Originally written December 18, 2000
Music connects people. What connects people together are the ideas, thoughts and feelings that are expressed in the music. Whether these things are in the lyrics or the dynamics of a piece, everyone understands them in some manner. The three films, Almost famous, Light of Day and Grace of My Heart, each show how music can function to connect people to one another.
In Almost Famous, we encounter three characters, Russell, William and Penny. Russell is the self-absorbed, stereotypical rock star. William is the young naive rock critic and Penny is the starry-eyed dreamer. The most powerful scene in the movie that exemplifies how music brings people together occurs after the band has a fight. Russell leaves angrily and goes out to find some “real� people. He finds a local party, takes some acid, dives off a roof and proclaims himself a “golden god�. When the band manager picks him up the next day, the level of tension was high on the tour bus. No one was talking to each other; everyone looked angry and hurt. Elton John’s song “Tiny Dancer� was playing in the background and one person began to sing, then another. Soon the whole bus was singing and all was forgiven. Music is what holds that group together, since it is something they all share and can understand.
Light of Day presents a disturbing perspective on the power of music. For the sister, Patti, music is an escape from her responsibilities as mother, daughter and sister. For her, music is a moment where no pain exists, nothing but the bang of the drums and the scream of a guitar. For the brother, Joe, music is a way to get closer to his sister, someone who he admires. It was quite disturbing to see the scene where the mother, dying of cancer, has a final heart to heart conversation with her daughter. She tells her daughter all the things that she never did before; how much she loves her and how strong she is. But there is no such conversation for Joe. He has spent the entire film working desperately to keep the family together. His reward for this was to sit in the hall and wait for the news of his mother’s death. Although the final bar scene, in which the Barbusters reunite for one more show, was supposed to signify a happy ending, it seemed instead rather sad. Both Patti and Joe were there again on stage again drowning out the pain of their lives with music.
The film, Grace of My Heart, takes a different perspective on music. Music is an emotional release for the song writer, Denise. For every trouble or joy she encounters in her life, there is a song. Music is a means of expressing her own emotional ups and downs as well as that of others. When she meets a young unwed girl who is pregnant, she writes a song about it. When she meets Kelly Porter and learns about her secret life as a lesbian, Denise writes a song for Kelly that tells of her secret love and helps keep her relationship together. This film really gets at the heart of how music can communicate ideas and feelings.
Music is a powerful medium. Each of these films illustrate how important music is to a film, as well as how important it is in many people’s lives.
at October 16, 2006 11:29 PM