01. There Will Be BloodDaniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood has been described as one of the greatest movie monsters of all time. Not only that but the oil well which stands in the centre of the small town in which the film is set is much like the monolith in 2001: An inanimate yet fearful contraption that has the power to cause great evil. Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead helps to bring both of these aspects to life with a fantastically unconventional and haunting score full of violin shrills, dizzying percussion and an escalating sense of danger.
02. The Assassination Of Jesse James
A thing of heart-stopping beauty, the raw sounds of Nick Cave's piano and Warren Ellis' violin create one of the most gorgeous film scores of all time in The Assassination Of Jesse James. It has the power to break your heart and chill you to the bone in the same bar and perfectly complements the glacial pace of Andrew Dominik's masterpiece.
03. The Dark Knight
Hans Zimmer can be criticised for essentially reworking the same score for every movie. But when he does put his all into it, the famous composer is the very best there is. The Dark Knight, in my opinion, is his masterpiece. The ear-splitting crescendos of the violins as The Joker appears on screen, the way his music for Harvey Dent flows from heroic to tragic as the man becomes Two Face and the sustained sense of tension throughout is outstanding. A memorable score that will soon join the ranks of Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Jaws.
04. Slumdog Millionaire
Gone are the stereotypical sounds of zithers and tablas that Hollywood usually associates with India. For his Oscar winning score for Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman brings the real culture of Mumbai to the big screen. Here, he treats us to a thumping soundtrack of rock, dance and hip-hop music that, as well as complementing Danny Boyle's visual flair, places us right into the streets of Mumbai.
05. Far From Heaven
The Magnificent Seven. To Kill A Mockingbird. The Great Escape. Elmer Bernstein is the sound of the Hollywood golden era with compositions that are vibrant, emotional and elegant. So when Todd Haynes decided to recreate a 1950s melodrama with Far From Heaven, there was only one person he could approach to score it. It would be the Hollywood legends final work and a fitting swan song to an illustrious career. Beautiful and heartbreaking.
06. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
It's impossible to find a movie so full of bliss as The Fantastic Mr. Fox and Alexandre Desplat brings this to his Oscar nominated score. Using chimes, banjos and acoustic guitars, his music is as cheerful and uplifting as you'll find in this era of American cinema.
07. Pan's Labyrinth
This dark fairytale from Guillermo Del Toro requires a similarly haunting score that fits right into the fantasy genre. But I don't think anyone could prepare themselves for Javier Navarrete's foreboding and chilling lullaby that works its way through the narrative. An unforgettable piece of music that was rightly nominated for an Oscar.
08. Amelie
Very fitting to the Parisian setting, Yann Tiersen's score for Amelie, consisting of traditional instruments like accordions, music boxes and harpsichords, wonderfully enhances the joyful, poetic nature of the French classic.
09. The Fountain
Collaborating with Scottish prog-rock group Mogwai, Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet are able to create a score so transcendental and celestial that you will literally be blown away. Awesome in its scope and depth, this is the most ambitious works of music that you'll find in all cinema.
10. A Single Man
A Single Man, above anything else, is about a man trying to rediscover the beauty in life. Therefore, the score screamed out for something that would inspire wonder and amazement. Not an easy feat for most composers, that's for sure. Nevertheless, Abel Korzeniowski seemed to tackle the challenge with ease with this amazing and criminally underrated piece of work.
11. Brokeback Mountain
It's not just influenced by the country music of Brokeback Mountain's setting, it's an intimate and powerful work of romance that helps you experience the emotions of its two main characters.
12. Moon
At times it sounds like the lonely ambient sounds of the space station while at others it perfectly captures the growing sense of foreboding and the confusion of the protagonist, Clint Mansell's score for the British sci-fi, Moon, is another work of genius.
13. Where The Wild Things Are
Populated by the playful screams of children, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs almost forces you to reminisce on your happiest childhood memories in her score for Where The Wild Things Are. It's the perfect companion to a movie about what it means to be a child and tt will leave you with a huge smile on your face.
14. The Social Network
The Social Network is a fantastic study of modern society. Therefore, how does one score such a contemporary work of art? Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails does so by scrapping the orchestral sounds of 99% of Hollywood movies and, instead, gives David Fincher's latest movie a flurry of electronic loops, blips, whirs and hums. The result is a soundtrack that not only fits its modern style but perfectly portrays the endless and uncontrollable flow of the online information and the flurry of genius that populates the dark world of Mark Zuckerberg.
15. The Proposition
This is the sound of a barren wasteland; the thuds of a dull drum, the constant hum of a low noise and the sole whine of an old violin. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' first attempt at a film score is a haunting one that captures the blood-thirstly, grizzly nature of The Proposition.
16. Finding Nemo
Close your eyes and listen to Thomas Newman's score for Finding Nemo. Immediately, this beautiful work of music will take you deep into the ocean. Need I say any more? This is perfect companion to a movie set almost entirely in this setting and Pixar's best score.
17. Atonement
While it retains the sound of the period's classical music, this Oscar winning score for Atonement also brilliants experiments with the sounds of a typewriter, symbolising what the effects of one letter have had on three characters' entire lives. At some points these sounds also cleverly resembles the marching of an army, reminding us that this letter has resulted in James McAvoy's draft into the war while the piano and strings ring of the heartbreak and regret that Kiera Knightly and Saoirse Ronan feel.
18. 28 Days Later
One of the most famous pieces of music from this decade, the score from 28 Days Later is an epic and slow-burning work that wonderfully symbolises the ever-growing sense of panic that Cillian Murphy suffers upon waking in the hospital at the film's beginning.
19. The Incredibles
Fast paced, energetic and lively, the score from The Incredibles by Michael Giacchino is spectacular. Bringing to the mind the music of James Bond and the vibrant, ecstatic works of 1960s comics, it suits the genre, the animation, the story and the setting spectacularly.
20. The Lives Of Others
A suspenseful work of music that is so simple yet effective, The Lives Of Others' score will have you thinking that the East German secret police are going to be invading your home too.
3 comments:
You underrate Jesse James.
It was a close call but There WIll Be Blood's score is just so unforgettable.
It's definitely good but I wouldn't rank it so highly, though as far as PTA goes, no Punch-Drunk Love?
And goddammit, look back at your top 10 of the month, I did a massive comment with only two questions there. :(
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