Once Upon a Time in the Caribbean

The last thing I expected when going to see a pirate movie, was to be transported to the world of Sergio Leone’s westerns. Granted, they’re both adventure films of sorts – but the Pirates of the Caribbean series already has a distinctive, pirate-y score, so should I have expected to find these references in the third film? To be honest, I don’t know – but I did, and I think this illustrates just how powerful and influential film music can be. In one scene, representatives from the two warring factions come together to strike a bargain. They approach each other from opposite ends of the sand bar, strutting in slow motion as if preparing for a draw. The wailing, haunting guitar melody accompanying them instantly brought me back to Ennio Morricone’s score in Once Upon a Time in the West.

I know I’ve already mentioned Morricone in my blog entries, but I truly believe he is one of the most innovative and effective film composers of recent times. His ability to create distinctive themes that add an extra layer of depth to each character is emulated in Pirates as well – have a listen to ‘Multiple Jacks’ on the soundtrack, which ties together all of Jack Sparrow’s themes from throughout the series, giving him heroic, regal, and screw-loose airs all at once.

The following clip, taken from this year’s Oscars, is a great overview of the depth and diversity of Ennio Morricone’s work.

P.S. Being (clearly) a huge fan of orchestrated film scores, it goes without saying that I am extremely excited about the Auckland Philharmonia's 'Night At The Movies' concert this weekend!