Movie music has shown us "A Whole New World," taken us "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and offered us a bit of that well-needed "Razzle Dazzle" in a humdrum world. For everything that cinematic soundtracks have given us, we'd like to take this column to celebrate songs in film.
This week, we remember the legendary songstress Whitney Houston, whose songs magnified many films' popularity and became their identifying feature. We hail a queen …and her prince. More specifically, "The Prince of Egypt" (1997), an animated film released by DreamWorks, that included Ms. Houston and Mariah Carey performing "When You Believe," the premiere track on the acclaimed soundtrack. This fabulous song, saturated with riffs and diva-offs, garnered the Academy Award for Best Song, bumping the film to Disney's level of quality, recognition and prestige in the process.
But we would be amiss not to mention Whitney's most acclaimed hit, "I Will Always Love You," which was part of the soundtrack for "The Bodyguard" (1992), which Whitney starred in. The film was of much lesser quality than the astronomically renowned soundtrack it produced, and without the music, there would be no reason to mention the movie 20 years after its release, seeing as there's nothing truly memorable about it.
Whitney's talent has raised movies like "The Bodyguard" up from obscurity, and has added that magical Disney ingredient to others. But what is that Disney ingredient? Maybe "A Spoonful of Sugar" could do it? We would like to take a stab at identifying the magic and say that it is indeed the songs of Mary Poppins (1964) — and Julie Andrews's stellar screen presence — that made the film practically perfect. Disney, we've debunked your secret. Well … mostly.
As we see it, the key to successful cinematic music is in simple, catchy songs. This simplicity is seen in many of the best songs in movie history. Take for instance "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head." This song from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969) has a very simple message — I won't be sad because it's raining. Yet that simple message speaks volumes to the average moviegoer.
But sometimes it isn't the simplicity of the song but its placement that makes it memorable. Let's recall Celine Dion's superb "My Heart Will Go On" from "Titanic" (1997). The song itself does not play until the end credits, although bits of it are used as a motif throughout the film. This placement at the end credits has become standard among films. Because these end-credit songs play as you leave the theater, they stick with you.
Still, choosing the right song for a film doesn't always mean choosing an original one. As we mentioned before, "I Will Always Love You" was not written for film — it was a country hit by Dolly Parton long before mainstream audiences heard it. The same could be said for "Casablanca" (1942) and its famous song, "As Time Goes By." Originally a Broadway show tune, the song achieved major recognition after it appeared in the film.
Stealing from Broadway isn't unique to "Casablanca." Disney's rebirth, which came thanks to films like "The Little Mermaid" (1989) and "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), they turned to the Great White Way for inspiration. They based their films on traditional narrative structures seen in musical theater and hired Broadway songwriters like Howard Ashman and Alan Menken to helm the productions.
Now, 20 years later, we see Disney and other studios turning their backs on music. There are far fewer musical films being released. This year's field for the Academy Award for Best Song says it all — there were only two nominees. More and more, movies are neglecting music, original or otherwise. Yet, as we see it, music can be used as a strategy. It helps people remember your film. So instead of turning to expensive methods like special effects and 3D, filmmakers may want to give us another tune to hum.
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Jacob Passy is a junior majoring in international relations. He can be reached at Jacob.Passy@tufts.edu. Alex Kaufman is a sophomore majoring in sociology. He can be reached at Alexander.Kaufman@tufts.edu.
