The importance of music in cinema
October, 03; 2025. By Arscodex
At this point, it's worth highlighting a thought related to music and film, and it is the following: if a film with good music gives its all, if you remove the music, you're already offering less than its best.
Regarding this fact, which has already been highlighted in this medium on other occasions, we can expand on this point a bit, and give some examples, as we will.
During the 20th century, film producers were clear that music was a central element in film, not simply an accompaniment, and they have strived to create catchy melodies for their productions. For example, Out of Africa or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, both classic films featuring music by the great English composer John Barry and, in the second example, by Ennio Morricone. The second example develops what is known in film music as the "lay motiv," that is, one or more musical ideas that occur throughout the film at certain key moments.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, every self-respecting producer should know that this is the best cinema can offer its viewers. Every self-respecting film should have a beautiful soundtrack, which will also remind the viewer of the film when they're not watching it, and will make them feel the same sensations they felt while watching it. Anything less than this is cinema of lesser quality, period.
Now we bring up a cinematic trio that, in the opinion of this media outlet, has brought to this world some films that are considered by all to be "masterpieces," and we're treating them here as the same. We're talking about directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, plus musician John Williams. Furthermore, these three people were active during this writer's childhood, so, as they say, this is presented as "smooth sailing." I mean, I'm going to hold the work of these creatives in doubly high regard.
Well, there are films like the Indiana Jones saga, which has a main musical theme composed by the aforementioned Williams. We've gone from just another adventure film (a pretty good script, by the way) to becoming the "quintessential adventure film" and therefore of cinema, since the adventure genre is prevalent in the film world. But in reality, the genre of the film in this case is irrelevant; the important thing is that it has good music.
So to speak, the work of these three creatives, taken together, represents something that was difficult to surpass. We also include, for example, the animated musical films from the Walt Disney studio during its Renaissance period, that is, shortly after Walt's death. How can you surpass excellent writing and directing when you add outstanding music? Well, it's difficult to surpass, of course.
And this is the starting point for the author of this article, who, as the reader knows, is also a film director. The author of this article wanted to make good films, and to do so, he saw the need to master music as an art form in itself, since great films worth their salt had good music. And so he did, and somehow he was lucky and was able, in the opinion of this media outlet, and ultimately in the opinion of the author, Pedro Alonso Pablos, to create a cinematic technique that combined music and film, making both disciplines fall into the hands of a single person, as the reader can already see. All or almost all of the author's films are made almost entirely by himself, including the music.
But anyway, let's refocus and return to the main subject of the matter, and let's confirm, with these examples, that the cinematic experience is complete when a film or series has good music; if this parameter is removed, we will know that the work will not be among the best in cinema. So, film and series producers, wake up! Without music, there is no excellence in cinema!
Regarding this fact, which has already been highlighted in this medium on other occasions, we can expand on this point a bit, and give some examples, as we will.
During the 20th century, film producers were clear that music was a central element in film, not simply an accompaniment, and they have strived to create catchy melodies for their productions. For example, Out of Africa or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, both classic films featuring music by the great English composer John Barry and, in the second example, by Ennio Morricone. The second example develops what is known in film music as the "lay motiv," that is, one or more musical ideas that occur throughout the film at certain key moments.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, every self-respecting producer should know that this is the best cinema can offer its viewers. Every self-respecting film should have a beautiful soundtrack, which will also remind the viewer of the film when they're not watching it, and will make them feel the same sensations they felt while watching it. Anything less than this is cinema of lesser quality, period.
Now we bring up a cinematic trio that, in the opinion of this media outlet, has brought to this world some films that are considered by all to be "masterpieces," and we're treating them here as the same. We're talking about directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, plus musician John Williams. Furthermore, these three people were active during this writer's childhood, so, as they say, this is presented as "smooth sailing." I mean, I'm going to hold the work of these creatives in doubly high regard.
Well, there are films like the Indiana Jones saga, which has a main musical theme composed by the aforementioned Williams. We've gone from just another adventure film (a pretty good script, by the way) to becoming the "quintessential adventure film" and therefore of cinema, since the adventure genre is prevalent in the film world. But in reality, the genre of the film in this case is irrelevant; the important thing is that it has good music.
So to speak, the work of these three creatives, taken together, represents something that was difficult to surpass. We also include, for example, the animated musical films from the Walt Disney studio during its Renaissance period, that is, shortly after Walt's death. How can you surpass excellent writing and directing when you add outstanding music? Well, it's difficult to surpass, of course.
And this is the starting point for the author of this article, who, as the reader knows, is also a film director. The author of this article wanted to make good films, and to do so, he saw the need to master music as an art form in itself, since great films worth their salt had good music. And so he did, and somehow he was lucky and was able, in the opinion of this media outlet, and ultimately in the opinion of the author, Pedro Alonso Pablos, to create a cinematic technique that combined music and film, making both disciplines fall into the hands of a single person, as the reader can already see. All or almost all of the author's films are made almost entirely by himself, including the music.
But anyway, let's refocus and return to the main subject of the matter, and let's confirm, with these examples, that the cinematic experience is complete when a film or series has good music; if this parameter is removed, we will know that the work will not be among the best in cinema. So, film and series producers, wake up! Without music, there is no excellence in cinema!
Featured links in People
Featured links in works
Related news