Trailer Tuesday: a tribute to Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, the legendary film composer, has died. But his music lives on. Today's episode of Trailer Tuesday is a tribute to his music.
The maestro. That's what Ennio Morricone was called – because he mastered the art of writing film scores like no other. On 6 July 2020, the film composer passed away at the age of 91.
Sergio Leone, the director of the «Dollar» trilogy, once said: «I’ve always said that my best dialogue and screenwriter is Ennio Morricone. Because, many times, it is more important a note or an orchestration than a line said.»
In today's Trailer Tuesday, I’d like to honour his music. Here are five of his best compositions.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Who doesn't know this driving title melody, sometimes screamed, sometimes whistled, sometimes hummed and sometimes resembling a gunshot: aiaiaiaaaaaaaaah – daa-daa-daaa!
Critics described Morricone's music to «Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo», which is the original title of the Spaghetti Western, as «rattlesnake in a drum». The maestro didn’t work with the traditional orchestra, but wrote music for jew's harps, electric guitars, harps or panpipes. It even includes a coyote howling, the sound of whips and bells. Everything nobody was expected to find in a Western back then.
This Wild West movie that plays during the American Civil War couldn’t have been more majestic and romantic. A bounty hunter, a bandit and a Mexican fugitive go on a scavenger hunt, lured in by the chance of finding stolen gold. It ends in what’s probably the most epic Mexican three-man standoff of all time – perfectly accompanied by Morricone's music.
Cinema release: 23 December 1966
Total gross: $25.3 million
Once Upon a Time in the West
Ennio Morricone's music to «C'era una volta il West» might be less famous than his score for «Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo», but in my opinion, it’s Morricone's better work. Maybe even his best.
This is no surprise, as Sergio Leone, the director, gave Ennio Morricone the «composer’s freedom», as journalist Marc Zollinger describes it so aptly in his NZZ article (available in German only). Composers of film scores usually write the music after the movie is completed. Leone, however, asked the maestro to write the music before the film was even made – and played it during the shooting to inspire the cast and crew.
And what an inspiration that must have been.
The beautiful, operatic main theme song, which is heard for the first time when Jill, played by Claudia Cardinale, arrives alone at the train station in the fictional town of Sweetwater, is unforgettable. It conveys this bittersweet note that couldn't better capture Jill's hope for a better life. This tune is a true treasure.
And then, of course, there’s the theme song for «Man With A Harmonica». The harmonica playing this tune sends shivers down your spine. It’s a harbinger. A harbinger of death.
It’s introduced by Charles Bronson's character, who’s called «Harmonica» by the bad guys. Only in the final scene is Harmonika's true identity revealed – and with it the meaning of the tune. The song is destined for one person only: Frank, the brutal murderer played by Henry Fonda, whose bloody past finally catches up with him.
Cinema release: 21 December 1968
Total gross: unknown
Cinema Paradiso
Ennio Morricone wrote all film scores for the directors Sergio Leone and Giuseppe Tornatore. «Cinema Paradiso», originally named «Nuovo Cinema Paradiso», is the first collaboration between Morricone and Tornatore.
I could talk about this movie for hours. Every little detail of this movie is a masterpiece. He manages to combine nostalgic sentimentality with comedy and pragmatism. He thinks about what growing up means and what love is. Or a good life. But above all, «Cinema Paradiso» is an emotional declaration of love for cinema itself, which was awarded the Oscar for «Best Foreign Language Film» in 1989.
Morricone's music for «Cinema Paradiso» is one of his most melodious works. It’s almost traditional, especially for Morricone, who’s otherwise rather experimental. This score, however, has a lot of string instruments – here and there interrupted by piano or flute tunes.
But the film is best known for its last scene: the kiss montage scene, in which Salvatore (Jacques Perrin), a successful director, plays the film of his old and now deceased friend Alfredo (Philippe Noiret). Alfredo, in the late 1940s the projectionist in the old cinema of the Sicilian village - one of the first cinemas in the country - has in fact kept all the «obscene» scenes that the village priest ordered him to cut and kept them for Salvatore.
I don't think there’s any other scene to music by Morricone that tears me up like this one. Morricone, your music will be missed.
Cinema release: 17 November 1988
Total gross: $12.9 million
The Untouchables
Chicago, 1930. Chicago, 1930. In the days of prohibition – the production, import and transport of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in the USA for over a decade – underworld boss and gangster Al Capone commits murders, blackmails and cheats people in the city. Although this all happens in the public, none of his crimes can be proved.
In the end, the justice system manages to get him. However, for something that was never on Al Capone’s radar: tax evasion. «The Untouchables» tells the story of those men who risked their lives to achieve this. First and foremost the corruption-resistant Eliot Ness, played by Kevin Costner.
Morricone's music for Brian De Palma's film – one of Morricone's few Hollywood productions – is both majestic and restrained. In its heroic moments, the orchestra is loud and triumphant. Al Capone's theme, however, showcases the casual swing of the 1930s. And the lonely saxophone in Ness's theme perfectly reflects the struggle of the unpopular prohibitionist agent. I don't think you’ll ever find a better sounding gangster movie than «The Untouchables».
Cinema release: 5 June 1987
Total gross: $76.3 million
The Hateful Eight
«The Hateful Eight» isn’t Quentin Tarantino's best movie. Maybe not even one of his top three. But it has one of the best film scores – written by Ennio Morricone. It’s gloomy, powerful and tense. And the maestro's only work ever to be awarded an Oscar.
Much too late, of course. At that point, Morricone was already 87 years old – the award ceremony took place in 2016. What’s touching is that the first person to congratulate Morricone on winning an Oscar was another legend of film music – John Williams.
Indeed, the two men, who've just been awarded the Princess of Asturias Award, were close friends. Although – or maybe because – Morricone and Williams didn't always agree. Nevertheless, they always appreciated each other's genius minds – Morricone even thanked Williams in his Oscar acceptance speech.
Cinema release: 25 December 2015
Total gross: $155.8 million
The maestro's achievements are greater than the mighty prairie in Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western. Doing it justice is impossible. I'm sure you know many more of Ennio Morricone's music that deserves to be mentioned. Feel free to add them in the comment section. I'm going to listen to and enjoy every single one of them.
I hope you will too.
Luca Fontana
Senior Editor
Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.chI'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.»