Movie Soundtracks

ziedth

I was going to post this in the other thread but I was afraid I'd derail it.

I love films but one thing that NEVER even enters my mind when watching them is a soundtrack. I'd be aware of a good song or whatever in a film but The only two films I can really think of are the Matrix and Tron:Legacy where I said to myself how good it was in the general sense of the film and the latter I was aware of from the thread here.

So my question is am I missing a major part of the movie experience? Or is it something only really serious movie buffs notice? I kinda like the idea of rewatching a few older films again with the idea of a soundtrack in mind.

bnt

The answer is, of course, "it depends". A soundtrack is supposed to complement the visuals, not draw attention to itself - but that doesn't mean you wouldn't miss it if it wasn't there.

If you have The Dark Knight on DVD, for example, one of the extras describes how composer Hans Zimmer struggled to find a sound to evoke The Joker, and ended up using a single distorted cello note. Sometimes it's played so quietly that it's almost subliminal, acting on the ears as a faint perfume does on the nose - as if you can almost smell the Joker's presence. If you never noticed that explicitly, that's not a problem, but I bet your hair stood up on end all the same.

On the other hand, the film Lost In Translation has little or no "background" music, just songs played over the "action" at certain times, mostly when the characters are outside the hotel. In the hotel, the background audio comes from the hotel itself - the air conditioning, doors creaking, lifts, and the faint roar of traffic many floors below through the double glazing. I listened to it through headphones and it took me back to all the hotels I've stayed in - none of them in Japan, but the hotel wasn't particularly Japanese either - just another Hilton.

I play and record music on my own, so I'm naturally attuned to movie soundtracks and listen for different things to those most people do. There is no "correct" way to approach this - it's the composer's challenge to create something that fits the movie and its audience. You certainly aren't obliged to pay attention to the soundtrack if that distracts you from the movie, just understand that some of us do, and like talking about it!

ziedth

Oh i'm not questioning for a second anyones right to discuss it I just notice allot of posters on here who I would respect have a much wider knowlege and appreciation of films then myself often discuss the soundtracks and like I said I'm wondering am I missing something.

I also understand what your saying that they are not designed(for want of a better word) to steal focus from the film and complement the scene.

foxyboxer

I love the idea that the end of ET is just images representing John Williams' score. It's certainly a movie where the music is noticeable. Same thing with Star Wars whereby the music in itself is a standalone symphony.

Imagine the shower scene in Psycho without the music. It just wouldn't be the same.
In terms of actual songs, Tarantino used the soundtrack to complement Pulp Fiction very well.