The Sting

While in reading the blogs of my fellow classmates I have noticed that a fair amount found the music a strange choice in this movie. I can understand that point of view, the music is out of place historically, ragtime was pre-1900s, and this is set in the mid 1930s. In addition it's hard to associate the danger and suspense depicted in the movie with a tune we most commonly hear via ice cream truck. However, the music choice, in a lot of ways, reminded me of another classic action flick, "Pulp Fiction".

The first reason I made this comparison is that the music, as previously mentioned, is historically out of place in both "The Sting" and "Pulp Fiction". While "The Sting" features ragtime, "Pulp Fiction" has funk music from the seventies such as "Jungle Boogie" and Rock music from the 1950s such as Chubby Checker's "Never Can Tell" which is played during the iconic Jack Rabbit Slim's Twist Contest.

Another comparison I draw between the two movies is that while the music fits in pace and excitement with the plot, it is in contrast with some of the depictions of suspense and violence because of it's lighthearted nature. When one thinks of ragtime one doesn't usually thing of Mobsters. In the same way, a low-key mellow song such as "Jungle Boogie" seems out of place in a film about hit men.

While I note similarities between the films, there are several contrasts. For instance, in "The Sting" there is not very much music during scenes, and very little diegetic music. Instead the music is used mostly in transitions and obviously at the beginning and end of the film. In "Pulp Fiction" the music is almost continuous. Also, in "The Sting" in contrast to other films we have watched, the music is played solely by piano, a far cry from the full orchestra classical films we viewed initially. Comparing this with "Pulp Fiction's" score of mainly contemporary is apples and oranges.

While the music of "The Sting" is perhaps an odd choice, it's playfulness and upbeat nature provide a contrast with the subject matter, one which reminds me of the contrast within another film, "Pulp Fiction".

To Kill A Mocking Bird

The music in to "Kill a Mocking Bird "is representative of the childhood innocence. In the beginning of the film the children are running around in the summer and the this music is characterized with tinkling piano music. When their play is interrupted by something ominous and scary, such as when Scout rolls into the Radley yard, the piano music turns ominous and horns and strings and percussion in low tones become more noticeable and add suspense. The town is also represented in the music, the music is very up and down, almost like what would be played during a square dance, with music more like "a fiddle" and less like a violin.

Other than the music, also notable are the silences. When Atticus gives his "to kill a mocking bird" speech at the dinner table music is absent. It is also absent during the confrontation in front of the courthouse and again during the entire trial proceedings. The silence emphasizes the importance of the words, and since the screenplay is based largely upon the novel, the rhetoric certainly has reason to claim center stage.

Another cool feature in the music of "To Kill A Mocking Bird" is the idea of a literal mocking bird is represented with a flute during key moments. After the courtroom scene before the verdict is announced one can hear the flute music. Again, after the final climatic scene in which Boo Radley saves the children from Bob Yule again the flute "mockingbird" can be heard.

Psycho

Even before I knew anything about film music, I knew about the music in "Psycho". As a young child, it was not uncommon for my sister to sneak up on my in the shower wielding an imaginary knife and shrieking "EE EE EE EE." Other than the iconic "chee chee chee aw aw aw" from "Friday the 13th" no other film music so distinctly dominates my childhood nightmares.

Upon re-watching "Psycho" listening specifically for the music, what struck me the most was not the music, but instead the long silences. During most dialogue scenes there is absolutely no music at all. I noticed that also within Film Noir, the silences serve as a sharp contrast against the intense fast-paced music that occurs during the high drama scenes. Obviously being a horror film, the music has a lot of dischord. The music is not pleasing to the ear and it makes the listener sort of cringe upon hearing it, heightening the sense of fear. The music is often dominated by strings but it sounds at times as if they're being plucked rather than played with a bow. The sound produced is more violent and abrasive and less melodious.

Obviously one cannot talk about the music within Psycho without talking about the iconic shower scene. After a completely music free conversation with Norman Bates, the unsuspecting Marion takes a shower. There is silence as she lets the water run and relaxes, until suddenly the silence is broken as we see a knife wielding mother and hear the ear drum shattering, EE EE EE EE. Again, the contrast between the silence and then the dischord laden murder theme heightens the sense of fear. All the music within Psycho, or absence there of, contributes to the terror of the audience so much so that it has become cliche in slasher films--the villain has his own killing leitmotif, for example, as I mentioned earlier, Jason in "Friday the 13th".

Double Idemnity

The first thing that struck me when I first heard the music begin to play in this film was that I found it incredibly similar in feeling to that of another film, Mildred Pierce. This is a logical comparison in that both films were made in relatively the same time period and are of the same genre.

The music is underscoring throughout the film, with only one exception, when Walter confronts Phyllis for the last time at her home. There is also a lot of music in the film, I noticed that there were very few spaces of silence. The music was most prominent, however, when Walter's voice is narrating into the Dictaphone. The music serves to convey the mood of the scene we are about to enter.

One may notice through watching this movie that it's a tad dated, there are some very prominent cliches, certainly in dialogue and behavior of the characters--and these cliches are also noticeable in the music. For instance, when Phyllis and Walter are arguing at the grocery the music goes up in pitch to suggest heightening anger, and perhaps, to suggest that Phyllis is on the verge of becoming shrill. Other cliches, such as illustrative music. When Phyllis is shot in the climax, the music illustrates her fall. Similarly, when Walter slumps after being discovered by Keyes, the music again serves as an illustration of this.

While perhaps a bit cheesy, this film, and especially the music in it, convey the deception and drama typical of a film of this genre.