Many will agree that the finest moment in Watchmen is the montage of Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A Changin' at the film's beginning. Snyder already proved his skill at this when he began Dawn of the Dead with When the Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash. Some movies are notroious for their soundtracks. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid broke new ground when in the middle of the wild west when Butch rides a bicycle to the tune of Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head. When working on the Graduate Mike Nichols convinced Simon and Garfunkel to change a song about Mrs. Roosevelt to the now infamous Mrs. Robinson. For me, a pop song in a movie gives both the song and the movie new life. Often times I become emotionally attached to a song that I have never heard before. So, in celebration of pop songs in film I present a list of my top ten favorites. Enjoy!
10. Mad World by Gary Jules in Donnie Darko:
This song earns its spot on the list beating out all of the honorable mentions because it embodies the feeling of the movie in the strongest way. It is a dark and moody piece envelopped in mystery. It speaks of a world in which nothing really matters and everyone is sad. Donnie's apocalyptic views are echoed in the line "the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had." Jules sings as though he is a misunderstood teen akin to Darko who sees the madness of the world around him despite the fact that nobody believes him.
9. All Songs in Moulin Rouge
It is near impossible for me to pick a favorite moment from Baz Luhrman's manic opus about Bohemia. His movie musical is made up of pop songs many of which represent the most transcendent moments in musical history. I know that sound large but bear with me. He includes songs that strongly define generations of rock and roll from the necessary Beatles to the Police of the eighties to the grunge rock of Nirvana. He even includes a disco classic redone by hip-hop, pop and "rock" stars.
8.Tiny Dancer by Elton John in Almost Famous
While John Cusack's stereo serenade in Say Anything is probably a more important moment in cinema history Tiny Dancer won the battle because of the beautiful way in which it solves the problems for the rock band Stillwater. After the lead singer has an acid-filled departure from the group he returns broken and far from the "golden god" he thought he was when he left the band. One by one they all join in to sing a song that poignantly describes the ever-mysterious band-aid Penny Lane whose importance is paramount to making the experience of Stillwater as enjoyable as the films portrays.
7. Everyone by Van Morrison in The Royal Tenenbaums
Wes Anderson's soundtracks are among some of my favorite. Coupled with Mark Mothersbaugh's scores the songs on these soundtracks match the colors and neatly designed camera shots with the skill of a meticulous teenage girl decorating her notebook. While this song does not appear on the cd of the movie it is my favorite of Anderson's choices. Boasting the tagline "Family Isn't A Word... It's A Sentence" The Royal Tenenbaums is truly a film about everyone in one of cinema's quirkiest families.
6. Where is My Mind by the Pixies in Fight Club
I don't know anyone who watched this movie who at one point after didn't ponder the lunacy of a fight club while still admiring Tyler Durden as the quintessential modern American renegade and being just slightly jealous of Jack's burdensome counterpart. All of this is of course crazy but when a film makes you think about the transcendental nature of project chaos you have to ask yourself this very question.
5. The Man in Me by Bob Dylan in The Big Lebowski
After being drugged the Dude embarks on my favorite dream sequence since Eraserhead. Complete with Julianne Moore dressed in a viking hat and synchronized dancers dressed as bowling pins the Coen brothers perfectly imagine what the Dude's dreamlife would be like. When I was a kid I used to imagine what happened to the ball as it went on its course and now we get to experience it through proabbly the only camera angle of its kind. On top of all of the stylistic magestry the sequence includes a rare Bob Dylan song that I would never have heard were it not for the brothers' stonoir.
4. Wise Up by Aimee Mann in Magnolia
When writing Magnolia PT Anderson listened frequently to Aimee Mann meriting many references along the way including my favorite line, "Now that you've met me, would you object to never seeing me again," but nothing comes close to this bizarre destruction of the fourth wall as each of the characters, including the unconscious Julianne Moore in her second appearance on the list, turns to face the camera and one by one sing a line from this song. It makes no logical sense but that's part of the beauty of Magnolia.
3. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen in Wayne's World
Recreating the several harmonies mastered by Freddy Mercury the metalheads in the Garthmobile know how to rock out in the same way that Cassandra knows how to wail. I cannot hear this song and not think of this scene while wishing that my hair was long enough to headbang like the boys of SNL.
2. Stuck in the Middle With You by Steelers Wheel in Reservoir Dogs
Listening to this Dylanesque bubblegum pop ballad from Steeler's Wheel makes me glad I still have both my ears. Tarantino's first full length feature made him a notable name not only for his pop-infused direction but also for his pop-infused soundtracks. Making good use of the songs of his youth in the seventies Tarantino soundtracks are as good and referential as his films. Though Kill Bill's soundtrack sold more copies than those of his other films, it is the infamous torture scene in Reservoir Dogs that is "a cut" above the rest.
1. Layla by Eric Clapton in Goodfellas
Ever since I can remember (or at least the first time I saw this scene in Goodfellas) I wanted to be a gangster. Earning the spot at number one on this list Martin Scorcese makes use of pop music perhaps better than anyone else. Scorcese not only uses pop music to enhance his films but he relies on them to move the audience for him. The filmmaker takes a passive stance and lets the musician do the work. No better place does he do this than in Goodfellas and no place more notable than the montage of death to the tune of Eric Clapton's Layla: a tune that changes pace midway foreshadowing for the audience that all good things must come to an end.
That's my list. Can you think of any others?
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