Sorry, a cartoon sound effect in a serious caper movie is just a bad idea.
A am a fan of Morricones other works however.
I thought the same thing when I saw the film and was surprised that so many people complimented the score.
"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne
Just for the record I can give you a very different perspective about the "Boing!" sound you find cartoonish: that sound is produced by a jaw harp, an instrument that has been used in traditional folk music of Sicily for centuries, so to an average Italian (or French) that sound is far more likely to conjure images of that island (and the mafia by proxy, inevitably) rather than a cheery cartoon.
On the other hand I think that Morricone and his right-hand man Nicolai where perhaps excessively enthusiast to include that instrument in many of their soundtracks during those years, starting from "For a few dollars more" in 1965.
It's more widely known as a Jew's harp: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew%27s_harp. It's widely used all over the world.
shareI was pleased with the result, actually.
Morricone's magic can work in different ways.
All behold the spectacle! - Vlad Drac
Oh wow, I just wrote that in another comment regarding music. It's too bad I hadn't seen your post. Anyway, that sound effect really bothered me because it seemed out of place and was distracting.
I suspect whoever put it in had never heard it used in a cartoon context. That probably came later but in my mind there's that association. For me, it's not even a cartoon thing actually. It's a sound used often in a sexual context. Every time I heard it in this movie it conjured up images that had nothing to do with the movie.
The only time it would have made sense was when Sartet saw Jeanne nude on the beach. It would have been in the context I’m used to hearing it but if it was used then it would have unnecessarily cheapened the movie.
Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]
I'd never seen the film growing up, only heard the soundtrack on vinyl until very recently. It's a stunning work as a collective whole IMO, but that opinion is colored by a lot of fond memories. The "Boing" when emphasized on its own has a funny connotation yes, and an odd one when juxtaposed with the actual film. I was certainly surprised at the tone of the film when I finally saw it, imagining something a bit less serious and more action-packed. But as music, I was and still am enthralled.
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