by Lucia Schmid

Before I begin to gush about the intricacies of various gems in the world of film soundtracks, I want you to listen to this piece of music.

My guess is that you were able to identify it within the first two seconds, possibly without even looking at the title. This brilliant composition written by the even more exceptional John Williams highlights the familiarity and connection we as filmgoers have with a piece of music, as it is able to transport us into the world of the story we hold so dear.

According to master composer Ennio Morricone, “Music manages to show what is not visible, to work against the dialogue or, even more, tell a story that the images do not reveal.” It is a story that can be independent on its own, but is also fundamental in the development of the film itself. It creates the energy, the atmosphere, and the element that allows the film to be remembered. No two soundtracks are the same, and each one has a different purpose. We, as the listeners, want to imagine the film unfolding as we listen to the soundtrack through.

As such, I am going to be highlighting soundtracks from differing genres, as I want to give a clear explanation how a soundtrack fitting a horror film is just as brilliant for that movie as Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby’s soundtrack is for its purpose.

Beginning, in no official order:

1. Psycho (1960) by Bernard Hermann

In one of the most iconic horror soundtracks of all time, Bernard Hermann does a fantastic job of creating a building sense of anxiety with his winding, long string music, almost echoing the scenes of Marion Crane driving to the Bates Motel. This song climaxes, of course, with the disharmonic shrieking of the strings, which audibly causes the listener to tense up and remain on edge.

According to an article in the Encyclopedia Britannica, “To match Hitchcock’s sometimes surreal images, Herrmann drew upon avant-garde music by using edgy harmonies and dissonances. The instruments in the string ensemble were played with mutes and without vibrato, producing a harsh cold sound.” This piece of music is a prime example of the visceral effect the soundtrack can have on the listeners, who often cannot listen to this without remembering the infamous shower scene.

2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Richard Strauss, György Ligeti, Johan Strauss II, Aram Khachaturian, and Alex North

Back to the classics we go with this integral sci-fi film. This soundtrack boasts yet another track that is instantly recognizable to the average person, even if they don’t know exactly where it’s from. The film was praised for incorporating classical music into a movie centered around modernity. The triumphant first notes of the theme plunge the listener into a sense of exploration, a feeling of entering the unknown.

According to BBC, these iconic pieces were almost not in the movie. “Kubrick hired film composer of note Alex North to score the movie, but in assembling the rough edits, he had been using the tracks we now associate with the film. North knew he could never compete with Richard Strauss’ ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ and retired gracefully.” This quote only proves further how arduous of a process a soundtrack is, but also how recognizable it can become.

3. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) by Ennio Morricone

The iconic two-note melody is recognizable to almost anyone when asked to think of a Western movie. This film is known as a “Spaghetti Western” due to the cast and crew being almost entirely Italian, apart from our leading man Clint Eastwood.

Ennio Morricone’s attention to detail in this soundtrack, such as changing the instrument depending on the character, is what makes this music so instantly recognizable. He creates a story through each note, culminating in the triumphant ending song “The Ecstasy of Gold”. A new wave of appreciation for Ennio Morricone’s work came after his death this past July, which hopefully will continue long after this year.

4. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010) by Nigel Godrich

This film might look a little different than the other ones on the list, but I wanted to show off a variety of films that have been praised for their unique sound. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is centered around the music produced by Scott’s band, so the music had to be a central feature of the movie’s plot. Director Edgar Wright brilliantly creates a comic-book style narrative with music to match the fast-paced plot, centered specifically around home-made rock style jams. This is yet another soundtrack that practically tells the story of the movie itself as you listen through it, a trait I think is vital to a successful soundtrack.

5. Trainspotting (1996) by Ellie Roswell and Rick Smith

I’ll be finishing off this list with another non-secular choice to many classical soundtrack listeners. However, Trainspotting has been praised highly for its realistic portrayal of a group of heroin addicts living their lives in Edinburgh. If you were to hear a summary of the plot, you’d expect the music to be messy, loud, and chaotic—traits the soundtrack definitely follows through with.

There are many different attitudes throughout the soundtrack, which perfectly demonstrates the main character Renton’s highs and lows as he tries to break free from his addiction. The music follows the idea that soundtracks should have their own story, that they should be the catalyst for new events to follow. Trainspotting’s soundtrack captures this messy, painful moment in time brilliantly.

This list featured many different types of films, but I aimed to show what each individual soundtrack does for the narrative and mood of the story. Next time you watch a movie, I encourage you to pay attention to the sounds in the background. Maybe there won’t be any at all. Whatever the mood of the soundtrack, I can guarantee it’s all completely intentional.

ST. ART does not own the rights to any images used in this article.