I slam my head into the keyboard wondering what I'm doing with my life.) I love movies. In order to have a good movie, there are a ton of elements that have to come together and mesh well. Each individual element must not only be good, but must be able to work well with the other elements. If the cinematography is great, but the characters are crap, the movie will probably be crap.

One of the most important elements of a movie is the music. Music is pretty much a third of the movie. Can you imagine Indiana Jones running around without his iconic theme? Or what about the Avengers assembling without the epic rising score behind them? Music is vital.

The Pianist: A movie that used music to communicate complicated, and otherwise unbearably sad, ideas.

What makes movie music good? Well, that's hard to pinpoint. For example, a soft choir may not work well in a high octane action scene. But then again, it might. It simply depends on how the shots are framed and what is going on. When music is out of place in the film, the whole film suffers. At the same time, it is possible to have a great score, but it overshadows the rest of the scene and distracts.



The key is balance. When someone hears a song, the scene from where that song is used should pop into the viewer's head. It needs to describe a scene and show what emotions should be felt. An example of this being done well is in Princess Mononoke where majestic music swells over a beautiful nature scene. It is obviously used in order to show the majesty and beauty of nature which is one of the focuses of the movie. An example of it done poorly is in Face Off where there is contrasting calming music over an intense fight scene. Although contrasting music is not necessarily bad, Cowboy Bebop is a great example of how it can work; in this scene seems like a poor attempt at being artsy.

Cats Don't Dance: what would this movie be without its music?

The real purpose of music in a movie is to convey what dialogue can't. Emotion. The music of a scene helps to send the emotional message. A scary movie wouldn't be as scary without a good scary soundtrack? We like music because it can say so much and be so entertaining without having to call too much attention to itself. Next time you watch a movie, listen to the soundtrack and really try to understand what the music is trying to convey. It may deepen your experience and help you to enjoy your films even more.

H. Logan Christensen