The Diary of Jane – Chapter 17: When the music tells the story

So, I read this Wired article by Jordan Crucchiola the other day, about the future of movies – and this part about it just stayed with me:

”It’s the concert experience of cinema. It’s an exercise in shared empathy. It’s the chance to be immersed in a world of fantasy, to laugh and scream with strangers, to learn more about what it is to be human—all without the distractions of the outside world.” (If you’re interested – the full article can be found here: https://www.wired.com/story/on-the-future-of-movies/)

I can definitely see the point, and understand the comparison – BUT.  You never get the live interaction with the performers, it’s still only just a screen. The actors will never return a smile, frown, wave, throw a guitar pic or drumstick for you to catch.

But hey, this is what we have right now, at least it’s something.
Oh well.
We don’t really have this either, do we…?

Most cinemas all over the world are closed right now – so we don’t have the possibility to sink down in the darkness, and for a moment be able to forget about reality. To silence the busy mind and see the world from another perspective, to get new ideas, thoughts, inspiration…

But, we are all well aware that there are parts of our world that absolutely suck – at least there are chances to watch shows/musicals/films that can remind us how important the music really is, in everything. Absolutely everything.

Not only the obvious – the live shows that are saved for us to see, again and again. Relive memories if we were there, just enjoy the ride if we weren’t. And those with a bit of extras, where we get a little peek behind the scenes, I really like those! There are just sooo many!! (#note: If you haven’t seen “As The Stages Burn!” from Arch Enemy…just do it!)

From one obvious to another, the actual scores and themes of the movies. The ones where you instantly connect the tones with the film as soon as you hear them, and you get that warm feeling of something wellknown inside. You know – like Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Mission Impossible, Bond…..yes, we all know those, they bring excitement and smiles. (Well, except when you have a friend that keeps meowing The Imperial March all the time…!) Imagine all those films WITHOUT those magical scores? Impossible!

Or the movies that are based on music and the life behind (also known as the ones that ALWAYS make me cry like a baby). To name a few – 8 Mile, Almost Famous, Rock Star and Purple Rain (”When Doves Cry” is probably one of my biggest tear channel openers ever, love love LOVE that song)…

Another movie moment that sends shivers down my spine and gives me goosebumps and makes me cry – as soon as “El Tango De Roxanne” starts in Moulin Rouge. Love how they have built that entire song and scene up.

And the creepy tones to go with thrillers and horror movies, building up the suspense.
When you KNOW something horrible is about to happen, and you sit there, all prepared, but still – when that jump scare comes, you freak out. (I love this rush of adrenaline, even though I sometimes sit with my hair or fingers partially covering my eyes, haha)

The power of music.

Music can truly take the storytelling to another level, and there are just so many brilliant moments out there! Here are a few well-matched ones I can watch again and again:
Almost Famous –  The tour bus version of ”Tiny Dancer” goes from awkward to beautiful and is yet another proof of how music always connects people.
Joker – When Arthur is dancing his way down the stairs to “Rock ‘n’ Roll (Part 2)” – and that kind of tells you everything about this character.
Lords of Dogtown – The broke-down but somehow beautiful vibe of Heath Ledger as he is fixing surf boards, a shot of whiskey and on top of that “Maggie May”.
Shaun of the Dead – That hilarious moment when ”Don’t Stop Me Now” suddenly starts on the jukebox, and the fighting begins.
Wayne’s World – ”Bohemian Rhapsody” in the car….I just can’t get over how brilliant it is.
Kingsman: The Secret Service – So raw, but brutally beautiful – The church fight scene, together with ”Free Bird”.

Then there are of course those songs that have been overused, like “Sweet Home Alabama”.
But it’s just perfect in Con Air, with the awesomeness of Garland Greene’s words: “Define irony. Bunch of idiots dancing on a plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash.”

Speaking of irony – using ”Singing in the rain” in a very brutal scene in The Clockwork Orange feels weird, but strangely enough suitable. And ”Walking on sunshine” and ”Hip to be square” in American Psycho, while Patrick Bateman goes nuts…is just so off that it’s fantastic. Absolutely not to forget – Michael Madsen dancing and singing to ”Stuck in the middle with you” during a torture scene in Reservoir Dogs.

Quentin Tarantino is a true master mind when it comes to adding songs to his scenes and that way taking the movie/characters to another level. I think the one that is outstanding for me, is in Inglorious Basterds – when we get to hear “Cat People (Putting out fire)” while Shoshanna is preparing for German Night. Pure genious, and it just hits me every time.

And superheroes wouldn’t be so amazing if they didn’t have the tracks to go with them…check the awesome use of “Immigrant Song” in Thor: Ragnarok – or the music in Guardians of the Galaxy.

So, no.
Not even the cinematic world would be anywhere close to as beautiful, interesting, scary, amazing…REAL…if it wasn’t for music.

And also, no.
There really is no other song for me to round this chapter off with. The movie is cool as hell, and the song is absolutely glorious. (And so we are back with Chris Cornell, because #everythingisconnected )