Image via Spotify
Do you ever hear a song and instantly think of a movie scene?
For me, the soundtracks that really stand out are not just the ones that had a massive cultural impact, but those that create a disturbing or uneasy feel - so I'm not just talking about Grease or Fame here.
With film soundtracks or scores, it's hard not to think of that particular scene. Upon listening, the music provokes all the emotions felt at my first viewing, triggering sensations of fear, excitement or disturbance. That being said, many films would not have come about without the motivation of a novel or original screen play.
Again, the films that continue to resonate with me are those that unsettle. The 1971 crime/sci-fi movie A Clockwork Orange is one of the most thought-provoking and unnerving films I've ever seen. Based on Anthony Burgesss 1962 novel of dystopian crime, it was later adapted into film by Stanley Kubrick. I read the book first, but the film was quite hard to watch and made the violence and anarchy even more sickening. Its soundtrack is a collection of classical and orchestral pieces, accompanied by Wendy Carlos' electronic arrangements; it is dark and atmospheric in some parts, and lively in others. For instance, Gioachino Rossini's 'William Tell Overture' will always conjure up in my mind the horrendous bedroom scene, and I can never listen to 'Singin' in the Rain' without thinking of the chilling break-in and the terror inflicted upon the couple residing there.
Something rises to the surface when I hear 'Everybody's Talkin'' by Harry Nilsson, taking me back to the hope I felt for the characters trying to survive on the streets of New York. Starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, Midnight Cowboy (1969) really got under my skin. The film is another adaption, this time of James Leo Herlihy's 1965 novel. The main theme composed by John Barry is a haunting instrumental, that for me poignantly mirrors the sadness of the film.
The 1996 cult classic Trainspotting (dir. Danny Boyle) is adapted from Irvine Welsh's 1993 debut novel. The film is hard-hitting, and was my first insight to how heroine can destroy lives; it was even slated at the time for glamorising drugs (bizarre!!). Again, I read the book first and I think the film did it justice and then some. Its soundtrack remains one of my favourites, with each song taking me back to the grit and emotion conjured on screen.
Moving away from drugs and violence, a film I remember watching at the cinema in 1986 was Absolute Beginners, and the only reason I watched this was because of David Bowie. The British rock musical was adapted from Colin MacInnes' 1959 cult novel of the same title. Admittedly, I don't think I was blown away by the film but thought it should get a mention due to said cast member! When I hear Bowie's title track, it reminds me what an awful film this was. Elsewhere, the soundtrack is a bit too jazzy for me. Then again, the novel is set in 1958 London, and captures the birth of teenage culture, JAZZ! and rising racial tensions.
Maybe I should give the novel a go.
