The Importance of Music in Film

Movies are usually filled with powerful performances that can make us feel a huge variety of emotions. And it's definitely up to the actors to tell the story and allow us to be immersed into the world the film is creating.  But what we don't realize, something that we really should give credit to, is the film's score (or music that plays in the background) that helps the story run smoothly. Without a score, a movie would only have the acting to tell the story, and while that's what is supposed to happen, without music we are left with something that just doesn't feel whole.

I was looking at the nominations for the Best Score for the Academy Awards. I've seen 3 of the 5 movies nominated, none of which wouldn't have had the same kick they had without an excellent score driving it. The first one I can think of is Gravity. It's a film that doesn't rely much on dialogue to let it have an impact. Instead, the score in the background digs into the emotions the characters feel: dread, fear, suspense, and hope. It's incredible that all we need is background instrumentals to allow us to feel more connected to the story. And in Gravity's case, the music gave it a whole new dimension. To really prove the power of a good score, here's the scene from Gravity where the characters are in huge danger. Listen closely and you can pretty much picture the scene and the emotions pumping through them.

Then there's the score for the movie Her, which, at first listen, doesn't seem too complex. But while watching, you realize how much emotion it really adds to the beauty and heartbreak of the story. No lyrics at all, just pure music that appeases the soul.

And in my opinion, the best score of the year goes to Saving Mr. Banks. The movie itself made me an emotional wreck, but the music layered over the tragic and hopeful story provided one of the most amazing film experiences in 2013. Just listening to the music from it while I type this flood memories from the movie into my mind. Only music can really trigger specific thoughts for me without actually watching the movie itself.

All in all, my point is this: Music needs to start getting more credit for what it does for film. So do yourself a favor and the next time you're watching a movie (hopefully a movie with a quality score) just close your eyes and listen for a moment. See how incredibly it matches the tone. How it can speak the thoughts of the movie while saying nothing at all. That's the power of a score.