Friday, October 21, 2011

Music: Essential factor in Movies

By Diana Elizabeth


Music is an art form whose medium is sound. Common elements of music are pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. The word derives from Greek mousike; "art of the Muses". The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of music vary according to culture and social context.

Not only it helps to create the ambience of the film and its plot, it also helps to evoke the emotions of the characters, so that the audience gets to feel the same thing. If anyone has watched Gus Van Sant's The Elephant, you'd remember the part where the student plays Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata before he goes on his school killing rampage. This was a brilliant choice of song simply because it marks an emotional moment of the film, and it creates an eerie feeling like you know something bad is going to happen.

Films are cultural artifacts created by specific cultures, which reflect those cultures, and, in turn, affect them. Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular entertainment and a powerful method for educating - or indoctrinating - citizens.

The visual elements of cinema give motion pictures a universal power of communication. Some films have become popular worldwide attractions by using dubbing or subtitles that translate the dialogue into the language of the viewer. Sometimes the movie will help the songs become hits, other times the songs make the movie. On a rare occasion you see a movie and a soundtrack that are both exceptional on their own. When you put them together, it's something special.

Music also helps you to relate to a certain situation within the movie, a sad song resonates with the sadness felt by the characters, for example. And a happy song lifts the mood of the film. In turn, the audience feels the same. Sometimes the movie will help the songs become hits, other times the songs make the movie. On a rare occasion you see a movie and a soundtrack that are both exceptional on their own. When you put them together, it's something special.




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