Sound technique · used in 3 films
Scoring with repeating, slowly shifting patterns that build a calm, trance-like mood. The music feels like part of a ritual.
Examples
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen · 1985
Carter Burwell's first film score mixes solo piano with electronic ambient sound. It sounds thin and cold, which suits a film about small people making big mistakes. The Four Tops song in the bar gives a sharp contrast.
Where to see it: The bar: the score and the Four Tops' "It's the Same Old Song" set the tone of the Texas bar.
Martin Scorsese · 1997
Philip Glass wrote the score. Its steady patterns give the film a meditative feel that matches the monastery scenes. The film also has a track named after a sand mandala.
Where to see it: The opening credits: a sand mandala is the first image, over music.
Woody Allen · 2007
Philip Glass wrote the score, the first original one on a Woody Allen film in decades. His repeating figures sit under the plotting and the aftermath. The music gives a family story the weight of doom.
Where to see it: The days after the murder. The score plays as Terry sinks into guilt while Ian tries to carry on.
Questions