# Best marriage of music and visuals in a film. (spoilers ok) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 3, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-marriage-of-music-and-visuals-in-a-film-spoilers-ok/315424 "2005-08-03T14:50:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-marriage-of-music-and-visuals-in-a-film-spoilers-ok/315424/61 "2011-04-19T19:27:16Z")
_Lux Aeterna_ - **Requiem For A Dream** _Goodbye Horses_ - **Silence of the Lambs** ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-marriage-of-music-and-visuals-in-a-film-spoilers-ok/315424/62 "2011-04-19T20:17:57Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Also of note is anything 60s-70s, especially when set in Vietnam. _Apocalypse Now_, _Platoon_, (White Rabbit in particular), _Full Metal Jacket_, (the scene immediately after bootcamp), and hell, even _Forrest Gump_. Don’t forget Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” in **Good Morning Vietnam**. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-marriage-of-music-and-visuals-in-a-film-spoilers-ok/315424/63 "2011-04-21T03:58:29Z")
> [@Dead\_Badger](#): > > Pretty much anything scored by Morricone has got to be up there; I’d go with all of “Once Upon a Time in the West”. The character-based themes are just outstanding, and the variations fit perfectly with the flow of the movie. If I had to pick a scene, it’d be the very end, Cheyenne’s death scene; the way his theme gradually slows down, becomes intermittent and stops is just brilliantly done. _Damn_, I love that movie. Speaking of Morricone, his score for “The Mission,” was just perfect. Beautiful music that conveyed the prefect emotion for each scene of the film. Count me amongst the dopes who thought the entire score for “The Last of the Mohicans,” was fantastic. One great scene that comes to mind where the music makes the scene is Jack Sparrow’s first appearance in “The Pirates of the Caribbean.” Imagine that scene without the soundtrack. https://www.youtube.com/embed/qFG6KAd2ITI?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Dioptre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/278dde/32.png) [@Dioptre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dioptre)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-marriage-of-music-and-visuals-in-a-film-spoilers-ok/315424/64 "2011-04-21T04:34:09Z")
For non-original music, how about “The times they are a changin’” over the opening visuals of Watchmen? Similar feel to the better mix of old music and visuals at the start of each Fallout game. For orignal score the opera/fight scene in Fifth Element. That juxtaposition always has me tingling. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-marriage-of-music-and-visuals-in-a-film-spoilers-ok/315424/65 "2011-04-21T05:31:49Z")
The latest Tron movie impressed me so much for it’s music. It really, REALLY made the movie. It was amazing. To me, anyway. Your mileage may vary, but I can’t see it being the same film at ALL without Daft Punk’s scoring. That was perfect. I have no idea how movie theaters are really set up for sound, but the sound was 3-D, a huge part of the film, and I just really, really loved it. I also think ‘Wow, the scoring really makes the scenes’ in “Meet Joe Black” whenever I see it. But I don’t listen to THAT soundtrack every day and relive the movie, so Tron has my vote for the best. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-marriage-of-music-and-visuals-in-a-film-spoilers-ok/315424/66 "2011-04-21T06:55:29Z")
I didn’t really think much of the miniseries itself, but the opening to Stephen King’s _The Stand_, with “Don’t Fear the Reaper” playing over scenes of dozens of dead scientists, was really excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-marriage-of-music-and-visuals-in-a-film-spoilers-ok/315424/68 "2011-04-21T12:40:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Two directors that to me stand out on using songs in films are Cameron Crowe and Quentin Tarentino. They are my two picks as well. **Pulp Fiction** was a great movie for a number of reasons, not least of which was the use of the soundtrack. Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man” for the scene where Vincent meets Mia, and “Miserlou” for the opening and lots of others were perfect choices. > [@Zebra](#): > > Tiny Dancer in Almost Famous I suppose many songs could have been used in that scene, but I have trouble imagining anything other than Tiny Dancer. Which is interesting, because it was a somewhat obscure song (at least to me). I understand Elton John was not often asked to play it at concerts prior to **Almost Famous** coming out, but is now asked to do it constantly. Lots of other great music in that film too. I especially liked the use of Joni Mitchell’s “River” when Penny Lane and Russell greet each other at the concert, and Simon & Garfunkel’s “America” when the daughter leaves home. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-marriage-of-music-and-visuals-in-a-film-spoilers-ok/315424.md?page=3)