But, out of respect for the thread originator's request to just pick one:
Elmer Bernstein's sublime scoring of the scene in Summer And Smoke when Geraldine Page realizes the man she loves is engaged to be married to someone else. She puts up a brave face but when she leaves his house, Bernstein's music tells us how she really feels and it just about breaks your heart.
Seems like there are various meanings for sublime. I think of awe-inspiring, excellence, grandeur, beauty, etc.
So I'll pick the scene where Redford takes Streep up in his airplane in Out Of Africa. When she looks down, she finally really sees the beauty and magnificence of Africa. Barry's music for that scene is perfect and gorgeous. The visuals and music create a perfectly sublime scene.
Joan, you are right on the money here!! I completely agree with you about that scene in the aircraft. This was a fine film and that penultimate scene where Karin talks to her man-servant who asks her how far she is going. When she reminds him that on past safaris he has gone ahead and lit a fire so they know where he is, she tells him it will be much the same with her this time: that she'll have to go ahead and light the fire. He replies, "then you must make a very big fire so that I can see you". He really loved her!! I was on my knees in that scene. Redford character very unsympathetic and I didn't like him at all - selfish narcissist, IMO, who took himself way too seriously. But Barry's music is unforgettable.
Having just agreed with Joan, I must make an original comment about a film's ending myself (though I agree "Out of Africa" is right up there). I'd have to say the closing scene of two films hold equal place as the greatest, IMO.
First, "The Blue Angel" where the Professor (the phenomenal Emil Jannings) puts his head down on his desk in the classroom and sobs;
Secondly, the stupendous closing scene of Marcel Carne's "Les Enfants du Paradis" where Baptist (Jean Louis Barrault) is running through a crowded carnival to find his love (Arletty) who is leaving him in a coach, and there are two simultaneous melodies - pathos and the music for the carnival. The film is a miracle!!
For me, that moment is still The Lighting of the Beacons from ROTK. Though I have to give a couple honorable mentions: the Central Park scene with music from JNH from King Kong, and the scene accompanied by Hans Zimmer's cue Injection from Mi:2.
I'm not sorry. The quiet moment in Chinatown where Evelyn Mulwray and Gittes are sharing a post-coital cigarette, with the latter telling the story of an old case going awry. Goldsmith underscores it with the theme, giving it a gently doom-laden tone. Perfection.
"There are so many to choose from but let me say THE END OF THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN DOES IT TO ME ALL THE TIME. I remember years ago when I saw that film in a revival house in NEW YORK, after it was over it took me 15 minutes to composed myself to get up and leave."
Herman Stein wrote that. He said it was the most "religious" (or "spiritual" -- can't remember his exact word) music he ever composed. I have the original music tracks and they're pretty amazing even without the magnificent narration as heard in the film.
The embrace of Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak with the 360 degree camera pan, accompanied by Herrmann's glorious Liebestod, in VERTIGO.
Also, obviously, "The Enterprise" from STMP.
That is pretty good. I cannot make myself like this film though, as much as I am supposed to be impressed I always find this film way too contrived and calculated and boring. The score is great though.
The end title of Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia where Warren Oates' violently cathartic fate acquires a transcendental quality as Fielding, with extraordinary sensitivity, sums up and bids farewell to the characters, all of who are now "free". I haven't come across anything in film music that quite does what that cue does. Looking for sublime transcendental existentialism in film music? Look no further... but you have to watch the whole film to get it.
Thanks, Regie. I enjoyed your added insight into the movie Out Of Africa. Right on.
jKirkfsm, I'm glad you are here, and you are very knowledgeable about TV and film scores. I really like your unique MASH comments. I love how you pointed out that the song juxtaposed melody (sweet, pretty) against words and images.
mgh mentioned the end of To Kill A Mockingbird. Yep, that whole score is sublime. For me the most sublime moment with music is in "Hey Boo" when Scout first sees Boo glued to the wall in the corner. Wow, does Bernstein turn on the lovely violins. I weep each time.
Given my warm welcome to the board from such a thoughtful member on another thread today
My pleasure! I'm sure we'll be the best of friends, given a bit of time, goodwill and respect for professionals.
On that subject, I'd like to put forward Desplat's score for Girl With a Pearl Earring. There are several moments throughout the film where the Vermeerish lighting, the surprisingly good ScarJo performance and the lovely music lifted the film above its box office.
Also, Birth has a unique soundscape which could have easily not worked but did.
The elephant in the room of course is GBU/Ecstasy of Gold.
Given my warm welcome to the board from such a thoughtful member on another thread today
My pleasure! I'm sure we'll be the best of friends, given a bit of time, goodwill and respect for professionals.
On that subject, I'd like to put forward Desplat's score for Girl With a Pearl Earring. There are several moments throughout the film where the Vermeerish lighting, the surprisingly good ScarJo performance and the lovely music lifted the film above its box office.
Also, Birth has a unique soundscape which could have easily not worked but did.
The elephant in the room of course is GBU/Ecstasy of Gold.
The extended opera score/duel climax from Oshii's Avalon.
The scene where Clarice kills Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs (I'm assuming Demme just re-tracked Shore's cue "The Moth" for that sequence?).
The opening dancing scene from Bong Joon-ho's Mother.
Julianne Moore being rebuffed by her gardener and crying alone on her bed in Far From Heaven.
When the last lighthouse girl in Battle Royale is seen to have flung herself on to the rocks below.
Selina Kyle's transformation sequence in Batman Returns (the whole thing is chilling and masterful, it's truly Elfman's best score -- though that's probably an unpopular opinion).
John Glenn's first orbit in The Right Stuff (Starting at the 2:34)
I hate to rain on anybody's parade and I will admit this works very well in the movie but I hope you are aware that this music is not Bill Conti's original score but was tracked in from Henry Mancini's THE WHITE DAWN.
Hard to pick one but for me it's the Fight for Callahora from Rozsa's EL CID.
I'm sure we'll be the best of friends, given a bit of time, goodwill and respect for professionals.
