Music in Films Essay

Talents are strewn around everywhere in the form of music, acting, editing, singing, etc. Stories and themes are left undiscovered in the slums of India. Who would pick them up and give an artistic touch? Hats off to Danny Boyle, an English director who did it. He took the challenge of making it to the silver screen and ended up with Oscars, the highest authority on movies that acknowledged Slum Dog Millionaire with 8 out of 10 nominations. An 18-year old boy Jamal who was raised in Mumbai slum wins 10 million dollars in a quiz competition which is popularly known as â€Å"Who will be the millionaire. † in Indian television show. As he keeps winning, the doubt â€Å"How an uneducated tea supplier working in a call center could answer all questions correctly? † raises. Was he cheating? An obvious question that arises in the minds of everyone which the movie alone could answer. Just one more question the next day will make him a millionaire. That night, Jamal was taken to police station and was beaten brutally on charges of cheating in the quiz competition. The answer to the question â€Å"How Jamal would know the answers to all the questions? † is the central theme of this movie with which the entire story is built. Usually rich ones with good schoolings have better access to quiz competitions with the probability of winning. But Jamal had no formal education. The vicious streets of Mumbai, the horrific nights, the villainous characters around taking every opportunity to exploit poor children like him are all the lessons Jamal went through in the open and unsafe streets of Mumbai. The insecurity for the poor in the slums and the social weaknesses of the Indian society is brought about by the movie in a thrilling fashion. Thugs turning children blind and making them beggars for their selfish motives is one such example. For every question asked in the competition, Jamal derived answer from his life time experience. In other words, there were events in his life which had some connection to the answers. He uses his intelligence and memory to recollect the events and tries his luck. Of course a bit of luck is also necessary in everything one does. Another way of looking at Jamal is that talents are everywhere in forms suppressed, in royal institutions as well as in the slums. Bringing them up to the surface is what heroism is. While young, Jamal made an awkward choice of jumping into the pool of shit to come out of the toilet and finally making it with Amitabachan (a leading actor in India) for an autograph shows his drive and enthusiasm. Jamal meeting her girl friend Lathika back in Mumbai after a long gap is an ecstatic moment. Girls like Lathika after being grown up are eyed seriously by lewd males. Even Jamal had to ruffle with his brother to get Lathika out of him. Both Jamal and Lathika are safe in the end and their love materializes. Jamal talking to Lathika over phone as a lifeline friend is symbolic of Jamal winning his invaluable prize Lathika before winning his 10 million dollar. The movie is a combination of everything – scores of music, songs, cinematography, editing, etc. A. R. Rehman struck his chord with his rich and varied notes scoring over horror, melody, love and misery. The distinction shown among all these items with originality and inventiveness are something special which won him the Oscar for Original Scores. The choice and combination of music themes applied make the movie prolific. For example â€Å"Ring ring ringa, Ring ring ringa†¦. † is used when prostitutes are shown. â€Å"Jai ho, jai ho† is used when Jamal and Lathika meet or when there is a heroic deed performed. The â€Å"jai ho jai ho aaja aaja jind shamiyane ke tale aaja jariwale nile aasman ke tale jai ho jai ho ratti ratti. † song transcends the barriers of language and reaches out to audience worldwide to enthrall and has yielded him yet another Oscar for song. It is the music that takes the song everywhere. Every time when there is a change of scene, the music is simply astounding. The change of mood is rightly set by the music. The background music of quiz program is not new to the people of India, as the real program on television show was similar to this one. However, the typical music recorded in multiple tracks give thrill and excitement when questions are being rolled out. The song â€Å"I fly like paper, get high like planes If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name If you come around here, I make ’em all day I get one down in a second if you wait   Ã¢â‚¬  while the train is moving has all the gravity of cheerfulness compassioned with the advent of nature. Music is the language whenever flashbacks have to be short and quick. If the arrival of Taj Mahal has some humorous events in it, the music compensates it with reverence. The background music when the prostitutes are shown in the slums of Mumbai, the humming love music when Jamal meets Lathika after a gap, and the song at the end of the movie which brings winning moments for everyone – for the hero, for the director, for the musician, etc is worth mentioning. Whenever the scenes have the power to move the audience, the music leaves an impression in the minds for an everlasting memory. Titanic Titanic is a movie of all times for its unparalleled mixture of fact and fiction filmed on a massive scale. The grandeur of the ship, the differences shown between the rich and poor in the backdrop of Edwardian influence, the love between Rose and Jack tied together in the heart rendering scores of James Horner, the magnanimous touch of James Cameron as writer, director and editor eventually became the first movie of its kind in Hollywood. The movie is screened for just three hours but it comprises a mammoth research by reaching out to the depth of the Atlantic where the original Titanic sank in 1912, and by building a main production set at Rosarito Beach in Baja California, Mexico. As one of the crew members rightly says in the movie, â€Å"The ship is known for grandeur. † it has everything in it: the restaurants, swimming pool, elevators, grand staircase connecting seven decks, a huge glass dome, and all the luxury items. The gigantic ship has massive propellers to pull it all along. The cost of first class tickets are so high even close to $4000 for some which is equal to the amount of $50000 today. Cameron begins the movie in a striking manner as he uses the latest submergence technology and the grandeur with which it explores the wreck of Titanic. The entire operation under water around Titanic in the rumbles of James Horner is a rare phenomenon to watch. â€Å"She is the largest moving object ever made by the hand of man† as said by a character in the movie, it also felt by the music effect. Brock Lowett, an explorer in the movie is curious to possess the necklace with blue diamond worn by Rose in 1912. He ends up discovering a nude painting of Rose. The 100-year old Rose, watching this incident on television calls Brock Lowett and tells the fact that she is the one in the picture. What rose recollects from her memory is the main story of Titanic. Everyone around Rose including her fiancee Caledon is of typical business people who restrict women. Unable to bear with the economy based love and affection running deep in the hearts of her fiance, Rose decides to commit suicide and runs to edge of Titanic and climbs on the railing. Jack comes at the right time to her rescue and the compassionate words of Jack brought her back to life. Jack boarded the third class in the last minute because of the Jackpot he won. He is only a survivor and is no match to the rich and elegant families of the first class passengers who were made to invite him for a dinner party for rescuing Rose. But Jack is well mannered, clear headed, charming and he feels for others. He has passion for drawing and some of his paintings attract Rose. The movie scripts are written aptly to bring Jack and Rose together after an initial disapproval by Rose when Jack asked her â€Å"Do you really like the guy? † Later it turns out to be good and they had a good understanding. Their togetherness in the ship after they started loving each other is the sweetest moment of the movie. It includes Jack’s mystical touch in painting her nakedness wearing only the Heart of the Ocean, their running around the deck and cargo hold of Titanic in joy, their standing at the edge of the ship on the railing with their hands straitened in excitement singing: â€Å"Every night in my dreams I see you. I feel you That is how I know you go. † †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. † This song has become the magical spell of the movie Titanic all over the world and this still picture of their stance became the trademark of the movie Titanic. The music fastens with the solo violin bringing momentum. After a while, the fatal iceberg strikes the edge of Titanic and in the next couple of hours or so everything goes under water. The serious episode of the movie begins with the gradual inflow of water into the ship sinking it gradually and bringing panic. The entire mechanism of how a gigantic ship would submerge under water is a massive research effort discovered and shot for screening by James Cameron. Rose and Jack face predicaments in the ship when they are in search of each other as the ship is sinking gradually. The thrill, excitement and horror are maintained well. Silence followed by music and vice versa creates impression in these scenes. Jack and Rose reached the edge of Titanic from where they jump off the drowning ship and were in the waters of Atlantic waiting for a survival boat. No boats are in the vicinity. Jack prepared to be in the water leaving Rose on a piece of oak panel that is available. The chilly water frozen in minus degree centigrade would not keep Jack alive for long. Rose cries in emotion â€Å"Jack come back†, â€Å"Jack come back†. â€Å"There is a boat Jack. † The music of the song â€Å"Every night in my dreams, I see you. I feel you, That is how I know you go† in low humming voice hardly leaves anyone without tears in eyes. This is one of the greatest emotional scenes on the screens. As she promised Jack she lives until she becomes old enough. It is not just the James Cameron has given The 20th Century Fox has not just produced a movie that has just won 11 Academy awards but has gifted the world a movie of great proportion that would stand all ages. School of Rock School of Rock reveals the power of music through a group of children aged around 10 from a prep school. The spirited hard rock singer and guitarist Dewy Finn masked as a substitute teacher in a class room could not go fizzled out when the music director Craig Wedren has his full support. The hero Dewey Finn visualizes no way out but to be with the rock that paid him nothing. â€Å"Do you want me to give up my band? † he goes weird while talking to his friend Ned Schneebly when he pressurizes him to pay the share of his room rent. Voted out from the band due to his hyper active stage antics, Dewy has no source of income to pay off anything. He is a lone talent unexplored on the stage, dreaming of a great rock career. All that he needs is â€Å"One little thing, it’s music†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  and he has challenged his band members who voted him out, â€Å"I’ll set up my own band. We are going to start a revolution. † So the fire is burning within him contributes to the central theme of the movie. He turns a phone call of Mr. Schneebly in his favor and decides to go as a substitute teacher in the name of Schneebly to make some money for his immediate needs. As desired, he gets into the school and there begins a new lease of life when he spots children attending music classes amidst his boring class room sessions comprising mainly of recess. He senses a vibrant rock band in his students that could back him up back on to the stage. His mind worked brilliantly. He worked in that direction shifting musical instruments back and forth to the class room and away. He picked up students and assigned each student an instrument and engaged them in practice. The music of comedy is well underway with Dewy managing his students answering all their questions to comfort them that they are doing a school project. That’s how he tells students instead of telling the truth that he wants to win in the Battle of the Bands. Either ways it is a competition – a competition to disclose talents to the public. His conversations with Ms Mullins, the Principal of the preparatory school and other teachers are full of comedy. The words of Dewy, â€Å"It’s experimental teaching. We were learning in singing songs. † confuses the Principal as there is no such thing. Gradually, Ms. Mullins has a special liking for Dewy as he drags her for tea with his artistic eloquence in praise of her profession and her way of handling things. She is much more impressed by his reverence tinged with fun for her profession and especially when he tells her that she is cool and capable. The movie takes a dramatic turn when Schneebly and his fiance come to know of the fraud when Dewy opens up how the check in the name of Schneebly reached him from the preparatory school. The secrets are let out and the police enters the class room when Dewy is in a parents day meet. He is out of school now. Parents are in despair complaining to the Principal about their children’s studies suffered. Ms. Mullins has a tough time answering all the parents and so shuts the door in anger. The power of music is still alive with the students. They secretly take the school bus and reach Dewy’s place to pull him up for the Battle of the Bands. Dewy never dreamt students would be so taken by the rock. They rushed to the theater. Their turn is about to come. Surprise mounts up as the parents and the principal too rushed to the theater to rescue their children. The school of Rock is finally on the stage in colorful dresses. Zack is amazing with his guitar. Freddy is rollicking with his drums. Lawrence is working mystery with his keyboard. Tonika enchants the audience with her voice. â€Å"Baby we was making straight A’s, But we was stuck in a dumb daze, Don’t take much to memorize your life, I feel like I’ve been hypnotized. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. † Dewy goes wild on his power stance, moving, dancing, rolling all over and jumping into the crowd to bring a swashbuckling finish to the song. Their performance is surprising, unbelievable, absolutely stunning. Every parent delights at his or her child for doing great on the stage. The music in the last few minutes of the movie brings a complete change of moods. The parents who rushed in panic are now cool after discovering great talents in their children. The principal runs out of words when people praised her. The power of rock took everyone by surprise. Finally the music wins. School of Rock fails to win the $20,000 prize but the audience shouts, â€Å"School of Rock† â€Å"School of Rock† repeatedly asking for once more. Once again The School of Rock is on the stage with a song once again. Dewy gets a chance to train students in music after school hours. The filmmaker Richard Linklater has directed the movie in accordance with, â€Å"Guitar in hands and rock in our hearts. † References Retrieved March 21, 2009,http://www. mygodwithin. com/2009/02/slum-dog-millionaire-receives-8-oscar. html Retrieved March 21, 2009, http://www. futuremovies. co. uk/review. asp? ID=139 Retrieved March 21, 2009, http://www. hollywoodlot. com/titanic/james-cameron. html