from being too lighthearted to being too cheesy, every single scene that contaminated by this abomination was ruined.
shareThe music was good. It didn't suit the film though. But, you can't blame Morricone - De Palma's directing was serious one moment and then comedic the next.
shareagreed, it didn't fit in many scenes.
Morricone is usually fantastic too, so I'm not sure what exactly happened.
The night is dark and full of terrors
http://www.imdb.com/list/rJuB9UoASlQ/
I didn't think it was terrible, but I agree it could have been considerably better. To echo another poster, I'm not sure what went wrong. Morricone (sp?) is one of the truly great soundtrack composers of all time. His work, even on a limited budget (like in Once Upon a Time in the West) is usually bulletproof.
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Yeah, it was really hard to take the first half seriously. I think it redeemed itself when the grimness and deaths started setting in the second half.
shareYeah the music was horrendous. Wayyyy too cheesy and lighthearted a good 90% of the time...I just watched this and I can't believe its a De Palm movie! I liked it but the music was meh
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Cinematography obsession to the max.
I wouldn't say lighthearted. It felt way too overwrought from beginning to end. Just a constant monotone of "wow this is dramatic."
shareIts a great score...with four distinct "motifs," one of which has been used on many a "Film Institute" program ever since:
The motifs:
Opening credits: Classic Morricone, with his "spaghetti Western" harmonica haunting a staccato, muscular martial theme suggesting the toughness of the movie ahead.
"The Untouchables Theme:" This is the big one in the movie; odd it isn't used to open the film. It has a soaring, Western-like All-American undertow to it. I believe we first hear it when the team is fully assembled("Carry a badge? Carry a gun!") to cross the street to the post office booze facility.
Then it is used -- bigtime -- for the Horseback Ride of the Untouchables at the bad guys(on Connery's great line, "Oh, hell -- you're all gonna die of something!" This is where the movie fully announces that its roots are in the western, not the gangster movie. (And this is the theme used for many American Film Institute TV tributes to actors and directors.)
"Sad death theme": First played over the discovery of the bloody body of one character("Touchable" written in his blood), as Connery discovers him -- it is later used again for Connery's own death. I found this music pretty close to tear-jerking; here's an action movie where the good guys don't ALL make it.
"Lullaby/Shootout/Runaway Baby carriage": A classic suspense motif: play two types of music at once: the sweet little "baby's lullaby" WITH the building suspense music(timed to a clock) as the bad guys arrive and Ness must look to face them alone. Then when all hell breaks loose, a new theme arrives. And when it is ALMOST over(the baby is saved but the last mug is holding the bookkeeper hostage)...the lullaby returns.
One of the things I love about "The Untouchables" is how the music keeps "changing up" -- tough(credits), soaring(the Untouchables ride), sad(death scenes) and suspenseful(baby carriage.)
A great score by one of the greatest musical composers for film in movie history.
I agree. I just watched this movie again the other night, and remembered why I love Morricone.
De Palma tends to recruit composers that compose music that willl stay with you long after the movie is over.
I remember watching Body Double and thinking how much I wouldn't have liked it had not been for Pino Donaggio's lush score.
Untouchables is one of my favorite movie scores, and it always pains me when the music for the end credits is omitted by the broadcast networks.
Absolutely. This is one of the best non-synthesizer scores of 1980's and works perfectly with this classic. I loved it when first watching in a big theatre in 1987 and the music gave me goosebumps it was that good. Too bad these younger generation viewers don't hear it the same way as we do.
shareCouldn't agree more. Horrible
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