Italy 2021

A Film Review for a Maestro

Sometimes, it is difficult to not enjoy something so different and far out ... you and I remember a notes here and there, but we do not, exactly know, anything about the music itself, and how it got there, and after seeing this spectacular documentary, we find that all of his music was not just a soundtrack ... it was a movie all of its own, and we never really saw that because we don't exactly pay much attention to the music, except in some cases, when it just stands up, and makes the film ... yeah ... you wonder if the film could have been as good without that specific music, and your answer and mine is ... I doubt it.

Generally, one of the worst things in Hollywood, is ... probably the money for the music, which is rarely a consideration for most films, and is, usually, added later to augment a few moments here and there.I don't think that this style helps most films much, and sometimes, it is just over bearing, and stupid, because it is trying hard to make sure we know that this is a love scene with a kiss .... wow ... music really enhances that, no?

But it is, far our and interesting to note how Ennio describes how he found each detail and music for a lot of the films, not to mention that in many cases it was so different, with one exception ... a director wanting that whistle and harmonica yet again! And Ennio gave it to him with a lot more ... we don't even think of the solo instrument when we hear it, which tells yo how well it was often used ... though I think that some directors do not know how to use music at all ... it can be the "soundtrack" of a life, as has been done in many films to make us thing of a different time and place ... like the 60's or 70's in the 20th Century.

But there is one thing that Ennio helps a good director with ... the film itself ... so that a lot of the shooting, ends up being ready for the music, instead of the music having to adapt to the pace of the shooting and the actors ... with Ennio, yo get the feeling that the actors had to hear the music, and we even get one example of that.

I never really thought of Ennio as a special composer of music, but when you see this, you can't help it ... the greatest lesson about how to "compose", which is not exactly about the notes, but WHAT YOU SEE THAT ENDS UP DESCRIBED IN NOTES, unlike rock music that tends to fake it with lyrics that supposedly go with the music, and more often than not they don't.

The other thing that is difficult, is how Ennio adds various elements into his work, and it included a lot of experimentation and sound effects that were used, which gave him a sort of pulse in the film, which we see several times.

Many of us are stuck on rock music, because we don't exactly study the classical or the soundtrack, and then we see how some music is used in many films, from Ryuichi Sakamoto, to Maurice Jarre, to Vangelis, to Ennio Morricone, Bernard Hermann and a handful of others that have worked specially hard and detailed to create something special, and had a director that was appreciative of the effort to add to the picture itself ... and these are not all directors, but a few special folks that have a very dedicated feel for  music and use it in a lot of their films ... and we love a lot of those films, but ... we can't even remember the music in them!

It is, by far, an outstanding documentary, with only one problem ... some folks are going to say that it was too long, but sometimes, length is not the issue ... the content is more important, and hearing even more details about how Ennio found his music in various films, is a kind of lost art ... we prefer the fantasy, and don't care for the how it came about ... and it is in these moments that you see some of the best in the human spirit and its application ... the arts are the special place for this, and soundtracks is one area, that is supposed to enhance the film, but too many times it is nowhere near that idea.

A fantastic event ... I did  have to watch it in 2 nights because it was exhausting and had my mind working over time ... I didn't get enough of these "details", but there was so much in there ... and it is  a lesson for many on what "composing" really is ... instead of it being just an idea created by notes and a few chords ... here, you can FEEL the music live with the visual ... almost like the visual is not the original ... and that, my friends, is the mark of a master composer, a true maestro.

5 GIBLOONS

Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore

Written by Giuseppe Tornatore

Cinematography by Giancarlo Leggeri and Fabio Zamarion

Music by Ennio Morricone and John Williams

Hundreds of guests: Giuseppe Tornatore, Carlo VErdone, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, Oliver Stone, Hans Zimmer, Barry Levinson, Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Lina Wertmuller, Marco Bellocchio, Vittorio Taviani, Roland Joffe, John Williams, Pat Metheny, Mike Patton, James Hatfield