Sound technique · used in 5 films
Using existing music from other films or well-known pieces as the soundtrack. The pieces bring their own history and a sense of place or emotion to the scene.
Examples
John Ford · 1962
Ford reused Alfred Newman's Ann Rutledge theme from an earlier film in scenes about Hallie's relationships with Doniphon and Stoddard. The tune carries its own history with it.
Where to see it: Hallie's two men: Hallie treats Stoddard's wounds while Doniphon watches, then Doniphon gets drunk and burns his own unfinished house.
Robert Altman · 1971
Instead of an orchestral score, the film uses songs by Leonard Cohen that were recorded before the film was made. The quiet, sad voice gives the town a mood of loneliness without any need for cowboy music.
Where to see it: The opening ride: McCabe arrives at Presbyterian Church on horseback in the rain, with a Leonard Cohen song playing over the images.
Wes Anderson · 2007
The soundtrack mixes songs by the Kinks and the Rolling Stones with film scores from Satyajit Ray and Merchant Ivory movies. Anderson has said Ray's films inspired him to visit India. The borrowed music places you in India through the eyes of a filmmaker who loves its cinema.
Where to see it: The ending: The film closes on Joe Dassin's 'Les Champs-Elysees' after the brothers board the Bengal Lancer.
Luca Guadagnino · 2010
The soundtrack is entirely existing music by John Adams. Tilda Swinton said the film was built around it, and Adams approved it after seeing the finished film. The orchestral pieces carry the big emotional turns.
Where to see it: The investor dinner. Antonio serves ukha and Edoardo Jr. realizes his mother is involved with him.
Chloé Zhao · 2025
Composer Max Richter wrote about 30 minutes of music before filming, and Zhao played it on set to set the mood. For the ending, though, she chose Richter's older piece "On the Nature of Daylight" after Jessie Buckley, who plays Agnes, shared it during the shoot. The slow strings let the final scene unfold without hurry.
Where to see it: The Globe finale. "On the Nature of Daylight" plays as Agnes watches Hamlet die and finally lets her grief go.
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