Best-Scored Films

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

In contrast to Best Film Scores. I've been appreciating film music more especially as a technical position of being irreplaceable to the fabric of a movie. A composer doing what they're paid best to do.

 

The following thread isn't ambiguous in its discussion: It's about music

fitting the film instead of a discussion of great stand-alone scores.

 

My scarce (needs updates) selection for best-scored films are:

Titanic

Vertigo

The Matrix

Princess Mononoke

Black Swan - Tchaikovsky

Aladdin

Homeward Bound

American Beauty

Braveheart

Casino Royale (2006)

 

Some movies I'm not sure about yet:

Life of Pi

Star Wars

Casablanca

Fellowship of the King

The Lion King

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Curse of the Black Pearl

[Naïve Old Fart 12,875]

AMERICAN BEAUTY is not "potential".

 

Add PATTON to your top list. 

[TheUlyssesian 2,696]

So basically scores that are able to have a lot of impact their films and convey the story?

 

I think the greatest example in the history of film scoring is Gone With The Wind by Max Steiner

Controversial film I know but literally any viewer who watches the film will be immensely struck by the music and what it manages convey and represent.

 

E.T. Extra-Terrestrial is another classic example.

 

In modern movies I am thinking something like Gia's Up is so important to the movie and does untold wonders for the poignancy and emotional impact of the film.

 

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

1 hour ago, TheUlyssesian said:

So basically scores that are able to have a lot of impact their films and convey the story?

 

The job of the film composer. Essentially composers who do their job the best, on what movies.

[Xander Harris 9,532]

Batman

[Gurkensalat 383]

Jaws and Star Wars belong in this list

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

6 hours ago, Gurkensalat said:

Jaws and Star Wars belong in this list

 

Feel free to make a list.

 

I'd personally say these two work quite well, though at a more surface level sometimes for the film. Star Wars' music especially makes the film, but I don't feel it makes the fabric of the story. Though thematic, its more decorative than foundational.

[Naïve Old Fart 12,875]

2 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

Gone With The Wind by Max Steiner

Controversial film I know...

 

Och!

Controversial? Schmtroversial!

It's just a movie, but it's a damn good one. All this current bullshit, is just bullshit.

 

 

[A24 5,112]

It's all subjective. For instance, I could replace the music of Casino Royal with another James Bond score and it would make no difference to me. Braveheart? To me that's just another score. And when somebody says "beautiful decoration", the first thing that comes to mind is LOTR. 

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

4 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

It's all subjective. For instance, I could replace the music of Casino Royal with another James Bond score and it would make no difference to me.

 

Except in this case you'd still have to agree it's well-scored. Like the Tchaikovsky example I listed.

 

4 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

And when somebody says "beautiful decoration", the first thing that comes to mind is LOTR. 

 

Sort of true also.

[A24 5,112]

If we're talking about 'music as a foundation', we need to look at Musicals. 

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

1 hour ago, Alexcremers said:

Braveheart? To me that's just another score.

 

[Naïve Old Fart 12,875]

I think that what we are talking about, here, is music that is not so much married to the visuals, nor even takes us on a "journey", nor even sounds brilliant away from the films that they accompany.

Any score can be associated with the film it scores, and several scores are unable to be separated from their films, but

for me, a classic score - an indispensable score, if you like - is one that is able to not only support its subject matter, but which can enter the narrative and convey the thoughts and emotions of the actors involved. In short: it becomes another character.

If that is the criterion by which we are assessing these "best-scored films" - at least of the last 65 years - then I'll say

VERTIGO,

PSYCHO,

THE GRADUATE,

PATTON,

JAWS,

THE OMEN,

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

11 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Any score can be associated with the film it scores, and several scores are unable to be separated from their films

 

I like your resummarization here. "Which films would be the least without their score?"

 

The big one is Titanic. If it has an 7.8/10 on IMDb, then at most 2/3 of that rating is because of the score music burrowing into the audiences' subconscious [1] [2]

The common knowledge one Star Wars. At most 1/2 is because of the music. Contrary to belief the film would be able to function alright if it had a different orchestral palette. 

Then a musical like The Lion King, high rated as well, with an impactful score portion also. Music might be only mildly replaceable. I can start figuring out the less popular ones...

[Koray Savas 2,260]

The Thin Red Line

Once Upon A Time In The West

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

Road To Perdition

Signs

The Nightmare Before Christmas

[Chen G. 6,015]

33 minutes ago, Koray Savas said:

Once Upon A Time In The West

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

 

Yeah, without the kind of music that Morricone wrote for those films, those prolonged periods of buildup wouldn't work.

 

Other candidates for me include:

 

Star Wars

The Return of the King

Jaws

Psycho

[Quintus 6,309]

Just another fluff thread, but go on then.

 

The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

 

Hey ho.

[Edmilson 12,200]

The Thin Red Line

The Shawshank Redemption

Apollo 13

Lord of the Rings (trilogy)

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Vertigo

How to Train Your Dragon

[Arpy 4,255]

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - scores that absolutely define the films they accompany and transcend them into that blissful 'Herrmann Gate' principle - that scores should exist beyond their filmic boundaries.

[Thor 9,347]

I want to answer the query, but it's a little too broad for me. There are, like, a million films where the score "fits the movie".

[gkgyver 1,647]

Lord of the Rings for everything. 

[Chen G. 6,015]

I pointed out The Return of the King, specifically, because the other films in the series could have had a different musical style (within the orchestral idiom) and still work, while The Return of the King really screams for those raging choirs that Shore's score is so wonderfully replete with.

 

No other style of scoring would have availed that entry.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,714]

Hard to say when so many great scores get buried under sound effects so they hardly got to carry the movie or anything.

[Edmilson 12,200]

Indeed this is a problem with many modern blockbusters, including those scored by Williams. 

 

Giacchino, on the other hand, always manage to have his scores playing out loud on every movie he does.

[A24 5,112]

8 hours ago, Kasey Kockroach said:

Hard to say when so many great scores get buried under sound effects so they hardly got to carry the movie or anything.

 

Those who are buried under loud sound effects are always the bad scores, IMO.  Bad movies, bad scores.

[Xander Harris 9,532]

The Alien score was mixed fairly low and constantly drowned out even in scenes like the landing.

[bruce marshall 1,968]

17 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

The Thin Red Line

Once Upon A Time In The West

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

Road To Perdition

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Yes.

FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE also. The watch theme is part of the action.

[p0llux 434]

Don Davis - The Matrix Trilogy

Howard Shore - Lord of the Rings Trilogy 

John Williams - Jaws

John Williams - ET

Ennio Morricone - The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

Joe Hisaishi - Princess Mononoke

 

[Kühni 485]

14 hours ago, Chen G. said:

I pointed out The Return of the King, specifically, because the other films in the series could have had a different musical style (within the orchestral idiom) and still work, while The Return of the King really screams for those raging choirs that Shore's score is so wonderfully replete with.

 

No other style of scoring would have availed that entry.

 

Can we marry? I also make a wicked Kugel, both with and without discernible flavour.  I can give you references.

[Arpy 4,255]

14 hours ago, Chen G. said:

I pointed out The Return of the King, specifically, because the other films in the series could have had a different musical style (within the orchestral idiom) and still work, while The Return of the King really screams for those raging choirs that Shore's score is so wonderfully replete with.

 

No other style of scoring would have availed that entry.

I would argue you couldn't have Return of the King without the first two; FotR and TTT still made use of choir unlike other contemporary films.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,714]

9 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

 

Those who are buried under loud sound effects are always the bad scores, IMO.  Bad movies, bad scores.

Total Recall? The Rocketeer?

[Bayesian 1,613]

On 7/4/2020 at 5:59 AM, Koray Savas said:

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Absolutely, yes! Perfect example. 

[Jay 45,780]

I can't imagine Under The Skin with any other score

[Tom 6,663]

It depends on how good the movie itself needs to be.  I thought Memoirs of a Geisha's score fit like a glove, but the movie still lags.

 

Anyway, Warhorse, Images, and AI.  

[Xander Harris 9,532]

Anyone else think the 1976 King Kong has one of the best main titles ever?

 

 

[publicist 4,650]

I don't but the organ is is a great touch.

[bruce marshall 1,968]

JOKER is especially well spotted!

[A24 5,112]

 

So good, people were humming it while showering.

[Tom 6,663]

I will add Towering Inferno to the list.  The opening helicopter scene is one of the better mood-setters. The movie itself is overstuffed, but the score hits the right moments.  

[Naïve Old Fart 12,875]

17 hours ago, Jay said:

I can't imagine Under The Skin with any other score

A film that is once seen, never forgotten.

 

 

4 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

 

Alex, this is an absolutely perfect example of the thread title. The songs form an integral part of the narrative, being both incidental, and source music, and reflecting the characters' emotions.

 

Let's face it: most scores can sound great with a film, but very few manage to get under the skin (no pun intended, Jay) of a film.

STAR WARS; TITANIC; LORD OF THE RINGS; BATMAN; E.T. they all sound great with their accompanying images, but on their own they are just aural cotton-candy; throwaway, and completely inconsequential.

A truly great score becomes enmeshed in its film in an almost subconscious way. It becomes part of the fabric of the film.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER is one of those scores.

[Jay 45,780]

4 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

A film that is once seen, never forgotten.

 

Indeed

[ETMuz 3]

Vertigo - scene d’amour!! Blew my socks off
Star Wars ESB 

E.T. - Bike chase to end credits is some of my favorite go to music!

Braveheart 

LOTR - I get tired of the main theme but l get

More interested in some of the underscore moments.

I gravitate to the ones that are heavy. Without heavy emotion music is boring to me. 

[gkgyver 1,647]

What is the LotR "main theme"? 

 

[ETMuz 3]

2 hours ago, gkgyver said:

What is the LotR "main theme"? 

 

I shouldn’t have said main theme. It’s the one that moves from a minor chord down a half step to another minor. (Or something like that)
I like his score I just want to hear some variations in the theme if I’m going to have to hear it 50 times. That’s just me though.

[Romão 2,467]

Ran, by Takemitsu, is pretty much perfect in the film

[ETMuz 3]

12 hours ago, Romão said:

Ran, by Takemitsu, is pretty much perfect in the film

Never heard this before. Thanks!

[Jurassic Shark 16,351]

12 hours ago, ETMuz said:

I shouldn’t have said main theme. It’s the one that moves from a minor chord down a half step to another minor. (Or something like that)
I like his score I just want to hear some variations in the theme if I’m going to have to hear it 50 times. That’s just me though.

 

Not just you.

[Edmilson 12,200]

I like the use of classic rock songs on Scorsese's crime thrillers, they always work amazing in context.

[Romão 2,467]

20 minutes ago, ETMuz said:

Never heard this before. Thanks!

 

The two suites on the original release are a perfect encapsulation of this score

[Jurassic Shark 16,351]

On 7/4/2020 at 9:43 AM, Naïve Old Fart said:

Och!

Controversial? Schmtroversial!

It's just a movie, but it's a damn good one. All this current bullshit, is just bullshit.

 

 

 

Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!