Most Bergman films use little or no non diegetic music, and and more powerful for it.
As for me, I’d rip just about everything Joseph Lewis did off for a start (Long takes, single source lighting etc.)
Bergman’s use of closeup
Hal Hartley’s over-blocked character movement.
Howard Hawks overlapping dialogue.
David Lynch (Or Alan Splet to be precise)'s sound design.
Takeshi Kitano’s shooting while editing technique.
The Ozu angle at least once.
Tourner’s use of suggestion rather than overtly showing an act.
I realize this is subjective; as such, so perhaps it’s appropriate to respond with a entirely subjective response.
When I watched “A Clockwork Orange” for the first time I was so elated that I walked miles–kid you not–though a slum–one of the most dangerous cities in the state–at 2 in the morning . . . singing. I have never before or since been so affected by a soundtrack.
Chalk another one up to the subjective aspect of art appreciation.
And to continue the subjectity, when I years later bought the VHS tape, I was so angry at the early rape scene that I literally broke the tape apart with my bare hands.
This has indeed been done. I don’t know if it was a pioneering work as such (probably wasn’t), but Day of the Jackal, the political thriller that was later remade as The Jackal (starring Bruce Willis), was just such a film. There’s not the tiniest hint of an external soundtrack throughout the whole movie. Come to think of it, I don’t even think it has music during the beginning or end credits. Really adds atmosphere and intensity to the whole thing.
Incidentally, the film itself is also pretty good.
The musical New York, New York, with Robert DeNiro as a big band leader and Liza Minelli as his love interest has no external soundtrack until the closing moment of the film.
