Think back to the last movie that you saw and try to imagine the whole thing without any music. There would be nothing but complete silence throughout the entire film, except for sound effects and character dialogue. Do you find that some scenes and sequences tend to feel somewhat different, or at times even lacking? Music in films is an important component, being a piece to both completing and enhancing immersion. Movies themselves allow one to experience escapism for a period of time, and to do so, immersion has to be done effectively well. The use of music via a soundtrack or an original film score will do so while being a factor in enhancing a scene or sequence through creating atmosphere or emotion. Whether the use is overt, subtle or simply used fittingly well, it can truly add to a film’s immersion as a whole.
Through music, different atmospheres in movies are created to engage their audience and make them feel what the scene or sequence calls for. It can be used to amplify fear, horror, triumph and tragedy, among others. In the realm of suspense, perhaps two classic and iconic movies can be used as examples. In Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 psychological horror and thriller film Psycho, the iconic shower murder scene’s eerie soundtrack adds to the mystery, impending doom and, eventually, the victim’s fear of the unknown attacker, heightening the scene’s overall suspense. Another movie with an unseen horror in the form of a looming great white shark was in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film Jaws, particularly in the scene where a child is attacked while swimming, causing a mass panic among beach goers. The music works in tandem with the horror of the stalking, unseen predator, with its soundtrack helping to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. This keeps them engaged with not only what they are seeing, but the suspense created by what they are hearing. Without these now iconic soundtracks, both of the movies probably would not have had the same effect.
Just as it does with horror and suspense, the music in film also helps to emphasise other aspects and emotions like awe, wonder, love, and dismay. When something magical or incredible happens in a Disney or Pixar movie, a character may emphasise it through singing a musical track or even just through a segment with just the right original score or song. Other examples are the music that we hear playing the first time we see the true size and scale of the dinosaurs in the first Jurassic Park movie, the theme song we hear whenever Superman takes his first on-screen flight, or the unforgettable triumphant and heroic theme songs we hear when the Avengers assemble on screen, among other examples. Again, without music as a component, perhaps certain scenes would not have the same impact when instead played in silence. However, that is not to discredit the effective use of silence in movies. A number of intense or emotional scenes utilise silence as a great cinematic tool. Several of my favourite movies have demonstrated this with great success, but music, where appropriate and effectively used can create a great and important impact for the film as a whole.
Just as with a movie’s direction, performances and cinematography are integral parts to creating a good movie that can immerse an audience, the music that we hear is just as important. It can build atmosphere and intensify or enhance emotions when necessary. Although silence is an effective tool, the good use of music, where appropriate, can create something that the audience will surely remember. It can certainly enhance a scene, sequence, and even the movie-going experience as a whole.
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