Score: A Film Music Documentary

Ennio Morricone, John Williams, Thomas Newman, Hans Zimmer... What gives you goose bumps when you are sitting there in the darkness of the cinema theater, with tears running down your cheeks, has as much to do with music as with the purely visual impression of film. This documentary displays the best of Hollywood's film music, and follows composers as they work with large symphony orchestras or purely digital tools – it is a cinematic dream come true. Score lets ut in behind the scenes to explore the film music which gives nerve to the stories we never forget, such as Psycho, The Godfather, Star Wars, Rocky, Gladiator, Interstellar and many more. We visit famous studios such as Abbey Road to witness recordings with orchestras, but the film also features interviews with some of the most famous composers, who reflect on their own work and the impact film music has had on modern cinema. The only problem with the film is that 94 minutes is not nearly enough. As professor of psychology Siu-Lan Tan gives a scientific explanation of the physical processes that take place when we are exposed to a great musical score, we are immediately struck by the wonders of its existence. Two more hours of running time would be completely fine for this film – a must for every lover of film music. LS

Matt Schrader is educated from the University of Southern California. He has made his mark as a journalist and director of TV-documentaries, and has worked for CBS and NBC. Schrader has won three Emmy-awards for his work. Score is his first theatrical release.