Film is undeniably a visual medium, and more often than not, you approach a film hoping it will show you a good story. To see something unfold on screen with your own eyes and experience something that you wouldn’t in everyday life is something that makes movies so great. Generally, music plays a big part in that experience.Music works to enhance the events unfolding on screen, whether through original compositions or curated soundtracks of already existing songs.
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The music is the main reason to experience a film, however, sometimes it ends up detracting from the plot, the characters, and the dialogue on screen. The following eight films are all examples of times when a film’s music became the most memorable part of it. The music in these films leaves the strongest impact, and as such, viewers may find themselves revisiting the music more than the film it accompanies.
‘Purple Rain’ (1984)
Prince’sPurple Rain– as an album – deserves its reputation as one of the greatest in pop history. It has nine classic songs totaling just over 40 minutes, with each diverse and distinct from the other, yet all end up complementing the rest to make an entire package that’s just so good. It’s the rare album where every song sounds great enough to be a single.
The film of the same name, however, isn’t so great. While it has some 1980s charm and Prince is fun to watch (even if his acting wasn’t as great as his singing), the plot isn’t particularly strong. It involves a young musician called The Kid (played by Prince) juggling family, relationship, and career troubles. Some may not even realize the far more celebrated album of the same name is even a soundtrack to the film, and there’s a good reason why the album is more fondly remembered today.
‘Dirty Dancing’ (1987)
The iconic and still hugely popularDirty Dancingcontinues to be celebrated now, 35 years after release. It has an incredibly simple story – a young girl falls in love with a hunky dance instructor. Their personalities clash at first, but their relationship grows, and they overcome various obstacles to be together forever and all that jazz.
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Unsurprisingly for a film with “dancing” in its title, music plays a huge role in the film. While it’s well-made and the cast has charm, the music choices can’t be overlooked when it comes to looking at why the film was so successful. Beyond the iconic ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,' of course, you have music from classic artists likeThe Ronettes,The Four Seasons, andOtis Redding, among others, all making for a great, 1960s-nostalgia-filled listen.
‘Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Bohemian Rhapsodyis a biopic covering the rise of the legendary rock bandQueen, with particularfocus on their larger-than-life lead singer,Freddie Mercury. A huge box office hit in its year of release, as well as a film that performed quite well during the 2018 awards season,Bohemian Rhapsodyisn’t as fondly remembered today, now that the surrounding hype has died down.
It’s possible it created such a stir because ofQueen’smusic, more than anything. They remain a much-loved and very popular band, and still tour around the world, despiteMercury’spassing over 30 years ago. To watchBohemian Rhapsodyin a cinema meant experiencingQueen’smusic through an amazing sound system and in a way that recreated some of their most iconic live performances on screen. The band’s music likely helped many viewers to overlook the way the film fell victim to many standard biopic tropes, as well as sanitizing and watering down the more risqué aspects ofMercury’sbrief but explosive life.
‘Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace’ (1999)
It’s not a bold claim to sayStar Warsis perhaps the most controversial popular franchise in today’s media landscape. Each film, TV series, or video game that carries theStar Warsname always seems to split the fanbase. It’s happened time and time again, arguably starting in the late 90s, whenGeorge Lucasreleased the first film in his prequel trilogy,The Phantom Menace. From too much focus on political intrigue over good old-fashioned adventuring, to the introduction of unpopular new characters, it seemed every aspect of the film was disliked or defended by certain viewers.
However, the one thingStar Warsfans will always agree on is thatthe brilliantJohn Williamshas provided the franchise with some incredible music over the years. Even when the films were divisive or disliked by many, detractors rarely said a bad word about Williams, who always brought his A-game. Arguably, manyStar Warsfilms have music that stands out above all else, butThe Phantom Menaceis the clearest example, partly thanks to the iconic ‘Duel of the Fates’, itself one of the most beloved and memorable pieces of music in all ofStar Wars.
‘Under The Cherry Moon’ (1986)
Under The Cherry Moonwas Prince’sfollow-up toPurple Rain. It represented a step forward for Princeas an actor and filmmaker, and with a more comedic plot about two con-artist brothers attempting to scam a wealthy heiress out of her fortune, it’s a more enjoyable watch than its more well-known predecessor. The surprisingly fantastic-looking black and white cinematography also helps.
LikePurple Rain, it features a soundtrack of original songs by Prince, titledParade, and also likePurple Rain, the soundtrack does ultimately prove more compelling than the movie it accompanies, which is still of course pretty solid. Best known for the hit ‘Kiss’, it’s a great listen from start to finish, and shows that during the 1980s, Princecould do no wrong as a musician.
‘Streets Of Fire’ (1984)
Streets Of Fireis an over-the-top 1980s cult classic that unashamedly dips its toes into almost every genre (action, romance, thriller, musical, crime, adventure, drama) to tell the remarkably simple story of one hilariously stoic tough guy and his friends rescuing the kidnapped love of his life from a gang of thugs, led by a very young (and deliciously evil)Willem Dafoe.
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The music undoubtedly holds this one together. Without it, the bursts of stylized violence and colorful visuals would only get the paper-thin characters and simplistic plot so far. Book-ended by two great songs written by the late, greatJim Steinmann,Streets Of Fireis an unforgettable soundtrack to an otherwise potentially forgettable film.
‘Koyaanisqatsi’ (1982)
Koyaanisqatsiis a haunting and moving documentary, intended to capture (without any interviews or voiceover) life in the early 1980s, as well as humanity’s dependence on technology and the consequences that come with it. 40 years on, it still has a remarkable amount of power and relevance.
The main thing that drives its unusual and completely devoid of dialogue narrative is composerPhilip Glass’remarkable score. Words cannot do it justice, nor even describe it. But when combined with the images of directorGodfrey Reggio, as well as the film’s dramatic editing, the result is hypnotic and overwhelming in the best way. Though it’s excellently shot and put together, it’s hard to say if the film would work as well without Glass’contributions, and the music is so powerful and unique it can be enjoyed and appreciated even without watching the film itself.
‘The Mission’ (1986)
The Missiontells the story of the inhabitants of a missionary in South America during the 1700s, and the mercenary Rodrigo Mendoza (played byRobert De Niro), who goes there seeking redemption. Slightly slow at times,The Missionstill tells its story well, and benefits from its cast, which also includesJeremy IronsandLiam Neeson.
The Missionundoubtedly soars, however, whenever it incorporates music by iconic Italian composerEnnio Morricone, who blessed the film with one of his very best scores. Sweeping, diverse, and beautiful, the music ofThe Missionpushes an otherwise good film over the line to becoming a great one, with the outstanding score complementing and elevating the film’s beautiful scenery, ambitious themes, and emotional storyline.
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