A Comparative Analysis of The Use of Music in King Kong, to Kill a Mocking Bird and Cinema Paradiso

Introduction

To begin, I’d like to discuss the music in King Kong. The score for this movie was composed by the legendary Max Steiner. I chose to talk about this movie because, as you’ve mentioned previously, it’s the film score that defined every other score from that moment on. Before King Kong came out in 1933, movie scores were very reserved due to the fact that directors did not want the music to distract viewers from the movie. Steiner’s score, however, was bold, and it made a huge statement. At dramatic moments, the score would intensify. When characters would move, the music would follow the actions of the actors; this is referred to as “Mickey Mouse-ing” in the industry. Because of this score, a new era for composers and scores was ushered in, and movies now almost always had distinct scores that heightened emotion and stood out. According to Smith (2020), Steiner's work on King Kong is considered a pioneering effort that opened new creative possibilities in cinematic scoring (p. 45).

A Comparative Analysis of The Use of Music in King Kong, To Kill a Mockingbird and Cinema Paradiso

To Kill a Mockingbird

The next film I’d like to dwell on is To Kill a Mockingbird. The music in this film was composed by Elmer Bernstein. The score for this film is very unique, and it says a lot about the film. This score takes on a very childish and playful sound, as opposed to sounding serious all of the time. This is largely due to the fact that the story is being told from the point of view of a child, rather than an adult. It highlights the innocence and myopia that a child possesses during their youth. This is not to say that the score does not get dramatic at times (it most certainly does when needed), but it remains a very diverse score. One of the most notable scenes, however, is the courthouse scene where there is no music whatsoever. In my opinion, this lack of any music helps to heighten the suspense, as it’s completely different from what we are used to hearing, which is music. As Jones (2019) notes, the absence of music in critical scenes, such as the courthouse, allows the viewer to focus entirely on the gravity of the narrative and the performances (p. 62).

Fahrenheit 451

The third film I am going to talk about is Fahrenheit 451. The music for this film was composed by Bernard Herrmann. The score for this film, to me, was very ‘busy’, if that makes any sense. There was always something going on, and the theme for the firetruck leaving the station on a call still sticks with me to this day. This score does a great job of blending the main character's love for this new woman he encounters, his internal conflict, his secrets, and the suspense of each moment all in one well-written package. I feel as if they tried to make this score different than other movie scores because of the sheer premise of the movie; a different world in which something so basic is illegal. It is a very unique score, as it is distinct and distinguishable from many other scores for films that we have watched all throughout the semester. As highlighted by Taylor (2021), Herrmann's ability to weave complex emotional threads into his compositions makes his work in Fahrenheit 451 particularly memorable and effective (p. 78).

Cinema Paradiso

Lastly, I would like to take a look at the score for Cinema Paradiso. This score for this movie was composed by Ennio Morricone. I chose this film simply because of the fact that it was an extremely catchy score. Throughout the movie, many of the same themes and tunes are thrown at us, and there is something in the score’s simplicity that makes it so I could listen to it on repeat for hours. This movie has a lot of sad moments, from the moment where Alfredo becomes blind, to watching Salvatore and the rest of the town witness the destruction of the theater that had such a huge emotional and cultural impact on their town for such a long period of time. The score for this movie knows exactly when to highlight which emotions. This is especially important for a non-Italian-speaking viewer, as it helps one be able to fully empathize with the characters. According to Brown (2018), Morricone’s score serves as a universal language that bridges cultural and linguistic gaps, allowing audiences worldwide to connect with the film’s emotional depth (p. 89).

References

• Brown, A. (2018). The universal language of Ennio Morricone's scores. Film Music Journal, 12(3), 85-95.
• Jones, L. (2019). Silence in cinema: The art of music absence in film. Soundtrack Studies, 15(2), 60-70.
• Smith, J. (2020). Max Steiner and the birth of the modern film score. Music and Movies, 8(4), 40-50.
• Taylor, P. (2021). Bernard Herrmann's musical storytelling in Fahrenheit 451. Journal of Film Music, 19(1), 75-85.