What is your favourite movie score of all time? I'd like to start by differentiating between a score and a soundtrack. A soundtrack is a collection of songs put together for that film, whereas a score is music composed specifically for that film.

My favourite has to be the Requiem For A Dream score, composed by Clint Mansell and performed by the Kronos Quartet.
Such a bleak collection of classical compositions, that touch on trip hop in places. The sparceness and mood completely captures the feel of the film, and whilst listening to it on its own, it almost feels as if you are actually watching the film.

The Harder They Come is the one I always go back to.

Once Upon a Time In America by Ennio Morricone is fucking sublime.

ps: Kronos Quartet - yeah, great performance. I've just started getting into this act and it's all good so far. They did the best stuff on the Heat soundtrack too.

I intend on buying some Ennio Morricone. A couple of his tracks are on the Kill Bill 2 soundtrack, and they are awesome..

24 hour Party People

That is a soundtrack, not a movie score...

oh i absolutely love once upon a time in america
that and deer hnter but im not sure that counts was that music written for the film? im not sure excuse my ignorance
im sure someone will tell me .

In a similar vein to Requiem for a Dream - Clubbed to Death has an excellent score (I think it was made for the film), a very atmospheric French film about two brothers and a clubber.
The Shawshank Redemption also has a fantastic score.
The Coen Brothers have an unnatural talent for sourcing great music, the scores for Fargo and Millers Crossing (Cafferey's ad) were both quite haunting and stayed with you well after the movie.

My favourite is probably any of RZA's scores, Ghost Dog or Kill Bill

Oh and, The Thin Red Line, very under-used but beautiful.

Top 3:

1: Blade Runner
2: The Butterfly Effect
3: Gattaca

martial arts film 'the one'

pure rock.

oooh this is hard....

ok in no particular order...

Last Samurai
Donnie Darko
Silence Of The Lambs
Thin Red Line
LOTR Trilogy
Batman
Gladiator
Meet Joe Black

god i have over hundred scores....cant choose...overload..!!!!

Christie Malry's Own Double Entry by Luke Haines. Unsurpassed.

Blade Runner. Natch. The film is the music, the music the film. Their symbiosis is such that I find I cannot think of one without the other.

comababy spouted:
Once Upon a Time In America by Ennio Morricone is fucking sublime.

I'm really not much of a fan of E. Morricone which is strange seeing as I would rank "Once Upon A Time In The West" as a personal favorite film. I find his music dominates rather than accompanies which can never be a good thing. Must see "...In America" though. And "Cinema Paradiso" for that matter.

Another example of a soundtrack that takes over its film is "Gladiator", the music for which I utterly despise. But seemingly thats just me.

Concerning whether a piece of music dominates or accompanies a film - I know what you mean, though I've often thought this might be down to how you're reacting to the film itself. A lot of scores sound overblown if the film doesn't really engage.

And speaking of soundtracks you dislike - any James Horner does it for me.

Animalympics by Graham Gouldman!

Now that we've made it...we've made it to the top...

I love the score to the Piano.
In fact I like most of Nyman's scores... especially the Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover. The Book Depository piece is beautiful.

I also like some of Badalamenti's film compositions.

And Loduca's Brotherhood of the Wolf score. Not even finding out he did the music to Hercules and Xena the Warrior Princess has put me off!

Alternate spouted:
In fact I like most of Nyman's scores... especially the Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover. The Book Depository piece is beautiful.

He scores all of Greenaway's films and is my ultimate film music hero.

For Score (Not Soundtrack), Obviously For Me Its The Matrix Trilogy. They Are Fucking Ace, My Fave Being The Revolutions One.

Closely Followed By The Mind Blowing Croutching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Score

I was under the impression that Revolutions was the *only* Matrix movie with an origional score composed entirely for the film. All the other films just use songs by bands and the like don't they?

No

The Original Had The Award Winning Score And A Seperate Soundtrack With Songs From The Movie

Reloaded Had The Original Score (Including New Stuff Recorded By Rob Dougan And Juno Reactor) And The Soundtrack Which Featured Some Original, Exclusive Tracks From Bands Such As Rob Zombie. This Was Packaged As A 2CD Set (So If You Go One, You Got The Other)

Whereas Revolutions Is The Only One Of The 3 Which Has ONLY An Original Score For Sale, And Indeed Has No Proper Songs During The Film/Credits At All

did someone mention that ronin is a matrix geek?

did I just make up a new phrase? i think so..



I'll get me coat..

Taxi!

Just listening to one just now. Its feckin ace
It is a collection of Songs, but songs that were written specifically for the film so I spose its both a score and a soundtrack

Michel Vaillant by Archive

review is here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000AS2OS/ref=sr_aps_music_1_1/202-4120814-9851848

Fairly obvious, but I only watched Cinema Paradiso again a week ago, so E. Morricone's score for that will have to be my answer, for now at least.

Natural Born Killers, Trent Reznor. Absolutely superb.