Movies and Music

       Okay well recently I watched the movie "Friends with Benefits," starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. The movie is about two people that have had a bad history with relationships become best friends. In their friendship they start messing around giving the movie its title but in the end they start developing feelings for each other. But that's not what I want to focus on. In the movie, the couple watches a romantic comedy that Justin Timberlake's character, Dylan, mocks. He says that these movies play music to try and make you feel they way they want you to at different parts of the movie. I remember when the movie ends he says something about a very upbeat and cheery pop song that has nothing to do with the plot is put at the end to make you feel like you had a good time.
       I've always heard songs in movies but I never realized the effect they had on the audience manipulating their feelings to make them feel a certain way. For example, in "Jaws" when the shark is coming you hear the classic suspenseful and fearful music of the theme song. It starts out slow and then gets faster and faster as the feeling of the shark gets closer. This is put in there to make you feel the suspense and fear of getting attacked. Picture the scenes without the music and you wouldn't even get close to the same effect you would with the music. Music plays a vital role in your mood throughout the movie and since it plays this role it is also vital to the movie as well.
      Next, in "Titanic" we all know the story and the romance between Jack and Rose. The most famous song from this movie is Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," which is a very emotional and deep song that I think completes the movie. This song describes how strong the love is between Jack and Rose and I think perfect compliments the emotions of the movie. The scenes make you feel one thing but when added to this song it really brings out the emotions in you and makes you feel the way the movie should. Not only does this song make you feel the way you should but it also affects you outside of the movie. Now almost every time you hear that song you associate it with "Titanic" and you picture Jack and Rose in the freezing water holding hands trying to stay alive. Music plays a big role in how you feel in movies and even helps you remember key scenes by linking it to the song.
      Lastly, the final example I'm going to use is two songs from Disney's "Frozen." The first is " Do You Want to Build a Snowman" This song starts the movie off and a sad note. The song starts out with Anne wanting to play with Elsa but due to her uncontrollable powers she doesn't want to hurt Anna so she just ignores her for years. The song starts out on a happier note showing them as kids but then shows how lonely both of them are over the years. The song starts to get extremely sad in the end when they are grown up and you figure out the parents just died so now they only have each other. It's a tearjerker. The next song that the movie is probably most known for is the song "Let It Go," a song sung by Elsa once she ran away to the mountains after her powers were revealed. The song is a very happy and powerful song that says she's not going to hide anymore she is going to let it all out and be herself. The song makes you feel empowered and makes you think you can do things that you normally wouldn't do because you don't have to hide anymore. It makes you not are what others think which is exactly the way the movie wants you to feel. Music in movies play a vital role in making you feel the way the producers want you to.

Heres the video for "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?"