FILMS USE MUSIC to heighten excitement – there’s nothing so stimulating as frantic strings when the hero is rushing to beat his nemesis. But music also steers your subtler emotions, guiding you on when to be sad, or joyful, or hopeful.
It’s quite possible to watch a whole film without registering the music at all. We all remember the theme tunes at the start of Indiana Jones or Star Wars, but how many of us can remember the music John Williams wrote that followed?
Music in films operates on an unconscious level. It triggers something basic deep inside us. My somewhat controversial take on this is that music gives movies the sense of smell.
