6 Songs That Made Good Films Great

Nothing can be as affecting in the cinema as a well-chosen song. I don't mean music that has been written specifically for the film, or songs that play over the credits, or musical numbers that are fully integrated into the plot. Instead, this about songs that already existed in their own right, but which directors chose to supplement their images, making these films much better than they would have been without:

6. All Saints: Pure Shores.

The Film: The Beach (Danny Boyle, 2000).

Based (not particularly well) on Alex Garland's cult novel of the same name, The Beach features a young Leonardo DiCaprio as the hero Richard, who journeys to a secluded commune on a beach in Thailand with a pair of French backpackers. Once there, his feelings for the female traveller (Virginie Ledoyen) develop to the point where they can no longer maintain their pretences and dive into the sea to make passionate love to the sounds of... a British girl band? Indeed, but All Saints were no Spice Girls: they were musically and lyrically self-sufficient, and Pure Shores is actually the perfect song to accompany the film's blossoming romance. Languid, summery and upbeat, it marks the point where the film stops trying to cram the plot of the novel into as short a space of time as possible and instead becomes a portrait of the idyllic environment of the beach, a place as yet unspoiled by the tourist trail. The underwater scene is a classic example of Boyle's eye-poppingly colourful visual aesthetic, meaning this scene alone pretty much makes the entire film worthwhile:

5. Gary Jules: Mad World.

The Film: Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001).

Arguably a masterpiece even without this song, Donnie Darko is without question one of the most complex and confusing films ever made, right up to the concluding scene where (spoiler alert) a falling jet engine is sent back in time by the hero to crush him to death in his bed and thus prevent any of it from ever having happened in the first place. What makes that last scene so special, however, is undoubtedly Gary Jules' cover of the Tears for Fears song Mad World. As the truth about the film's characters is revealed in the moments leading up to Donnie's death is revealed, the song adds its own level of emotion to the plot, asking the question of whether the small-town concerns of any of the characters are really worth anything when viewed in the context of the "end of the world" that has been foreshadowed throughout the film. Either way, no one can deny that it all adds up to a poetically beautiful piece of cinema:

4. Stealers Wheel: Stuck in the Middle With You.

The Film: Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino, 1992).

The story of a failed bank robbery, sliced and diced into an almost incomprehensible order in trademark Tarantino fashion, Reservoir Dogs is actually fairly understated in comparison to the director's later works. There is, however, one brutal, iconic scene that stands out from the rest. Having captured a policeman and brought him back to his gang's warehouse, Michael Madsen's Mr. Blonde ties him to a chair and, with the sounds of Stealers Wheel's one-hit-wonder Bob Dylan spoof Stuck in the Middle With You echoing on a radio in the background, proceeds to cut his captive's ear off. Setting such a gory concept to inane musical backing is something that makes Tarantino unique as a director, and this scene stands out in Reservoir Dogs as the one that has been referenced and parodied countless times in other works. Yet at the same time the song's lyrics reflect the criminals' predicament: they are literally stuck in the middle of a city filled with police, with no way out. Be warned: while we are spared seeing the actual cutting itself, this is still pretty grim:

3. M.I.A.: Paper Planes.

The Film: Slumdog Millionaire, (Danny Boyle, 2008).

The second Danny Boyle film on this list, proving the director has a distinct sense for finding the right songs to complement his filmmaking. Slumdog Millionaire follows Jamal as he attempts to win a fortune on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, where, by a staggering coincidence, all of the questions match up to episodes in his life. A slightly improbable premise, but one with ultimately rewarding results, as it would take a heart of stone to resist the feelgood factor of the closing scenes. Sri Lankan/British hip-hop artist M.I.A. provides the soundtrack for one of the film's most affecting scenes as the young Jamal and his friend Salim try to make a living on the railways, the ever-changing background providing a glimpse of the majestic variety that makes up the subcontinent. The song is at once western and eastern, traditional and modern, the ideal complement to a film dealing with the rapid modernisation of the Third World as much as the adventures of its protagonist:

2. Mr. Loco: Religious Man.

The Film: Nacho Libre (Jared Hess, 2006).

Nacho Libre is the best film ever made about a Catholic monk who secretly dreams of leaving his life of piety to become a professional wrestler, and all other opinions are false. A large part of its appeal lies in the entertaining and charming soundtrack, mostly by US alternative hero Beck but also with contributions from Mexican artists. Religious Man was written by 1970s Mexican band Mr Loco, and features during the film's opening credits and penultimate scene as Jack Black - playing a Mexican version of his usual character - finally claims victory in the ring and saves the day for the orphanage where he used to work. It's a predictable ending, and one that would seem very tired were it not for the honest brilliance of this song: it is genuinely uplifting, and yet modest enough that the scene as a whole doesn't become overblown. Anyone who does not feel stirred when watching is a soulless automaton completely devoid of human emotion. Sadly neither scene seems to be available on the legal part of the internet, so here's the song on its own:

1. Elton John: Pinball Wizard.

The Film: Tommy (Ken Russel, 1975).

I know I said I wasn't going to allow musical numbers, but just watch: it's Elton John playing a pinball machine piano alongside The Who in a concert hall while wearing enormous shoes. It's a superlative example of postmodernist musical filmmaking, an explosion of sound and colour made at a time when the average television set was still black and white. It's one of The Who's better songs made great by an artist who many people now forget was actually a supremely talented musician. It seems incredible that the entirety of western culture didn't simply give up after having witnessed it. At the end of the day, it's the definitive example of how one song can raise the level of an entire film simply by its inclusion, and few others can match it.

TJGreenwood.