09-2004 / Sight & Sound / The Best Music in Film

The Pastels
(Scottish indie band who composed the music for David MacKenzie's The Last Great Wilderness (2002))

S&S: What is your favourite film soundtrack music and why do you like it so much?

"It's impossible to ignore Godard's genius with music and sound, but in terms of what a composer has brought to a film, I'd choose Roman Polanski's Cul-de-Sac (1966) by Krzysztof Komeda. The main piece is instantly memorable and is as important as the images in defining the atmosphere of the film. Polanski obviously recognises this, and in places surrenders dialogue to the music, pushing the levels absolutely to the limit in what feels almost like mono blocks, right in the middle of the sound design. Even now this sounds completely fabulous and bold, and outside of the film, on it's own, it's still a beautiful series of musical pieces."

S&S: In what ways does music best enhance a film?

"Mostly in terms of atmosphere, in bringing a coherent sense of style to the film. Music can heighten the impact of certain images or affect our perception of them. Properly integrated, it will help with the continuity, pace and feel of the film. Hopefully it will make the film more memorable."

S&S: Which film either has music that you wished you'd written or is one you would like to rescore and why?

"I feel that films usually get the music that they deserve, and in most of the films I love, the music is excellent. It's impossible to think of improving the music in a Tati or a Truffaut or a Hitchcock. Equally when film-makers don't pay attention to the musical side, and plaster their film with 'cool tunes' and 'wild sound affects', then it suggests that it might be hard to dig them out of their hole. Even as beginners, rather than re-scoring something, we'd prefer to look forward to something new."