Film Score Friday: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Ennio Morricone wrote the score for this 1966 western. This film was part of the Spaghetti Western period. Morricone wrote an amazing score that is now iconic in the genre. If this is your first time with this score, you will feel like recognize it. This is because it influenced so many later works. 

The composer broke ground on a number of levels with the themes he used. In other parts though, he used traditional themes to set the stage. Part of this comes when the civil war background of the film is brought to the forefront. Morricone makes this transition remarkably well. The score also makes great use of the solo trumpet style so popular during this period with westerns. 

Is this score good, bad, or ugly? Let us know in the comments. 

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Film Score Friday: To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird 50th Anniversary Edition
Starring Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, John Megna, Frank Overton
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This week on Film Score Friday we listen to the score from To Kill a Mockingbird. This 1962 Elmer Bernstein score was tasked with the difficult task of providing accompaniment for a heavy story. Bernstein succeeds and hits the overall right tones for this treasure. 

As with a number of Bernstein films, you will hear the influence of Copland throughout. It does border on the lines of what would be appropriate for a western. When you consider the period this comes from it makes much more sense. Bernstein chose to be subtle with this score in sharp contrast to some of his other works. There is not a tremendous amount of brass in this film, but where it is present it's fantastic. 

 

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Film Score Friday: The Mask of Zorro

The Mask Of Zorro
Starring Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stuart Wilson, Matthew Letscher
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This week of Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from The Mask of Zorro. James Horner wrote the score for this revival of the classic hero's tale. Horner drew some of his inspiration from the score of El Cid, one of the first epics to feature historic Spanish characters. 

Given the setting, it should be no surprise the prominence Horner gives to Spanish themes and instrumentation. Horns are prominent throughout the score as well. Whenever the main motive returns, it's always emphasized with horn. Trumpets get an opportunity for some lyrical solos as well. 
 

It's a great a score that really improves an average film. While there's familiar elements from Horner, it is different from many of his other scores. The material is certainly a factor, but still it's welcome and a joy to listen to. 

Where does this rank for Horner scores? Let us know in the comments. 

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Film Score Friday: On the Waterfront

On The Waterfront
Starring Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning
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This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from On the Waterfront. The 1954 score was Leonard Bernstein's only film score, not counting musicals. 

This score did a number of things that moviegoers had never heard as movie accompaniment before. The film starts with a theme representing the protagonist (Marlon Brando) with a lone horn. This theme with the solo horn is heard throughout the film. There's lots muted brass throughout the score as well. The confounding thing is how little the music is used in the film.

Elia Kazan directed the film and is the the culprit for how little of the great score we hear. Only about a third of the film has music. Begrudgingly, we have to admit it works. When the music does return after the breaks throughout the film, it makes it all the more impactful. 

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Film Score Friday: Star Trek II The Wrath of Kahn

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig
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This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. James Horner wrote the score for this 1982 edition in the Trek franchise. This was Horner's first big profile movie. He delivered well. When Horner was brought on board, producers asked him to not use any of Jerry Goldsmith's material from the prior Star Trek film. 

“I’m sure that I was influenced by Goldsmith’s large orchestral scores when I started out, and that was because the people who employed me wanted that kind of sound. I wasn’t in a position to say, ‘Go To Hell!”
— James Horner on Star Trek 2

The director asked Horner to make the score sound "seafaring." This comes through quite a bit. There's a triple motive from the horns that adds drama at the right times in the top end of the range. Trumpets have lots of great fanfares as well. The low brass has plenty of chances to put air in their horns as well. 

In many ways, this film resembles an old submarine movie. The programmatic themes Horner inserts match this theme well. 

 

Where does this rank for Star Trek score? Let us know in the comments. 

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Film Score Friday: Batman

Batman (1989)
Starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle
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This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from 1989's Batman. Danny Elfman wrote the score from this take on the dark knight. Depending on your perspective, at the time this film premiered there had been few to no successful (read: good) comic book hero movies. Elfman's challenge here was to make a programmatic score, but not one cartoonish. He succeeded. 

Elfman on the score

It's a fantastic score with great range. At time it goes from sounding like a dark Viennese Waltz to Also Sprach Zarathustra. Each brass section gets time to shine many times in this score. Not only that, it feels like the bell is about to come off everything from lead Trumpet to Tuba. The recording absolutely feels like every brass player pushed it to the limit. The other element that works well with the score is doubling of brass parts with organ. The depth of sound matches the tone of the movie perfectly. The Sinfonia of London recorded this. Well done. 

“For Batman, they wanted it to sound like John Williams’ music but I don’t do that - only John Williams can do John Williams.”
— Danny Elfman on Batman


Is this the greatest score from a Batman film? Tell us in the comments. 

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Film Score Friday: Dances with Wolves

Dances With Wolves (25th Anniversary Edition)
Starring Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman
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This week on Film Score Friday we listen to the score from Dances with Wolves. John Barry wrote the score for this 1990 film. We have to say it up front. This is a bad movie. It won lots of awards, but it's not our cup of tea. That being said, Barry's score is solid. 

While not a traditional "Cowboys and Indian" film, Barry matches the tone of a western. You'll hear lots of similarities to Copland in that vein and it's a good thing. There's plenty of opportunities for sweeping Horns. There's some great Trumpet solos. The low brass have some dynamic swells in the climax of the film as well. 

 

 

Were we right about bad movie good score? Let us know in the comments. 

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Film Score Friday: Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan
Starring Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies, Vin Diesel
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This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from Saving Private Ryan. This 1998 film is one of our favorite scores from the war movie genre. In the grand scheme of John Williams scores, this one is quite different. In a typical Williams score you get lots action music accompanying action in the film. This is different. Many of the most intense action-packed parts of the film are without music or have very little accompaniment. The most intense music is saved for lulls in the action. We struggle to advocate for less score from this composer, but the approach works incredibly well. 


The score was recorded by the Boston Symphony. The recorded in their usual home, Symphony Hall. The highlight of the score is titled Hymn to the Fallen. Williams said he intended this to be the Requiem of the film. It features chorus and all parts of the orchestra. The middle of this part contains an amazing brass choir section. There have been a number of arrangement for stand alone brass choir since the film debuted. Here's a good one from Vienna Brass Connection.


Where does Saving Private Ryan rank for John Williams scores? Let us know in the comments. 

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Film Score Friday: Goldfinger

Goldfinger
Starring Sean Connery (James Bond), Gert Fröbe (Auric Goldfinger), Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore), Shirley Eaton (Jill Masterson), Tania Mallet (Tilly Masterson)
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This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from 1964's Goldfinger. John Barry wrote the score for what is considered one of the best James Bond films. Barry wrote the score for 11 different Bond films, but this is certainly one of the best. 

The score calls for four Trumpets, Five Trombones, Four Horns, and Tuba. What's great about the score the ranges of moods Barry captures. There is swing with the classic James Bond theme that has become so iconic. At other times, he goes for more of a sweeping orchestral feel more reminiscent of westerns during this 60's. 

Here's a clip of Barry conducting an excerpt of Goldfinger at an award show. 

Barry knew very little about the film and its characters before working on the music. It's hard to believe given how well his themes fit the characters and highlights of the film. It would be hard to imagine Sean Connery's swagger without the awesome accompaniment of these themes. 

“I sat down at the piano and I came up with ‘Da ya na na da.’ And did it on wah-wah trumpets.”
— John Barry via NPR

Is Goldfinger the best James Bond score? Let us know in the comments. 

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Film Score Friday: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon
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This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to 1977's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This John Williams score premiered in the same year as Star Wars. If John Williams had only written one of these score that year it would have been impressive. Both ended up being iconic and helped cement his status. 

Many movies are improved or even made with a great score. This film certainly fits that category but goes a step further. Stephen Spielberg insisted the film be edited to match Williams' score. In case you're wondering, it's almost always done the other way around. 

If you make a list of memorable Tuba solos from film scores, this must be at the top of your list. It's hard to think of a more memorable Tuba solo than this. The music is so integral to the plot it fits perfectly. 

In the video above, Spielberg and Williams talk about the origin of five note motive that appears throughout the film. If you looks real hard you'll see how hard they thought about this when you see a Kodaly reference. The Tuba solo at the climax of the film was performed by Tommy Johnson and Jim Self. It's a classic from the very beginning of the era when great scores began to be paired up with science fiction. 

What do you think about Close Encounters? Let us know in the comments. 

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Film Score Friday: The Right Stuff

The Right Stuff
Starring Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Quaid, Pamela Reed
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This week on Film Score Friday, we take a look at 1983's The Right Stuff. Bill Conti received an academy award for this score. Conti was the second choice for this film after John Barry dropped out of the production. Conti nailed it. 

The Right Stuff is about the early days of the space race. It follows Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier up through a number of manned missions into space. The film comes in over 3 hours and covers a lot of ground so anyone would be challenged to capture the right tone for the film. Conti pulls it off tremendously. The score matches every bit of the film's patriotic and adventurous tone. He inserts the theme of Wild Blue Yonder a number of times. It's appropriate for obvious reasons, but also fits given many of the characters are in the Air Force. 
 

The score was not released when the film premiered. The Right Stuff was unsuccessful at the box office and the score was not officially released until 2009. It's a shame given the quality of what Conti wrote. You'll hear plenty of influence from The Planets and Holst. You can hear most in the first act of the movie and the influence of Jupiter. Conti captures the right patriotic mood for the film and does it with some great parts for the whole brass section. 

Do you have the right stuff? Tell us in the comments what you think about this score. 

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Film Score Friday: The Magnificent Seven

The Magnificent Seven
Starring Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn
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The Magnificent Seven debuted in 1960 with what we now consider iconic actors and iconic music. When we watch the story, you see very familiar themes of an unlikely band of rough characters coming to train townspeople to fight oppressors. It's familiar because this movie did it first and movies have copied the winning formula for decades. The same kind of ground was broken with the score. 

Most of the movie takes place in Mexico and this certainly comes out in parts of the score. Elmer Bernstein set a standard here not just for westerns, but for how programmatic music can add so much to the highs and lows of a movie. Fun fact: John Williams (yes, that John Williams) played in the orchestra when this was recorded. 

How magnificent do think this score is?

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Film Score Friday: Star Trek First Contact

This week on Film Score Friday we take a listen to the 1996's Star Trek: First Contact. 

Star Trek movies had a stigma for many years of only being good if it was even numbered in terms of release order. Even some of the odd numbered lower quality films have had great scores. Star Trek: First Contact has the good fortune of being even-numbered as well as having a great score. 

Jerry Goldsmith wrote the score with assistance from his son Joel. Goldsmith brought back and expanded his signature theme from the original Star Trek film. He goes beyond that though and created some great new material for this score that blends with the movie extremely well. Our favorite part is the sweeping lyrical theme that gives the horns a chance to shine. 

Tell us in the comments which parts you think came Jerry or Joel. 

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Star Trek: First Contact on Amazon

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