Music and film are two separate and spectacular things that become a unified and beautiful creature when used purposely and well together. A scene gains so much emotion with the proper song. Likewise, a great song gains characters and storyline it didn’t have before. Lyrics like “putting out fire with gasoline” (from the David Bowie song “Cat People”) never meant so much to so many people collectively as when played at the end of “Inglourious Basterds,” when a theater full of trapped Nazis (including Hitler himself) is burning to the ground. A film director would be mistaken to not choose her soundtrack carefully, as it adds a huge amount of intangibles to the film (example: check out this scene from Royal Tenenbaums with the wrong music as compared to the original). Below are a few examples of great juxtaposition of music and film.

“Trainspotting,” Renton OD Scene with the Lou Reed song “Perfect Day”

Mark Renton

Renton is trying to get clean. He’s on prescribed Methadone, but it’s not enough. He gives in to his craving and heads over to the Mother Superior for a hit of smack. He inserts the needle into his vein and gasps as the last filthy drop of diacetylmorphine is injected into his blood stream. He lays back onto the floor and the opening piano to Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” starts up. The lyrics starkly contrast the scene being played out. Reed sings about feeding animals at the zoo as Renton, unconscious, is dragged down the stairs feet first. “Oh it’s such a perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you,” Reed bellows, as Renton lays motionless in the middle of the road. At the hospital, the sound of an emergency bell joins in the orchestration of the song. On a gurney in the hallway of the hospital nurses slap his face and yell at him to “wake up” as Lou Reed’s voice echoes the refrain, “You’re going to reap just what you sow.” Watch this scene

“Royal Tenenbaums,” Richie Tenenbaum suicide attempt with Elliott Smith’s “Needle in the Hay”

Richie Tenenbaum

How sickly sweet that the Elliott Smith song Needle in the Hay is played during a suicide scene (Smith killed himself a couple of years after this movie was released). Smith’s pain and despair is the perfect backdrop for Richie Tenenbaum as he slits his wrists. While I suspect that Smith’s song is about coping with drug addiction, it’s the pain in his voice that helps set the tone for Richie’s own despair. Smith’s voice is soft and angelic while repeating the words “Needle in the Hay” as Richie whispers to himself in the mirror, “I’m going to kill myself tomorrow.” At this point the song takes an instrumental interlude. Memories flash across the screen to the tempo of the song. Now the soft acoustic guitar picks up speed and aggression. Richie cuts his wrist and the blood is shown dancing down the sink drain along to Smith’s guitar. Watch this scene

“Almost Famous,” Tour bus sing-along to Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer”

Tour bus sing along

The sun is rising over Topeka, Kansas and a tour bus full of tired rock stars and band-aides pulls up in front of a dwindling house party. The bus is here to pick up William, a 15 year old rock journalist for Rolling Stone, and the band’s lead guitarist who disappeared after a fight with the rest of the band. Back on the bus the mood is heavy. It’s been a long time on the road and everyone is tired. As the bus pulls away from the house “Tiny Dancer” starts playing. The camera pans around the bus. The drummer taps the beat to Tiny Dancer on his shoes and others bob their heads to the song in their heads. One member of the band starts singing the song mid verse. One by one the rest of the bus joins in. The stone-wall looks on their faces crack into smiles. The feeling that everything is going to be alright takes over. William turns to Penny and says “I have to go home” and Penny says, “You are home.” And everything’s gonna be alright. Watch this scene
Watch Dave Grohl try to recreate this on the Craig Kilborn Show