Music plays such a vital role in so many films and it could take a film from mediocre to utter perfect, here are some of my favorite soundtracks from films.
Gladiator
The marvel of cinema from visionary director Ridley Scott is a cinematic masterpiece in it's own rights, but for me the soundtrack is what really makes this film one of the best in the whole of the 2000s.
I couldn't really make a list of best soundtracks without mentioning the mastermind of music that is Hans Zimmer.
The soundtrack for Gladiator take the film from great, to almost perfect. The Lyndhurst Orchestra really create an emotional depth to the film that wouldn't be there without the music. The incredible on screen performance from Russell Crowe accompanied by some of the most beautiful songs written for a film, Gladiator and it's soundtrack are a perfect example of the wonders of cinema.
Reservoir Dogs
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, if you enjoy seeing a guy getting tortured with some 70s hits playing in the background look no further that Quentin Tarantino's first attempt at cinema, Reservoir Dogs.
Tarantino is probably the king of contrapuntal music, all the way throughout the film we are introduced to 70s tracks by the use of Tarantino's made up radio station "K Billy's Super Sounds of the 70s" which has was also used in his other movies such as Pulp Fiction.
The use of music in this film really adds an element to this film which is just inexpiable, it adds a depth to the characters whilst at the same time in makes the movie such an enjoyment to watch.
Probably the most famous use of music in this film is where Michael Madsen's character Mr Blonde, tortures a police officer whilst Stuck in the Middle With You by Stealers Wheel is played in the background, completely contrasting what is going on in the scene, this is one of my favorite uses of music in a film.
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
For me the most beautiful soundtrack ever created is by Howard Shore for the Lord of the Rings movies, I've never experienced a movie that uses music to set location and character so well, each location has a song to reflect the environment, each character has their own song, and it literally makes the film breathtaking and it's a shame that the Hobbit trilogy couldn't live up to the standards of The Lord of the Rings.
The soundtrack has been beautiful constructed to fit the mood and style of the film and it creates a depth to the emotion within the film that is nothing but spectacular. The music plays such a vital role in the movie that it's essentially a character in itself and I really think the movie would be missing a lot if the music wasn't there.
The Dollars Trilogy
The western genre is something of the past, but this list would be incomplete without mentioning the work of a god among men, Ennnio Morricone. Music in cinema would be nothing today without the way Morricone introduced it. The Mexican standoff scenes would be nothing without the music, but the music is what builds an intensity that movies you to the edge of your seat. I can remember being sat in my grandparents house when I was around 5 years old watching 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' with my grandfather and as soon as the music kicked in at the final standoff of the movie I was just drawn into the television screen and it captivated me, this was probably my earliest insight into the importance of music and audio in a movie and the way that it can manipulate an audience towards a specific emotionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXldafIl5DQ
Honorable Mentions
Pulp Fiction - Quentin Tarantino - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSLMN6g_Od4
Guardians of the Galaxy - James Gunn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNlnQwHWSYw
Romeo and Juliet - Baz Luhrmann - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JoOpx6VwHk
Goodfellas - Martin Scorsese - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEwJdGfi1p8
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