Thoughts on the Accessibility of Film Music

By Dan Hobgood

Last time out, I wrote about the importance of film music being constructed in a coherent way. (And inadvertently, I accidentally began to write my follow-up article in a manner of speaking in a mail bag entry posted last Friday.) This time around, since there could be at least, I suppose, a handful of ways in which a composer could choose to unify a score, it is probably best to analyze which is, in general, most appropriate.

Along with unity, the notion of accessibility is another underlying principle in adequate film scoring. Music has its place in film for at least a few primary reasons, one of which being, as discussed in my first article a long nine months ago, to enhance the realism of the motion picture experience. Another pertinent reason, in dealing with this topic, has to do with the capacity that music, through its universal language, has to help an audience relate as much as possible to the drama onscreen. The question presenting itself, then, is as follows: "How is music in film, as regards accessibility, best unified?"

It seems that the appropriate answer is that film scores should be overwhelmingly grounded in melody. Audiences, I believe universally, identify with themes and melodies. The international popularity of John Williams and John Barry-composed score albums, in addition to albums such as Titanic or soundtrack compilations like The Big Chill, clearly indicate a general preference for tonality-based musical works--for theme and melody. In addition, composer Jerry Goldsmith, whom John Williams has even noted as the most thematic composer of the last part of our century, states "...the greatest device of all remains the simple, straightforward melody." There are themes or melodies to be found even in the most untraditional of his works and in the seemingly most unconventional moments in Goldsmith's scores. Examples include Seconds and Planet of the Apes. Both of these films' subject matters contain at the very least allusions to what is usually referred to in film criticism as the Id or "other"--the unknown or foreign. The daring or unconventional music that can be found in both of these Goldsmith scores represents the strange aspects of each film's plot. This, then, even continues to meet an audience's expectations in films about bizarre subjects.

Classical music aficionados (or anyone else, so as not to stereotype) who love artistically driven and bold compositions must remind themselves that that type of music in the setting of motion picture underscore would alienate probably somewhere around 90% of filmgoers. This music would not blend in well with the other elements of the production. As Gary Kester reminds us in his recent liner notes for The Challenge, film music that is too unconventional (Kester cites Maurice Jarre's score for Shogun) creates a separation between the audience and the drama.

Obviously it follows, that, another intention with music's presence in film is for that music to be felt and noticed, at least to a degree. It is here that a second question presents itself; it is the following: "In what way and to what extent, then, should audiences remember the music in motion pictures?" First and foremost, if someone does not notice the music accompanying the visual images of a picture, he should aspire to rely more sensitively on his sense of hearing. I think that it is initially most important for someone to appreciate music' effect on them during the motion picture experience and subsequently how music affects the tone or spirit of the film--how music is affecting one's interpretation of the events onscreen.

But it is important to note again that it is a composer's job to make the music relevant to the audience, and not the job of an audience member to have to struggle to understand the composer. The composer must aim to make his music accessible to the extent that an audience can comprehend, as well as possible, all that there is to understand in a movie without needing an exhaustive musical education or study of the art of motion pictures. I do not want to overestimate the composer's task, but at the same time not neglect to conclude that the composer must conform to the needs of his audience in terms of unity and accessibility.

Great examples of scores that function well in the way of melodic accessibility and unity abound; there's Raksin's Laura, Rosza's Spellbound, Alan Silvestri's Back to the Future, Danny Elfman's Batman and Black Beauty, Horner's The Mask of Zorro, Williams' Presumed Innocent... Goldsmith's wonderfully conceived score for Hoosiers is a great example of how music can convey a film's themes to a receptive audience. While just about anyone can identify with the richly melodic music, there is much to be gained from paying close attention to how the composer uses his themes to help the audience comprehend the story. He also uses orchestration in a supplementary way to help give the picture greater meaning. His use of electronics suggests, as the film does that the various characters in the film can overcome the odds against them, that, a period film can be scored successfully without the exclusive use of the traditional symphony. A great instance of the music telling the story of Hoosiers occurs during the first basketball game in the picture.

A situation occurs towards the end of that game in which the Hickory Huskers only have four players left available to play in a five-player team game following one player on the team's ejection. The lone player on the bench, Rayde, jumps to his feet to check into the game. The team's coach, Norman Dale (uncannily well-performed by Gene Hackman), asks Rayde, who was on the bench for disobeying one of Coach Dale's instructions, "Where are you going?" Rayde replies, "We need five out there." Dale says, "Sit! Sit down!" Everybody on and off the court floor is baffled by Coach Dale's stubbornness. The game's referee finally approaches Dale and says, "Coach, you need one more." Dale points to the players out on the court and unforgettably states, "My team's on the floor." Goldsmith's electronic music pulsates as everyone wonders, and the assistant coach does exclaim, "What are you trying to do?"

With his electronic music, Goldsmith emphasizes one of the themes of the narrative: expect the unexpected. No one quite expects Dale to keep Rayde from playing because he would not pass the ball to the other players on the team like the coach wanted. Similarly, we as listeners do not expect to hear such a bold expression of electronics in the score after Dale tells the referee that the team members that accept his leadership is already playing. Of course, the whole while Goldsmith is using orchestration to help him tell the story, what his choice of instruments performs is his heartwarming Hoosiers theme. This theme reminds us--at a time in the film when everyone seems to hate Hackman's coach--that the character and his team will ultimately triumph. It is an instance like this one that displays Goldsmith's mastery at telling a film's story with the language of music, and particularly melody--that, musically, to which we can relate best, for whatever reason. (Fear not, I am not going to even begin to hypothesize why.)

As a brief aside, I wonder if there is such a thing as remembering the music in a movie (in which the score is appropriate and not out-of-step) too well. This is very subjective, and I would appreciate any opinions on the matter from my readers. A film score aficionado is going to remember music from a score much more so than the average moviegoer. I am inclined to think that there is not such a thing as the music being too accessible, but I tend to get lost in the music myself sometimes, so....

Music in film, as regards unity, can best be unified in an overwhelming number of cases by melody. The case could surely be made that there are exceptions, just as there are exceptions of movies that do not need a film score, film scores that do not need a main title, great instances of leitmotif scores, or scores that should not be unified (serving some narrative purpose perhaps). (There, I think that should at least start to answer my critics of past articles I hope!) But it remains that--with a fairly perceptive audience--a composer will best be able to help one comprehend the elements of a motion picture by unifying a score based on theme or melody. Doing this will help a composer's audience to most adequately begin to understand the way in which the music is functioning for its benefit during the motion picture experience.

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