Reflection 1: Reel Music—Exploring the Music of the Movies

It can be difficult to imagine the movie-going experience without music. For over a century, music has been an integral part of what makes the movies so special. Many films are regarded as legendary, in part, due to their musical soundtracks.

 

Below is a list of iconic scenes made even more memorable through their use of music. Choose five of the following scenes from your birthday month to examine how music enhances its overall effect. For example, how does the music effect you as a viewer? Does the music manipulate in any way? And if so, how? What emotions are elicited? What would change in the scene if the music were omitted? Finally, can you imagine this scene with different music? What would be gained and/or lost?

Choose according to your birthday month:

 

Jan/Feb: 

1. "Put the Blame on Mame" by Rita Hayworth from Gilda, 1946 (Music and lyrics by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher)
2. "Do-Re-Mi" by Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music, 1965 (Music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II)
3. "Gethsemane" by Ted Neeley from Jesus Christ Superstar, 1973 (Music and lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Time Rice)
4. "Gonna Fly Now" from Rocky, 1976 (Music and lyrics by Bill Conti, Carol Connors, and Ayn Robbins)
5. "The End" by The Doors from Apocalypse Now, 1979 (Music and lyrics by The Doors)
   
6. "Saying Goodbye" from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, 1982 (Music by John Williams) 
7. "Let's Here It For the Boy" by Deniece Williams from Footloose, 1984 (Music and lyrics by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford)
   
8. "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" from The Piano, 1992 (Music by Michael Nyman)
9. "Duel of the Fates" from Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace, 1999 (Music and lyrics by John Williams)
10. "Speaking Unto Nations" (Symphony No.7 in A major op.92 - II) from The King's Speech, 2010 (Music by Ludwig van Beethvoven)
    

Mar/Apr:

1. "As Time Goes By" by Dooley Wilson from Casablanca, 1942 (Music and lyrics by Herman Hupfeld)  
2. "Roly Poly" by Doris Day, Rock Hudson, and Perry Blackwell from Pillow Talk, 1959 (Music and lyrics by Frank De Vol)
3. "If I Were a Rich Man" by Topol from Fiddler on the Roof, 1971 (Music and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock)
4. "Easy To Be Hard" by Cheryl Barnes from Hair, 1979 (Music and lyrics by Galt MacDermot, James Rado,, and Gerome Ragni)
5. "If You Were Here" by The Thompson Twins from Sixteen Candles, 1984 (Music and lyrics by Thompson Twins) 
6. "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy from Do the Right Thing, 1989 (Words and lyrics by Chuck D, Wizard K-Jee, and The Bomb Squad)
   
7. "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers from Ghost, 1990 (Music and lyrics by Alex North and Hy Zeret) 
8. "Married Life" from Up, 2009 (Music by Michael Giacchino)
9. "No Man's Land" from Wonder Woman, 2017 (Music by Rupert Gregson-Williams)  
10. "What's Up Danger" by Blackway and Black Caviar from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, 2018 (Music and lyrics by Yaw Sintim-Misa and Jared Piccone)  

May/Jun: 

1. "I Could Have Danced All Night" by Audrey Hepburn (sung by Marni Nixon) from My Fair Lady, 1964 (Music and lyrics by  Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe)
   
2. "You Should be Dancing" by The Bee Gees from Saturday Night Fever, 1977 (Music and lyrics by The Bee Gees) 
3. "Bye Bye Life" (Based on The Everly Brothers' "Bye Bye Love") by Roy Schneider and Ben Vereen from All That Jazz (Music and lyrics by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant)
   
4. "What a Feeling" by Irene Cara from Flashdance, 1983 (Music and lyrics by Giorgio Moroder, Keith Forsey and Irene Cara)
5. "Love is Strange" by Mickey & Sylvia from Dirty Dancing, 1987 (Music and lyrics by Mickey Baker, Sylvia Vanderpool, and Ethel Smith)
6. "Rainbow High" by Madonna from Evita, 1996 (Music and lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Time Rice)
   
7. "These Days" by Nico from The Royal Tenenbaums, 2001 (Music and lyrics by Jackson Browne)
8. "Remember Me" by Gael García Bernal from Coco, 2017 (Music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)
9. "Shallow" by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper from A Star is Born, 2018 (Music and lyrics by Lady Gaga, Andrew Wyatt, Anthony Rossomando, and Mark Ronson)
10. "好久没到这方来" ("Haven’t Been Here in So Long") by Jane Liu from Everything Everywhere All at Once, 2022 (Music and Lyrics by Son Lux)

Jul/Aug:

1. "Prelude" from Psycho, 1960 (Music by Bernard Hermann)
   
2. "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1961 (Music by Henry Mancini)
3. "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin from Manhattan, 1979 (Music by George Gershwin)
4. "Chariots of Fire" from Chariots of Fire, 1981 (Music by Vangelis)
5. "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins from Top Gun, 1986 (Music and lyrics by Kenny Loggins)
6. "Wig in a Box" by John Cameron Mitchell from Hedwig and The Angry Inch, 2001 (Music and lyrics by Stephen Trask)
7. "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse from Twilight, 2008 (Music and lyrics by Matt Bellany)
8. "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, 2017 (Music and lyrics by Electric Light Orchestra)
9. "Tonight" by Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort from West Side Story, 2021 (Music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) 
10. "Popular" by Ariana Grande from Wicked, 2024 (Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz) 

  Sep/Oct:

1. "Cool" by Tucker Smith from West Side Story, 1961 (Music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim)
   
2. "The Pink Panther Theme" from The Pink Panther, 1963 (Music by Henry Mancini)
   
3. "Main Title" from Halloween, 1978 (Music by John Carpenter)
4. "Opening and Main Theme" from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 1979 (Music by Jerry Goldsmith)
   
5. "My Father's Favourite" from Sense & Sensibility, 1995 (Music by Patrick Doyle)
   
6. "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" by Nicole Kidman from Moulin Rouge!, 2001 (Music and lyrics by Jule Styne and Leo Robin) 
7. "You Make My Dreams" by Hall and Oates from (500) Days of Summer, 2009 (Music and lyrics by Sara Allen, Daryl Hall, and John Oates)
   
8. "Skyfall" by Adele from Skyfall, 2012 (Music and lyrics by Adele, Paul Epworth, and JAC Redford, 2015)
9. "Sushi Scene" from Isle of Dogs, 2018 (Music by Alexandre Desplat)
   
10. "Kiss the Girl" by Awkwafina and Daveed Diggs from The Little Mermaid, 2023 (Music and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken)
    

 Nov/Dec:

1. "The Man That Got Away" by Judy Garland from A Star is Born, 1954 (Music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin)
2. "The Blue Danube" from 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968 (Music by Johann Strauss)
3. "Main Title" from Jaws, 1975 (Music by John Williams)
   
4. "Can You Read My Mind? (Love Theme)" from Superman, 1978 (Music by John Williams)
5. "The Cattle Call" by Eddy Arnold from My Own Private Idaho, 1991(Music and lyrics by Tex Owens)
   
6. "New Slang" by The Shins from Garden State, 2004 (Music and lyrics by James Mercer)
   
7. "Brokeback Mountain 1" from Brokeback Mountain, 2005 (Music by Gustavo Santaolalla) 
   
8. "Flight" from Man of Steel, 2013 (Music by Hans Zimmer)   
9. "The Fools Who Dream" by Emma Stone from La La Land, 2016 (Music and lyrics by Pasek and Paul)
10. "Something in the Way" by Nirvana from The Batman, 2022 (Music and lyrics by Kurt Cobain)
    

Requirements:

• MLA Style
• Approx. 500 words

Due: Fri 4.18 (submitted with Reflection 2 via Canvas)