BFI | Sight & Sound | The Best Music in Film

The Best Music in Film

(Frequent composer for Agnès Varda's ﬁlms, including Vagabonde)

S&S: What is your favourite film soundtrack music and why do you like it so much?: "I have two favourite soundtracks: The first, the real 'classic' in this field: Psycho (1960), by Bernard Herrmann, because of his wonderful use of strings, some kind of Bela Bartók sound (my favourite composer too) and incredible 'maitrise' of growing tension and my fear. The second is: The Firm (1993), by Dave Grusin. I was fascinated by the piano-suspense-jazz, played by the composer himself. The only piano sound for all very dramatic situations was great discovery, huge musical pleasure. I always pretend, that is not necessary to have 120 musicians in film music score to get the real dramatic expression!"
S&S: In what ways does music best enhance a film?: "I think, that the film score must give some new dimension to the picture, make the message of the story clear, without to repeat or underline too much the action. The best moment to put the music on film is when is no dialog and no sound effects! I had this chance only in Agnès Varda films!"
S&S: Which film either has music that you wished you'd written or is one you would like to rescore and why?: "Oh, again it will be Bernard Herrmann's score: Vertigo (1958) which I wished I had written! Well I heard a lot of good melodies in the French and German movies and some American too, which were 'overscored' ad too 'heavy' sometimes 'little' action. But is better not to mention all the names!"