Music in Movies Project

Music

Pick One of the movies, taking notes about the particular scenes that use the music to be discussed.

3. Research the music used. This will include finding plot synopses, lyrics and translations, and specifics about the form of the selections. Specific titles and composer names will be supplied individually after your choice is made.

5. Reconcile the choices of the music with the movie in which it is used. In each case, there is a reason that the music is linked with the particular scene. You will find the connection. Feel free to discuss your ideas with me throughout the procesoutlining the movie, plot, opera or choral work and plot or purpoe, and how the two are related

Choose one of these movies to watch, keeping in mind as you do the specific scenes and music that I have indicated. Then, do some online research about the operas, including plots, translations, etc., as specified. Your paper should be two pages in length, and address the questions, indicating that you have drawn your own conclusions. I?m more than happy to discuss your thoughts before you submit the paper, if you wish.

Apocalypse Now

Pay attention to the music in the scene where the helicopters descend on the village. They even announce it: "We use Wagner." The music is "Ride of the Valkyries" from Die Walkure. Do some research online about the original context for "Ride of the Valkyries"– who are the valkyries, etc.? Try to find some parallels between the scene in the opera and the scene in the movie.

The Boondock Saints

Pay particularly the first investigation scene. The detective listens to "Si, mi chiamo Mimi" from La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini. Read a plot symopsis of the opera, and read a translation of the aria. When you write your paper, draw some conclusions as to why this music might be particularly appropriate for this scene.

Man on Fire

Pay attention to the scene where Creasy interrogates the member of La Hermadad in the car. The whole scene is a bit grisly, but I’m assuming you’ve already seen the movie if you’re choosing it. As the car rolls down the hill, the music, apparently coming from the radio, changes to "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot. Find a recording of the entire aria– this should be easy, as it’s one of the most famous and popular tenor arias ever, and there should be plenty of youtube examples. Then, find an English translation of the text; the words are key here. Also, read a plot synopsis of the entire opera Turandot. Why do you think this music was used for this scene? There are several over-arching themes, as well as some very specific correlations that can be made between different characters. There is a lot of potential for drawing connections between the movie and the opera, all hinging around this moment of music.

Pretty Woman

Pay particular attention to the scene where Vivian and Edward attend the opera. The opera they see is La Traviata by Guiseppe Verdi. You see snippets of three scenes: the beginning, the garden scene in the country, and the end. Find a plot synopsis of the opera, and try to draw some conclusions as to why this opera was chosen for use in this movie. You will probably want to know the definition of "courtesan".

Quantum of Solace

Our hero finds himself infiltrating a meeting of evil masterminds that takes place during an outdoor production of Giacomo Puccini?s Tosca. The aria that we hear is ?Va, Tosca!? Why do you think this opera is a significant choice for the villains? Compare the plot of the opera with that of the movie, and draw some possible parallels. What about the staging itself? Does the giant, imposing eye on stage give us any insight into the characters or the plot?

Romeo + Juliet

In this one, you?re going to be most interested in the scene right at the end of the movie, when our hero and heroine actually (spoiler alert!) die. : )

The music is known as the ?Liebestod? theme from Richard Wagner?s Tristan und Isolde. Find online a plot synopsis of the opera, and draw some conclusions as to why this opera was used in this movie, and particularly why the specific theme is in this scene. You?ll want to find a translation of ?liebestod,? for sure.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

The main characters attend a live performance of Tchaikovsky?s Eugene Onegin. They seem to react to it pretty strongly. What makes this opera significant to this movie, and in what way does their attendance of the opera affect the progression of their own plot? Provide a synopsis of both the opera and the movie to make this comparison.

X-Men 2

When you watch "X-Men 2", pay attention to the scene where Nightcrawler enters the Oval Office. The music that you hear is the "Dies Irae" movement from Mozart’s Requiem. Look up a translation of the "Dies Irae" text, and try to draw some conclusions about why this music might have been used for this scene.