For this blog post I wanted to explore how the same song can be used in two different movies and/or scenes and how the music can communicate two different meanings for the audience. The idea from this came from doing my blog post about the way silence is used in films. When thinking about what to do next for this blog post the idea popped into my head and I thought it would be very interesting to look into. I didn’t have songs or films in mind when I considered this for a blog post, but rather I thought through research and paying attention to this idea I would eventually find two completely different scenes that use the one song, which provides both scenes with a completely different meaning and feel to the other. I don’t think I necessarily found exactly what I thought I would find. Usually when a song is used they are used for a particular reason to provide the scene with a particular feeling or emotion. I of course did find songs that were used in different ways but these ways for usually due to comedic reasons, or the song itself had taken on a life of its own and had been used in almost a nostalgic way. For example Saturday Night Fever. Initially the song (Stayin’ Alive) was created by the Bee Gees for the film starring John Travolta strutting along the sidewalk. The song took on such an iconic stance that eventually it would be used in many other films but in some sort of reference to the original film or used as a form of mockery to portray humor. An example of it being used as a reference can be seen in The Simpsons episode Bart’s girlfriend when Bart decides to strut along the side walk. Stayin Alive’ plays as struts in a similar fashion to Travolta, although the scene takes on a comedic element unlike its intention in Saturday Night Fever. This also seen in the films Madagascar, A Night at the Roxbury and Virtuosity. The way the song is used in these films is to let the audience know that the character thinks he or she is cool.
Another good example is “Bad to the Bone”. The song is widely known for its use in The Terminator 2 when the T800 is about to leave on the motorcycle. In this scene the music tells the audience that the terminator is indeed bad and doesn’t play by anyone’s rules. It shows the character to be tough and not to be messed with. The song is used in other films but like Staying Alive, the song has taken on an ironic element to it, which it is usually used to signify to the audience that an unlikely person it about to rebel. This can be seen in such films as Megamind, Joe Dirt and Parent Trap.
Born to be wild by Steppenwolf is similar in that its use changed over the years. Originally used in easy rider as it perfectly captures the cool motorcycle culture that the film is trying to portray. It captured the spirit of the 60’s and even the quest for freedom. Now this song is mostly used in cliché ways to show when a character feels liberated like in the films Problem Child and The Wogboy.
Another example of a song taking on an ironic elements is Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas. This funky disco song usually indicates that characters are about to engage in wacky fighting and usually these characters don’t really know how to fight or just aren’t good fighters in general, or if they can fight its by some sort of miracle. This is shown in Bowfinger, Bevery Hills Ninja, I’m Gonna Get You Sucka, and Rush Hour.
Although this song was used in City of God for a different reason rather than whacky fighting. The song is used in the background of a the night club scene to show a club atmosphere, but it also works well in emphasizing the tension between the characters. After the argument the song continues to play perfectly capturing how upset he is in contrast to the happy club atmosphere.
References:
Saturday Night Fever 1977, DVD, Robert Stigwood Productions, New York, USA, Directed by John Badham
Barts Girlfriend, The Simpsons 1994, television program, 20th Century Fox Television, USA, 6TH November 1994
A Night at the Roxbury 1998, DVD, Paramount Pictures, Beverly Hills California, USA, Directed by John Fortenberry and Amy Heckerling
Madagascar 2005, DVD, Dreamworks SKG, Glendale, California, USA, Directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath
Virtuosity 1995, DVD, Paramount Pictures, Los Angeles, California, USA, Directed by Brett Leonard
Terminator 2: Judgement Day 1991, DVD, Carolco Pictures, Santa Clarita, California, USA, Directed by James Cameron
Megamind 2010, DVD, Dreamworks Animation, USA, Directed by Tom McGrath
Joe Dirt 2001, DVD, Columbia Pictures Corperation, Santa Clarita, California, USA, Directed by Dennis Gordon
The Parent Trap 1998, DVD, Cinema Vehicle Services, London, England, UK, Directed by Nancy Meyers
Problem Child 1990, DVD, Universal Pictures, Texas, USA, Directed by Dennis Dugan
The Wog Boy 2000, DVD, Australian Film Finance Corporation, Chapel Street, Pharan, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Directed by Aleksi Vellis
Bowfinger 1999, DVD, Universal Pictures, Burbank California, USA, Directed by Frank Oz
Beverly Hills Ninja 1997, DVD, Beverly Hills Ninja Productions, Los Angeles, California, USA, Directed by Dennis Dugan
I’m Gonna Get You Sucka 1988, DVD, Front Films, Indiana USA, Directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans
Rush Hour 1998, DVD, New Line Cinema, Beverly Hills, California, USA, Directed by Brett Ratner
City of God 2002, DVD, 02 Filmes, Rio De Jenerio, Brazil, Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund
Reading Subject - Sound in Film 