BFI | Sight & Sound | The Best Music in Film

The Best Music in Film

(U-571, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines)

S&S: What is your favourite film soundtrack music and why do you like it so much?: "I have dozens of "favourite" soundtracks, but one in particular is John William's Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). The main theme is perhaps one of the most rousing pieces of film music ever written."
S&S: In what ways does music best enhance a film?: "In my opinion, the best film music helps a movie touch the heart of the viewer. Whether the goal of a scene is to inspire, amuse or terrify, great film music should enhance the moment-to-moment emotional experience of watching a film."
S&S: What is the most effective sequence of music in your own films?: "I think one of the most effective uses of music in my own films was the opening credit sequence in Breakdown (1997). It was an unusual non-orchestral piece of music that set an arresting tone right from the beginning. Interestingly enough, we had originally scored the cue with an orchestra, but one day in the mix I happened to hear the percussion tracks by themselves and liked them so much that I tossed out the orchestral tracks and replaced them with a solitary breath-controlled electric piccolo."