MovieChat Forums > The Long Good Friday (1982) Discussion > The Music

The Music

posted 17 years ago by milesphenn
51 replies | jump to latest

Is it just me, or does the music of the 80s really not age well? That's the only thing that really got me about this movie (seeing it for the first time, I'm 20 y/o American if that helps you see my perspective). Other than that, it's a brilliant, brilliant film, ten times the movie Scarface could ever want to be. But the awful electronic music just kills me every time it comes on.

Still fantastic but it dates itself so horribly. Compare this to the 60s and 70s when for the most part the music was just fine really, hell I like the soundtracks of a lot of movies from that time (The Thomas Crown Affair comes to mind) a lot.

[–] Pharaoh-in-de-Nile 11 years ago

It is 70s music...

"The game's afoot!"

[–] geordie-688-809183 10 years ago

For what it's worth, The Long Good Friday was made in 1979. The music is very much in the seventies analog synthesizer style.

[–] boogles 9 years ago

I love the main theme tune. The synth stuff is good - but the saxophone takes it to another level. I like the music used in Harold's shower sequence near the end of the film - but I'll tell you what other piece of the soundtrack that stands out is the piece of music used when Jeff and Victoria are in the Mercedes Pagonda driving back from the restaurant. It's moody and melancholic - it adds to the feeling of Victoria's relief of having to deal with both Harris and the Americans.

[–] geordie-688-809183 9 years ago

Yeah, I can hear that sax line in my head right now. I'll have to re-watch it for the other music you mentioned.

[–] Degree7 9 years ago

The film isn't entirely electronic, it uses a combination of strings, sax, and synth. You just have to take it as a time capsule of the era, as the film was obviously a product of the late 70s, and so uses the style of the time.

Personally, I love the music, as it's very well composed, and gives the movie a unique identity. Sure, they could have done the entire soundtrack with an orchestra only, like every other film score in existence. But then it wouldn't be as special.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

[–] orbit991 9 years ago

I'm from the US as well and to me it actually works well for films like this. This soundtrack actually captures the vibe of the decade perfectly. While the analog synths may have dated some fantasy films, like mentioned in this thread(the Keep comes to mind for me), contemporary films of the decade like this film or Scarface are only enhanced with the sound of the times the story takes place in.

[–] Mr_K_Pratt 9 years ago

The music in this film is brilliant.

YOU SHOULDN'T BE EATING SAUSAGES!!

[–] Nomad-1968 8 years ago

I have to disagree. This is a great movie score and fits the movie and the period perfectly. I suppose it depends on when you first saw it. I saw it on first release and later on VHS so it represents my era. Equally I love The Friends of Eddie Coyle and that funky 70s music just suits the era so well.

[–] visual_abyss 8 years ago

I'll put my two cents in...it was one of the worst scores i've ever heard. It seemed more suited to an Italian horror of the same period. I'm also a massive electronic fan and love countless 70's and 80's electronic scores, but this, it was grating, and nauseating. It had me concerned at the beginning, but I did think the film itself was great.

[–] olioz (3337) 5 years ago

I thought the music was great!

Can't say that for the rest of the movie, not my cup of tea. But yeah the music was awesome.

[–] davodikum (5995) 3 years ago

I think the music was great, almost the best part. The best part was the broken bottle to the jugular scene.