The Importance of Music in Movies – A full breakdown

There are many different components of cinematic storytelling. As music is not visual it can often go unnoticed and receive little to no recognition when placed behind a moving picture. I’m sure you will have watched many a movie and been moved or transfixed in ways you cannot describe or even brought to tears. Think Titanic, The Lion King, Chariots of Fire, Singing in the Rain, Meet Joe Black… am I close? Most of that will be down to the composers intricate penmanship. It is for that reason that we must understand the importance of music in movies so we can better appreciate and enjoy film in all its glory as it was designed to be!

Music has always been part of the story 

As the first films ever made were ‘silent movies’, they sure lived up to their name as they had absolutely no dialogue or music. With film technology unable to produce sound during this time, some silent movies began to screen to audiences with a live orchestra who accompanied the picture through mostly improvised techniques. Therefore, a lot of movie writers were relying on the musicians’ judgment to set the tone and convey the correct emotions as the writer intended. This would have been a bit of a gamble but the writer had no other choice! Watching a silent movie without music really drives home the importance of music as a necessary component of storytelling. Try it for yourself and go and watch one! It’s safe to say the live orchestrated music lifted silent movies entirely and was able to better articulate the emotion presented on screen. As a lot of silent movies were slapstick comedies, upbeat rhythms and comedic musical timing were essential to enhance the watchers’ cinematic experience.

This was just the start of music and pictures working in tandem and from the start of the twentieth century music in movies started to diversify even more. From selecting and licensing pre-existing songs for movie soundtracks to composing virgin musical scores for films, writers have had even more opportunities to expand their craft and take storytelling to a whole new level. 

So how is it used today?

There are many different ways that music functions within movies: setting the scene, evoking emotion, identifying characters, transmitting themes and foreshadowing certain events. Music can nuance the slightest of visual details on screen and add a whole new dimension to it: the slight raise of a eyebrow to a judgemental wince of a eye could be accompanied by a minor melodic pattern reflecting the shape and movement of the characters facial expression. This could in turn help carry the writers intention forward for that specific character eg. to see them in a sinister light. The audience might in turn feel that exact emotion or something similar thus fulfilling the writers intention. 

Music adds layers of meaning that can subtly change your perception or view of a character, scene or issue within a film which otherwise probably would not have happened if the music was void. Take Ratatouille for example. The whole movies’ score is practically based around ‘Le Festin’, a song written by French singer Camille. Composer Michael Giacchino threads ‘Le Festin’ throughout the movie and uses the melody as the movies’ main musical theme. For example, within ‘Wall Rat’ Giacchino takes the song and uses a slower, more drawn out tempo to reflect character Remy’s solemn and despair. However, towards the end of the scene Giacchino places the more recognisable hook of ‘Le Festin’ within a thick textured swell of orchestrated strings to reflect the lavish landscape view of lit-up Paris that budding little chef Remy sees from the rooftops. *Chefs kiss*

Train your ear

So now its over to you! It’s easy to get swept up in the thrill of watching a movie or a new tv show. We’ve all done it! If you really want to appreciate film more in the way it was originally intented, or even be more open to interpreting meaning on screen as you watch, then you need to train your ear. If you want to be an active rather than passive watcher AND listener then try and listen carefully to the music behind the screen. It doesn’t matter if you are not a musical person or not. You might be able to pick up on a motif (tune) that reoccurs as a certain character appears on screen throughout the movie. If so, ask yourself, is it a happy or sinister sound? How do you feel when that character appears and you hear that motif? That might allow you to think deeper into the character and the narrative. Or place close attention to the start of the movie. How does it start? Is there any music playing? What does it sound like? Is it uplifting, mysterious, joyous? How does it make you feel? What does it suggest will happen next on the screen? Asking yourself these quick questions as you watch will make you more a more mindful watcher and allow you to think deeply about the story being told. You might be thinking, “I don’t want to do that, I just want to switch off, relax and enjoy the movie” and hey you can! But remember music is part of that story, and if you are not mindful of it you might just miss the best bit and not fully appreciate it in all its fullness. Just something to think about for your next movie night.

If you have any questions on this topic please leave them below and I’d be happy to help you out. I would love to hear your thoughts!