The Best Music in Film

Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian)

(Lead vocalist with Belle and Sebastian who contributed to the soundtrack for Todd Solondz's Storytelling)

S&S: What is your favourite film soundtrack music and why do you like it so much?
"I think, right off the bat, my favourite soundtrack to a film is the music to a film called Two Way Stretch (1960) starring Peter Sellers. It's a black and white comedy from Britain from around1960. The sort of thing you were brought up with, with endless reruns on public television. The thing is, when you get a bit older, inherent taste and memory sorts the wheat from the chaff. You have a feeling that you want to see certain films again. This is indeed a corker; Sellers is always a gem around this time. The script is cheeky and compelling, and you've got this terrific soundtrack pushing home every gag and setpiece. The main theme is basically a brass ensemble of some kind playing a very catchy refrain. Trumpets and trombones and a drum kit add a lot of swing to the proceedings. It's so British, you can't imagine anything quite so catchy and cheeky and...”working class” coming from France or Italy. The main theme is one of my top hundred tunes that I whistle while I'm doing the sweeping up. Another of my top hundred, and another example of unmatchable musical excellence, matched to pictures, must be all the music to the children's' animation Mr Ben. I play a game with myself sometimes. How many of the different Mr Ben themes can I whistle or sing? I usually get about five or six or something. And that's after not seeing it for about 25 years! There must be something there if it's dug in so deep. The instrumentation of the time is peerless in my view. Xylophone, flute, chugging brass, drums that sound like they've been played in a padded cell under a duvet."
S&S: In what ways does music best enhance a film?
"Woody Allen has the right idea. He just plays all his favourite old records. And the key thing is that the result is “greater” than the sum of the parts. Music + film = “something else!” Something great... I should perhaps try to give you a couple of examples of where I think this happens. 'These Days' by Nico when Richie and Margot Tenenbaum are reunited at the bus station in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). Such a great track, the film doesn't have to do too much except look pretty and unassuming; let Nico and the boys do the rest. The choir of soldiers singing sweetly while Eli Wallach gets beaten up by Lee Van Cleef in The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966). A bold combination that is quite stunning. (Great when a musical sequence becomes the bit in a film you're looking forward to. Unlike musicals when you just usually want them to get on with the story.) 'Sweetness' by Yes at the end of Buffalo '66 (1997). A still picture brings the film to a perfect end, but the beauty of the Yes track sends it home. One is frozen to the couch until the last bar of the song, while the credits run. How many times can you say that's happened? Music also enhances a film when it completely comes in and takes over, turning the visual experience into an overall sensual audio/visual extravaganza. The start of The Graduate (1967) may be noted; Benjamin arrives at Los Angeles airport and travels down the moving walkway as 'The Sound Of Silence' by Simon And Garfunkel plays. Intermittently you hear a voice telling the pedestrian to 'stay on the right' etc. Never can I travel on a moving walkway without hearing that song in my head. The same thing happens a couple more times in the film, notably when the director sets two complete music tracks back to back without dialogue. It must have just felt right, 'April Come She Will' and 'Scarborough Fair'. It never feels long, that bit."
S&S: Which film either has music that you wished you'd written or is one you would like to rescore and why?
"My most compelling feeling of actually wishing I had been the scorer on a film was felt during my first viewing of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001). I was loving the film, lost in boyish dreams, but the soundtrack was a real ball breaker. Peter Jackson can't have been expected to have great taste right across the board, so he's gone for straight down the line orchestral Hollywood, all pervading strings and tension to trouble every mood swing, and ham up every drama. (Actually, after watching every episode a number of times I've come to like a couple of the main themes, mostly by association I guess.) Anyway, the second time, watching it in the cinema, I played a game where I imagined I was scoring the film, mostly from source music of course. Ironically, one of the artists that I drew from most is actually represented on the score. Liz Cocteau is singing on some of the real score, where I would've replaced it at points with real Cocteau Twins' stuff. I would have gone with the obvious Led Zeppelin for much of the wistful over the mountain stuff, and maybe risk some of the more rocking stuff for some of the battles, fight scenes. How about a bit of Tim Buckley in there? An extension of Bill the Pony's role and a bit of 'Chestnut Mare' by the Byrd's to accompany it. A sliver of the KLF's Chill Out to accompany the 'boring' bits; ie. Anything to do with elves, romance, sickness or cinematic representation of existential fear. Add a little unexpected beauty. Anyway, this isn't exactly a rescore. This is playing some of your favourite records to perk up a bit of a film that needs perking. But in essence that's what all 'scoring' is about. And I tell you this, if I ever make a film I'm going to play some of my favourite records. I ain't going to risk spending time and money on somebody coming up with something suitable. Because they might come up with something suitable but I bet they won't come up with something great."
Last Updated: 29 Sep 2008