Ennio Morricone: Ten of his Greatest Scores
Sadly, July 6th 2020 marks the passing of a cinematic legend; one who could easily be considered the greatest composer of film scores in the history of the medium, and no one would ask for a reason why. Ennio Morricone was working and touring up until the age of ninety one. He started back in 1955 when he conducted the orchestration of Giovani Fusco’s score for Abandoned. His first written score was for Death of a Friend in 1959, which he co-wrote with Mario Nascimbene; his first solo score was for Luciano Salce’s The Fascist in 1961. He thrived in the Italian film industry, before he had a successful crossover into international markets, thanks to his work for filmmakers like Sergio Leone, Gillo Pontecorvo and Pier Paolo Pasolini; his first American film was John Huston’s The Bible: In the Beginning.
For decades, Morricone changed what cinematic scores could sound like, with his blending of multiple ideas and sounds into one cohesive, emotionally driven melody. Even unattached to the films he scored, his compositions hold up as some of the finest pieces of music of the 20th century. Today marks a very sad day for both cinematic and musical art forms and industries. We lost an innovator, a mastermind, and a creative giant.
Here are just ten of his countless breathtaking works.
The Battle of Algiers
When Morricone’s score for The Battle of Algiers isn’t rebellious (with a marching snare drum, and a confident piano waltz), it’s the wailing cries of the oppressed during the Algerian War of Independence. His work with director Gillo Pontecorvo (who also helped with the score) is a marriage of resilience and empathy.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Probably his most iconic work is for Sergio Leone’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. If his whistling-led theme isn’t being referenced by every parody under the sun, or his “Ecstasy of Gold” isn’t being referenced by the likes of Jay-Z and Metallica, his score for this signature spaghetti western remains one of the most important albums of the ‘60s, even when disassociated with the film it breathes life into.
Days of Heaven
What could be paired up with Terrence Malick’s dreamlike filmmaking and the gorgeous cinematography of Néstor Almendros and Haskell Wexler? Morricone’s soulful compositions, of course (which he collaborated on with guitarist extraordinaire Leo Kottke). Capturing the inspiration of labourers in the Texas Panhandle in the 1910’s, the score for Days of Heaven is as sublime as it is endearing.
The Mission
One of the driving forces that makes The Mission as debatably splendid as it is is Morricone’s ambitious score that gets paired up with the film’s perseverance against societal overtaking. Here, Morricone plays it a little mainstream, with the bombastic heartbeat and pacing that was similar to what other ‘80s epics may have carried. However, he still outshines them all, with the heart that only a composer like he could capture.
Once Upon a Time in the West
Another Leone composition that Morricone absolutely nailed was with Once Upon a Time in the West. When he isn’t moving you to tears during a transitional period in the wild west (with an operatic score that will shake any viewer up immediately), he instills a major sense of danger with a distorted, twanging guitar, an overwhelming chorus swell, and a persistent string section. This is possibly my favourite of all of his scores.
The Untouchables
What does it take to compliment Brian De Palma’s most heartfelt film? Morricone’s uncanny ability to make any film he is attached to a connective experience. This Prohibition era thriller is turned into a triumphant mission, thanks to Morricone’s nuanced score that always goes the extra mile. Even in the most Hollywood-like moments, he never plays it safe, and does whatever it takes to get emotions out the right way.
The Great Silence
Almost an antithesis to his Leone spaghetti western works, Morricone’s score for The Great Silence almost feels magical at times, as if this is the churning of a fable that will be passed along for generations. When Sergio Corbucci’s film gets dark, Morricone’s score feels akin to a spirit, turning the narrative into a bittersweet recollection through a vision of the past.
Once Upon a Time in America
Morricone’s last collaboration with Sergio Leone is the incredibly touching work on the gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America, which channels the street life of America over the course of many decades. Whether it’s signalling the loss of childhood innocence (represented by a somber pan flute melody) or the guilt of wasted memories and histories felt by a grieving geriatric, Morricone manages once again to do everything right here.
Cinema Paradiso
One of the most beautiful film experiences of all time for any movie lover is the rise and fall of a local theatre in the eyes of a cinephile in Cinema Paradiso. Morricone turns many moments — including the overwhelmingly somber finale — into one of the most connective experiences attached to the movie going experience; even the climax is rendered exquisite, when any other composer may have handled its particulate subject matter incorrectly.
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
One of Pedro Almodóvar’s more challenging films is turned into a cinematic exploration via Morricone’s delicate score, which only contrasts with the subject matter (when it isn’t complimenting it). A film like this begged for tonal ambiguity, which, as we know well enough, Morricone could deliver in spades (the same theme can represent sadness or exhilaration at different parts of a film for Morricone).
BONUS: The Hateful Eight
I had to include the film that finally garnered Ennio Morricone his much deserved Academy Award (after numerous nominations): The Hateful Eight. Perhaps the greatest element of this film (aside from the cinematography and some of the performances), Morricone turned a slight misfire in Quentin Tarantino’s filmography into an experiment that’s still worth revisiting time and time again.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.