Anatomy of a Murder

From the opening credits on, the use of Duke Ellington's jazz music does a lot to establish the mood of the film. As is typical with jazz music, there is an emphasis upon the saxophone, and itinvokes a sense of mystery while at the same time seeming less intense then, for instance, how a horror movie would start out. The danger is real, yet at the same time it's playful.

One notices this especially when the character of Laura Manion is first introduced. A curvy hourglass seductress, the music emphasizes this with heavy saxophone in a sort of melody that invokes "va va voom", a cliche often used when a male notices a beautiful female in a smoky nightclub. The fact that its daylight and this woman is supposed to be a rape victim offers a sense of irony. It also gives it a clue to the viewer that perhaps this woman is not exactly as she seems.

The majority of the movie, the courtroom scenes, do not offer music. If the jazz music is meant to establish one's opinions of the characters, then it makes sense that in the court room would not have music in it. The courtroom is where "the facts" are established, but the real trial exists outside the courtroom as the audience forms its opinions of the characters. Jazz is emotional, seductive, sexy, cool, whereas facts are black and white with little room for interpretation. Therefore, when the order and logic rule, jazz is not present. Yet when emotions and secrets run wild, jazz is prevelent.

In the final scene before the verdict is reached, a moment of high drama, Paul plays mellow jazz music on the piano. This again, echoes the irony in the plot that perhaps real justice is not carried out, and things are not always as the seem to be.

The final scene ends as the movie began, with mellow, sexy, jazz music. The music is neither reflective truly celebratory or morose. It is as though the whole event of the trial was inconsequential, a charade, and everyone goes about their lives, none the wiser, and none the better.

"Robin Hood" Commentary

From the opening credits onward, the orchestral music invokes a sense of mounting anticipation. The music is past paced and the instruments used most often are the exciting instruments--brass and percussion. Sometimes when a lighter mood needs to be evoked, such as in Marian and Robin's leitmotif, instruments like violins become more prominent. This leitmotif pops up whenever Marian and Robin are together, most notably in the final scene when he rescues her.

The music in this film acts to make the action sequences more exciting. For example, when Robin Hood first appears, his arrow hits with a stinger. Later, when he enters the banquet hall with his deer, and in other action packed scenes, his leitmotif plays. Robin's leitmotif is fast paced and exciting. It reflects Robin's swashbuckling attitude and adds a sense of drama. It can be witnessed anytime Robin Hood is at his most dashing; when he's revealed at the tournament, when he fights with the Merry Men in the trees, and of course, during the climax when he rescues Marian and saves the day.

During other action packed sequences, such as the horse chase after Robin first enters the banquet, the music is played in sequence at in an increasingly higher pitch which does more to add to the urgency and excitement of the scene. Most of the music in action scenes is underscored, yet in some instances, such as during the fight with Little John, the music is diegetic being played on a lyre on the shore. Other examples of diegetic music include trumpets at the tournament and at Prince John's coronation. In these scenes however, there is a full orchestra underscoring the diegetic trumpets.

The movie ends on a jubilant note with the Robin Hood theme played in a decisive and victorious manner. The entire film seems to be very typical of modern action films today, the action and romance is emphasized with leitmotifs, sequences, and stingers.

"Casablanca" Review Blog

Anyone who has seen "Casablanca" knows that music plays a very important role in the movie. Just as in "Gone with Wind" the first thing one usually thinks of is the "Tara Theme", when one thinks of Casablanca it is impossible not to think of "As Time Goes By". From the first time Sam plays it on the piano, to the moment when Rick tells Ilsa goodbye, "As Time Goes By" serves as a leitmotif for Rick and Ilsa's love affair. In scenes where Ilsa and Rick's relationship is going well, such as during the flashback scenes in Paris, the music is in a higher pitch played with violins and piano, when the characters are in conflict, the pitch of the leitmotif is lowered and there is more dissonance.

Another leitmotif within "Casablanca" is a tune recognizable to me as "God Save the Queen", the theme is played whenever official Nazi business is going on, such as the theme in which Lazlo is forced to confront the Nazi officials. This leitmotif is featured in the opening credits as well, it interrupts the African/Middle Eastern style music that is originally in the credits, to represent the Nazi interruption in Casablanca.

Another interesting aspect of music in "Casablanca" is when it is NOT played. While in Rick's cafe there is usually digetic music, in the form of Sam playing the piano, many times during important dialogue any sort of music, digetic or underscore, is noticeably absent. This is an interesting point, the contrast between the noisiness of Rick's cafe, the two noticeable leitmotifs, and the utter silence of certain conversations. For example, when Rick is drinking with Sam after seeing Ilsa again for the first time, there is no music until Rick starts thinking about being in Paris with Ilsa. In this scene when the music starts it is digetic because Sam starts playing the piano, predictably, "As Time Goes By".

Overall, music is an extremely important asset to "Casablanca", whether it is Moroccan themed music to place the setting, or Rick and Ilsa's love theme, the Nazi leitmotif, or merely the absence of it, music in Casablanca helps to paint the picture of a doomed Romance in a war torn world.