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".