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Best Film Uses of Non-Film Music

19K views 68 replies 47 participants last post by  pianozach 
#1 ·
Title says it all!

I was watching Marathon Man a few days ago and smiled when I heard Die Schone Mullerin, even though it was a Nazi murderer listening to it.

Of course, one of the best cinematic uses of classical music was in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, which featured Strauss's Zarathustra, the other Strauss's Blue Danube and, equally importantly, a handful of pieces by Ligeti, such as Atmosphères and Lux aeterna. I love Ligeti's micropolyphony anyway, but I wonder if hearing it in a dramatic, visual context helps people appreciate it.

So what are some great uses of classical music not originally written for the cinema that you can think of? I am going to ban you from choosing music biopics because that's just cheating. :p
 
#68 ·
George Lucas, in American Graffiti, uses strictly pop music to establish a sense of time and place, mood, and the joys and sadness of being young. Songs range from Rock around the clock, and See you in September, to The Platters' hits like The Great Pretender and Smoke gets in your eyes, my personal favorite.
 
#69 ·
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