# Good movies with no music



## Argus

Are there any films you would consider good that feature absolutely no music whatsoever. And don't say silent films. Bit of a weird question for a music board but I'm just wondering how important music actually is in films.

I don't think the Blair Witch Project featured any music but I wouldn't consider it any good so it doesn't count for me.

Any thoughts?


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## Ignis Fatuus

The Birds!

I remember reading an article written by the film composer of "The Birds II" and the director said something like "oh, just make it sound like the music in the original".

No Country for Old Man is also awesome (although there is Mexican brass band playing very prominently at one point - but its not the "score")


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## Lukecash12

Did *I Am Legend* have any music? I don't remember it haven't much at all if any. Really interesting, let's say a study on people.


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## Weston

2001: a space odyssey has awesome music for part of its length, but the there are vast stretches of time it is virtually silent and I think this is what helps to make it an important movie. I was about 11 when it came out, and I remember thinking most of the music was sound effects - the Ligeti for instance. It really warped my head.

The composer who did the music for Alien3, Elliot Goldenthal, blurred the boundaries between music and sound effects. You cannot tell where one begins and one ends. I think that's cool. (It's an otherwise lame movie in my opinion.)

I realize none of this actually addresses the question. It's just the closest I can come.


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## Ignis Fatuus

Lukecash12 said:


> Did *I Am Legend* have any music? I don't remember it haven't much at all if any. Really interesting, let's say a study on people.


It had lots of music. James Newton Howard's one of my favourites.


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## Lukecash12

It has a corny name (and there isn't very much English in it at all), but my very favorite movie was simply titled: "The Warrior". There was no music at all, you had to read the subtitles to understand what they were saying, and there wasn't even that much that was said.

It has the best acting I've ever seen. You wouldn't believe the facial expressions. You could read the emotions in it like a book.

Basically, it's about a Vassal of a Warlord in Indonesia. He outlives his family, and sick of having to kill for a living, he has a bit of a dishonorable discharge.

Fleeing home, he just picks a random direction and walks. So much happens in it and you get a telling glance at an amoral, diverse, human culture system of ancient Indonesia. You see such an astonishingly in-depth picture of the people, their religions, and different places in society. That, and you can take several 20 minute spans in it and count the number of words spoken with your hands.

Personally, I think it would have ruined it if there was music. Blade Runner may have been trippy enough to watch a few times and figure everything out, but I've watched this one quite a few times, and I always get something out of it.


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## Rondo

There are a few I can think of immediately: Fail Safe (a model film, _very_ effective without music), Dog Day Afternoon (unless you include the incidental Looney Tunes musical interlude), and 12 Angry Men.


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## Argus

Rondo said:


> There are a few I can think of immediately: Fail Safe (a model film, _very_ effective without music), Dog Day Afternoon (unless you include the incidental Looney Tunes musical interlude), and 12 Angry Men.


A Sidney Lumet fan by any chance. You just reminded me, I have _The Anderson Tapes_ recorded on Sky+ but keep forgetting to watch it.

Also, did _Network_ have any music in it?


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## dmg

_Paranormal Activity_ was a very scary film, and the lack of music actually added to the scariness/realism of the film. It's an instance where music would detract from the purpose of the film.


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## andruini

Taste of Cherry by Abbas Kiarostami and Julien Donkey-Boy by Harmony Korine have little to no music and they're both extremely effective.


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## Rondo

Argus said:


> A Sidney Lumet fan by any chance. You just reminded me, I have _The Anderson Tapes_ recorded on Sky+ but keep forgetting to watch it.
> 
> Also, did _Network_ have any music in it?


I can't remember ever hearing any music in Network, it's been so long since I've seen it.


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## Ignis Fatuus

I don't the The Wire (TV series) had any non-diegetic music in it, apart from the titles. And that went for 5 seasons!

Oh now I think of it, each season finally ended with a montage with a pop song over the top.


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## james786

I am very much concern with that the music is a big requirement of movie. Have you ever seen a movie the name is "Slum dog Millionaire" which has won 8 Oscar awards in which 3 for best music and recently it won a 2 Grammy awards for it's music.


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## Edward Elgar

No Country for Old Men does not suffer for its lack of music, yet I think a little more music would have made a good film better, even if it was just sound effects, or a single note, (i.e. the Joker in The Dark Knight).

There's an awesome scene at the beginning of "Once upon a time in the West" where the sounds of the environment almost become the music. (Maybe that's the Cage in me coming out lol!)


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## andruini

I remembered a french film called L'Enfant by the Dardenne brothers. It has no music, but it's totally gripping and unforgettable.. Highly recommended.


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## OperaNerd1986

There's a 1949 boxing film called _The Set-Up_ that features absolutely no music. Even the opening credits are played out to the sounds of a fight. It was a very spare and realistic movie (it also takes place in real time), so the lack of music added to the effect.


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## TWhite

MGM made a rather interesting film in the 'fifties entitled EXECUTIVE SUITE with a fairly all-star cast (William Holden, Walter Pidgeon, Barbara Stanwyck, June Allyson, Frederic March, Paul Douglas, Shelley Winters) that had absolutely no musical score, save for a large clock bell tolling at the beginning and end of the film. 

Tom


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