[Micheal]

Interesting.... I have to read this book.

Thanks,

Mike

[Brian W. Ralston]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig S

Well, even though he only scored a few minutes of music for the end credits it still counts.

There was music in the film. About 3 short cues. There was one at the beginning but it was soft and atmospheric. There were about 2 others in the middle of the film, again...atmospheric in nature (no melody)...and they were so soft in the mix, you could barely hear them. Then, of course the end title was thematic in nature.

I do agree though...the sparse use of music, or rather the large use of silence and "room tone" gave this particular film a kick in the erie/on edge department.

[Brian W. Ralston]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard--W

I hope the absence of music in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN starts a trend. There's too much wall-to-wall music in films. I find soundtrack music distracting and annoying much of the time. I've posted my thoughts on this in the past. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MAN gains intensity and power over the audience by refusing to telegraph its emotional subtext with music. If the Coens made no other decision that was right, they were right on this one:

NO MUSIC.

As a film composer...I actually agree with you to a point. I hate how films typically get wall to wall scores nowdays. The rule I was taught and what I do on every project when spotting a film with a director is to discuss why there should be music in a particular scene. If there is no good reason for it to be there, then it should not be there. The silence actually makes the moments with music have more impact as well. Wall to wall music gets lost in the wash of the sound field. The audience member begins to tone it out.

In my experience with film and knowing the power music has to evoke emotion in a film...I do not believe there is a blanket answer for every film. Little music in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN was brilliant. (There were a few atmospheric cues). But, just like your thoughts on wall to wall scores...absolutely no score is the opposite extreme that can be detrimental to a film as well. There are countless stories of films screened with scores where the audiences hated the film and the same film edit was screened months later with a different score and the audiences loved the film. The only change was the music.

Music (for most films), is the emotional component supporting or enhancing what is already on screen. It is the "un-seen actor" that is a powerful force in shaping how the audience responds. The "music" in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is the symphony of the sounds of society itself. Silence can be just as powerful as a theme, depending on what story the film is trying to tell.

Do you feel manipulated by film music most of the time? Well...the Cohen Bros. manipulated you again with their lack of "music". It is basically the same thing.

[Bryan^H]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian W. Ralston

As a film composer...I actually agree with you to a point. I hate how films typically get wall to wall scores nowdays. The rule I was taught and what I do on every project when spotting a film with a director is to discuss why there should be music in a particular scene. If there is no good reason for it to be there, then it should not be there. The silence actually makes the moments with music have more impact as well. Wall to wall music gets lost in the wash of the sound field. The audience member begins to tone it out.

In my experience with film and knowing the power music has to evoke emotion in a film...I do not believe there is a blanket answer for every film. Little music in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN was brilliant. (There were a few atmospheric cues). But, just like your thoughts on wall to wall scores...absolutely no score is the opposite extreme that can be detrimental to a film as well. There are countless stories of films screened with scores where the audiences hated the film and the same film edit was screened months later with a different score and the audiences loved the film. The only change was the music.

Music (for most films), is the emotional component supporting or enhancing what is already on screen. It is the "un-seen actor" that is a powerful force in shaping how the audience responds. The "music" in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is the symphony of the sounds of society itself. Silence can be just as powerful as a theme, depending on what story the film is trying to tell.

Do you feel manipulated by film music most of the time? Well...the Cohen Bros. manipulated you again with their lack of "music". It is basically the same thing.

This is usually why film documentaries are so powerful. Most don't have a musical score, and when done right you are completely immersed in that world for a couple hours w/out the musical score to remind you your watching a film.

If No Country for Old Men had a musical score, the suspense, and realism would have been greatly diminished.....for me anyway.

[Michael_K_Sr]

Anyone care to comment on how to interpret the car crash in the final act? Watching Chigurh walk away with a compound fracture of his arm, am I just supposed to be left with the impression that this guy is an even bigger badass then he already is? I can understand people being turned off with the ending, but it's the crash scene that's still vexing me.

[Brett_M]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael_K_Sr

Anyone care to comment on how to interpret the car crash in the final act? Watching Chigurh walk away with a compound fracture of his arm, am I just supposed to be left with the impression that this guy is an even bigger badass then he already is? I can understand people being turned off with the ending, but it's the crash scene that's still vexing me.

For me, it goes right along with Tommy Lee Jones' character assertion that he is living in a country that he does not recognize or understand. Chigurh walks away and evil wins.

[Thi Them]

Also goes along with his feelings about God. A random act happened that should've killed him and did kill the other driver left Chigurh walking away. It also mirrors Brolin's character as he was walking across the border injured, showing how greed will still persist with the youth.

~T

[Kirk Tsai]

Quote:

This is usually why film documentaries are so powerful. Most don't have a musical score, and when done right you are completely immersed in that world for a couple hours w/out the musical score to remind you your watching a film.

I would posit this is a false statement. Even if the documentaries do not use a traditional film score--and a large amount do--they nonetheless may use an off-screen/non-diegetic soundtrack made of existing music.

[Holadem]

There was music in the film. Sparse and subtle, but it was there, and underscored a couple of extremely tense scenes. Not sure why folks think there was none.

Yeah the end was hard to swallow. I can't say I *got* it, but I am still digesting the whole thing. Still right until then, this one is a masterpiece.

--
H