The Synergy of Film and Music

In The Synergy of Film and Music: Sight and Sound in Five Hollywood Films, Peter Rothbart examines a handful of motion pictures to convey how a variety of elements work together to create a singular experience. Rothbart considers the aural and visual aspects of five representative films: West Side Story, Psycho, Empire of the Sun, Altered States, and American Beauty. After reviewing the various roles that music can serve in a film, as well as an overview of the film scoring process, the book looks at each film, examining them one musical cue at a time, so that the reader can watch the film while reading about each cue in real time. This unique analysis makes The Synergy of Film and Music a fascinating and instructive volume that both casual viewers and students of cinema will appreciate.