How to View and Appreciate Great Movies Season 1 Episode 15 Scoring the Story: Music in Film

The show "How to View and Appreciate Great Movies" delves into the art of film and its components. In season one, episode 15 titled "Scoring the Story: Music in Film," viewers are taken on a journey through the integral role music plays in movies.

Through insightful commentary from film experts, viewers learn about the impact that music has on the emotional and thematic qualities of a movie. The episode covers various types of music including orchestral scores, pop songs, and musicals, and how they each add to the story being told.

The episode begins by exploring the function of music as a storytelling tool. Music can create mood and atmosphere, characterize settings and characters, and signify key moments in a movie. The creators of the episode analyze how different composers use music to support the emotional journey of the audience.

One section focuses on the technique of leitmotifs, where composers create a recurring musical theme for a character or concept. The example of John William's use of Darth Vader's distinctive march in Star Wars is used. Whether popular or classical, the episode shows how music can establish the underlying tone and meaning of a scene, and, at times, surpass the dialogue in conveying the story.

Another angle the episode addresses is how music affects the relationship between the audience and the story. Through interviews with filmmakers, the episode presents how music can manipulate or guide the emotions of the viewer. The right music can direct emotional attachment to the characters and, ultimately, the story's outcome.

But music has changed too. With modern cinema came a new form of scoring that used techniques and elements that were once foreign in classical music. The show investigates how technology and innovation have changed how composers approach movie music.

The episode goes deeper into the role of popular songs in films too. Popular songs are often used to signify a time period or setting and have the added effect of enhancing a movie's publicity. Also, musicals are examined as another form of storytelling that relies heavily on music. "Scoring the Story" shows how the story and the music in a musical strengthen one another, through excursions into classics of the genre, such as Singin' in the Rain, My Fair Lady and West Side Story.

Wrapping up, the creators of the episode present its viewers' perspectives on what makes great movie music. Multiple experts weigh in on the topic, from composers to critics. The creators also show how ordinary people appreciate music in films, demonstrating how it enables a moment that can take you back to a specific moment of time, and make a story that much more impacting.

In conclusion, "Scoring the Story: Music in Film" dives into the depths of movie music, taking an academic yet accessible approach. Through interviews and film clips, viewers explore how music can support, enhance and guide a movie narrative. The episode shows how to appreciate cinematic storytelling with an ear attuned to the needs of music for films.