Comparing Soundtracks in Film

Comparing Soundtracks in Film – Drive and Inception

 

I have chosen these two soundtracks because they are two of my favourites and also add a lot to the respective films they are for. They are also from two of my favourite film composers; Cliff Martinez and Hans Zimmer. The soundtracks are both very different and very alike which is why I thought it would be a good comparison.

Cliff Martinez composes a great soundtrack for Drive which catches the right tones; the emotional expects of the film and adds another layer to the film. I have many favourite tracks from the soundtrack but I’m going to choose the track; He Had a Good Time (track 8) and I have chosen this track because it really captures all the right things about the scenes it is in. It adds a layer of emotion and helps you connect with the characters and what they are thinking. This track and many others also help the film not need dialogue in some scenes because the soundtrack actually helps you know what they might be thinking and what the tones are in various scenes.

Here is a link to the track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp4Kr6bpz-c

 

Now onto the soundtrack of Inception which was composed by my one of the greatest film composers of all time; Hans Zimmer. The soundtrack for the film is one of my favourites because when I first saw the film at the cinema back in 2010, the soundtrack at times had my hairs on my arms and the back of my neck on edge because of how intense it was when the big thrilling moments of the film were happening. The track I am going to pick for this soundtrack is; Dream is Collapsing (track 3). This track is one of the stand outs of this soundtrack and is a truly brilliant composed track. It adds layers of intensity, emotion, thrills and just great sound. When this was first played during the film, you can sense a shift in tone and can really tell how intense and thrilling this film was going to be.

Here is a link to the track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imamcajBEJs

 

The two tracks I selected both have a lot in common but are very different in many ways. The tones for the tracks are very different with one having the tone that intensifies things (Dream is Collapsing) and the other that brings a layer of emotion and feelings (He Had a Good Time). Both tracks work very well for the film and what they have in common is, that they both capture the right tones for the scenes they are used.  If it’s the emotions, intensity or tone, these tracks are good examples of the right track, for the right scene, in the right movie.

Written by Josh Jermy