Genres come and go through the years in cinema.
Musicals and Westerns now come once in a blue moon. Romcoms and horror have lost a lot of credibility from mediocre material in the last decade. And independent filmmaking seems to be having a big boost in the last two years.
But one thing that’s always been constant in film is a much-needed soundtrack to go along with whatever is presented on screen. Whether an epic score or compilation of original or already-existing tracks, music can help complete a movie’s final touch.
One of 2013’s most anticipated soundtracks was Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby.” Already known for taking music cues with past features like “Romeo + Juliet” (1996) and “Moulin Rouge!” (2001), Luhrmann’s song choices were expected to be a must-listen-to by the filmmaker’s fans and music lovers.
Always up on the times, the director recruited some of the most popular names in music from indie darlings Florence Welch and Lana del Rey to rap kings Jay-Z and Kanye West.
“The Great Gatsby” soundtrack reminded us of the days when people got excited for the songs in the film as much as the film itself. Like how Prince’s “Purple Rain” brings back memories of the summer of 1984 or “Saturday Night Fever” (1977) causes everyone to sing along to the Bee-Gees, del Rey’s “Young & Beautiful” and Welch’s “Over the Love” might become as recognizable as Luhrmann’s work.
Another recent example is the “Catching Fire” soundtrack with Coldplay’s “Atlas” or Christina Aguilera’s “We Remain,” two great efforts from both artists and written specifically for the latest “Hunger Games” flick.
Of the many highlights of “American Hustle,” the throwback use of classic late-1970s songs played in practically every scene of the film is definitely a big one. In the same way “American Graffiti” (1973) takes you back to 1962, the “Hustle” soundtrack puts us straight in 1978. Director David O. Russell opening the film with America’s “Horse with No Name,” Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work” and Chicago’s “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” set the perfect tone for the farce.
Despite the lukewarm reception from critics and viewers, one thing that was universally admired in Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring” was the filmmaker’s choice of catchy hip-hop songs like M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls” and the noise pop anthem “Crown on the Ground” by Sleigh Bells for the reckless teenagers through Hollywood.
Although not a musical, the Coen brothers’ “Inside Llewyn Davis” heavily used folk music as a theme, with both traditional tunes (“Fare Thee Well” and “500 Miles”) and influenced new material (“Please Mr. Kennedy”) arranged by Marcus Mumford and T-Bone Burnett. Using the actors’ real voices (including Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan) makes the songs featured in the movie feel more raw and authentic for the characters.
The “Llewyn Davis” compilation also reminds us of Burnett’s earlier soundtrack contributions for “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000) and “Cold Mountain” (2003), and surely will be an essential listen for music fans for years to come.
Musicians experimenting with film scores is becoming more common each year, as was the case with Alex Ebert’s score for “All is Lost” and Arcade Fire’s instrumentals for “Her.” At the Sundance Film Festival last month, Ben Gibbard and Johnathan Rice and Jenny Lewis provided scores for the indie films “Laggies” and “Song One,” giving audiences something to look forward to in 2014. And another soundtrack expert, Wes Anderson, has “The Grand Budapest Hotel” coming out in March to interest us.
As can be seen (or heard), a good soundtrack can bring more music fans to the theaters and more movie fans to the stereo.
mbianco@durangoherald.com. Megan Bianco is a movie reviewer and contributes other entertainment related features and articles. She is a graduate of Cal State University, Northridge, where she studied film criticism and screenwriting.
