# Your favourite piece of original music from a film. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183 "2007-08-10T22:06:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Inthelake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e274bd/32.png) [@Inthelake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inthelake)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/21 "2007-08-11T16:12:01Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] Mine has to be Deborah’s Theme from Once Upon A Time In America. I find it so touching, so graceful, so damn beautiful. It’s guaranteed to start me blubbering. Here’s a performance of it- [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HmsRFrN97ek/hqdefault.jpg "Ennio Morricone "Deborah's Theme", live in Warsaw") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmsRFrN97ek) What’s your favourite piece of original music from a film? [/QUOTE] Yeah that is a beautiful piece by Morricone. I also like his score for Once Upon A Time In The West. My favorites include : The Ghost and Mrs Muir (Bernard Herrmann) Conan the Barbarian (Basil Poledouris) The Dead Zone (the original Cronenberg film - Michael Kamen) La Grande Illusion (Joseph Kosma) Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Wojciech Kilar) All of Herrmann’s work (in particular the Hitchcock scores: Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho - pure genius). And Chaplin’s own score for Modern Times. ---
**Author:** ![Inthelake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e274bd/32.png) [@Inthelake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inthelake)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/22 "2007-08-11T16:14:41Z")
Oops - it seems you meant best “piece” - not best score - sorry for my previous post :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/23 "2007-08-11T16:21:59Z")
OK, I may have to turn in my man card on this one, but I think **Lara’s Theme (Somewhere My Love)** from **Dr. Zhivago** is a really beautiful song. The balalaikas really make it. ---
**Author:** ![Paladud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Paladud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paladud)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/24 "2007-08-11T16:50:56Z")
Does Radiohead’s “Exit Music” count? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/25 "2007-08-11T18:44:57Z")
The main theme from **Once Upon a Time in the West** is unbelievably good, especially in the lead up to Fonda’s face filling the screen after 30 minutes, and again in the “loving brother” flashback near the end. Cheyenne’s Theme is good as well. The last 2 tracks on the soundtrack to \*\* The Good, The Bad and The Ugly\*\*, as well as the main theme, are also superb. In fact, I’m going to get the vinyl out now to listen to them before I go out. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/26 "2007-08-11T19:02:46Z")
The theme from **Schindler’s List** has always struck me as particularly beautiful (and rather un-John Williamsish). ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/27 "2007-08-11T20:43:29Z")
The theme from **Cosmos from Vangelis’ "Heaven and Hell**" album is incredible. Not sure if it was specifically written for the program, though. Honorable Mentions: **"Stayin’ Alive"** from Saturday Night Fever still makes me dance **Lara’s Theme** from Dr. Zhivago is gorgeous ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/28 "2007-08-11T20:49:00Z")
The score to the movie version of Otomo Katsuhiro’s [Akira](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_(film)#Soundtrack) involves a bunch of disparate motifs & moods, from traditional action-adventure music to prayer, & climaxes with Tetsuo’s **“Requiem,”** a giant synthesis of Eastern & Western funeral motifs as well as motifs from other parts of the soundtrack. Man, that just gets to me whenever I listen to it, & I didn’t like the movie that much. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/29 "2007-08-11T21:02:08Z")
Horner’s opening music from **The Rocketeer**. Disney folks must’ve loved it, too, because they lifted it for a lot of unrelated trailers. The aforementioned theme to **The Magnificent Seven** ny Elmer Bernstein A whole stack of John Williams stuff – \*\*Star Wars, Superman, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter. Practically the entire ouevre of Bernard Herrmann – \*\*Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, \*\* a whole stack of Alfred Hitchcock and Ray Harryhausen movies. And he did the music for Citizen Kane and Psycho. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/30 "2007-08-11T21:06:07Z")
It has become a cliche over the years, but Randy Newman’s theme from _The Natural_ still gives me goosebumps. I was about 10 when that movie came out and I think it was the first “classical” music to really register with me. I’ll 2nd Peter Gabriel’s _Passion_ work as well. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/31 "2007-08-11T21:48:57Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Singin’ in the Rain. [/QUOTE] The title song (and in fact, all the other musical numbers in the film) predate the movie by about two decades. I’d definitionally win the thread by bringing up Miles Davis’ score to Louis Malle’s _Ascenseur pour l’échafaud_ (_Elevator To The Gallows_); the movie wouldn’t exist without it, so we’ll toss it right out. I’m going to pick Anton Karas’ zither music to Carol Reed’s _The Third Man_; it is both playful and sad, cheerfully tinny and paranoia-inducing at the same time. A close runner up is Vangelis’ work on _Blade Runner_ and Elmer Bernstein’s music iconic music for _The Great Escape_. John Barry’s distinctive work on the Bond series and elsewhere also deserves mention, as does John Williams’ themes in _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ and _The Empire Strikes Back_, and Lalo Schifrin damn near everywhere in the Seventies. Michael Giacchino’s work on _The Incredibles_ is a pastiche of Barry, Schifrin, and other jazz-influenced composers of the Sixties and Seventies, but a very adroit one; I can listen to this all day. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/32 "2007-08-11T21:58:48Z")
There are a lot of pieces from films that I like, but the first one that sprang to mind was the setting of _Non nobis Domine_ from the Kenneth Branagh _Henry V_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/33 "2007-08-11T23:01:27Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train] Louis Malle’s _Ascenseur pour l’échafaud_ (_Elevator To The Gallows_ [/QUOTE] I keep missing it when it’s on, but isn’t it usually translated as “Lift to the Scaffold”? I also like the theme from **The Odd Couple**. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/34 "2007-08-11T23:27:16Z")
The theme to **The Pink Panther** was pretty memorable. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/35 "2007-08-12T00:08:12Z")
For me, it would have to be the music from [Avalon](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6028159869646308752&q=Mamoru+Oshii&total=68&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=6). The link contains parts of the main theme, but I couldn’t find a clip from the very end with the entire song, perhaps because it would spoil the movie, but it is a beautiful arrangement with a choir and orchestra. Cool movie, too. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/36 "2007-08-12T01:29:57Z")
Aw, hell, there must have dozens of favorites of mine…but the first one that came to mind (not even the best, neccesarily!) was “Escape” from _Plunkett & Macleane_. Perfect “charging to the rescue” music. ---
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/37 "2007-08-12T01:38:50Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] Mine has to be Deborah’s Theme from Once Upon A Time In America. I find it so touching, so graceful, so damn beautiful. It’s guaranteed to start me blubbering. Here’s a performance of it- [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HmsRFrN97ek/hqdefault.jpg "Ennio Morricone "Deborah's Theme", live in Warsaw") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmsRFrN97ek) What’s your favourite piece of original music from a film? [/QUOTE] i came in just to say that ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/38 "2007-08-12T01:43:03Z")
As I recall, _Mrs. Robinson_ was finished for _The Graduate_, so it counts, and it’s a great song. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Hildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Johnny\_Hildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Hildo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/39 "2007-08-12T06:30:01Z")
Henry Mancini’s “Love Theme from _Romeo & Juliet_” for the 60’s R&J film is one of the most haunting pieces of music I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/40 "2007-08-12T07:26:26Z")
“The Last of the Mohican’s Main Theme” - though it can be argued it was ripped off of “The Gael” “[Star Wars] Imperial March” - Now I know what you’re going to say, but Holst’s version was the Dylan track of “All Along the Watchtower”…so I think it counts. The main theme from _Requiem For a Dream_ was pretty badass, clearly illustrated by its liberal use in the LoTR trilogy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183.md?page=3)