A year and a half ago Clint Eastwood wrote another one of his one handed piano scores for AMERICAN SNIPER. But towards the end the film called for something a bit more powerful. Listed in the credits as “The Funeral” by Ennio Morricone, many fans recognized it as a theme from THE RETURN OF RINGO. Indeed it provided the deeply emotional crescendo to that flawed film that his piano tinklings never could.
Last night seeing the new and very entertaining THE RULES DON’T APPLY about Howard Hughes (with star and director Warren Beatty doing a Q&A) I was impressed with the wonderful use of 50s hits to give atmosphere and lift to the film. But towards the end the film had serious moments that had to have a certain gravitas that a song would detract from. Indeed I recognized those Morriconean sounds the second I heard them but couldn't place the source. Reading the end titles I found it came from the score of PANE E LIBERTA and was very effective in the final crucial scenes. Ennio to the rescue again.
The lesson is clear... when in doubt use Morricone.
I'm looking forward to seeing this film, I've always had an interest in the life of Howard Hughes. Fascinating character. I often wonder why Warren Beatty hasn't made more films in the last 20 years or so, good actor/director.
I have the score to 'Pane E Liberta' though I haven't listened to it in years, must give it a spin soon.
I think that Pane e Liberta was among the most interesting of the string of RAI Morricone scores of early 2000s (together with Cefalonia and probably La Casa Bruciata). Good choice of the filmmakers!
(I happen to be playing Morricone's Mosca Addio as I type this.)
Watching RULES DON'T APPLY, I noticed that the final third of the film seemed to have a growing emotional impact completely lacking in the first two acts, and I concluded that it was a combination of scenes actually being allowed to play out in full (the first part of the film is full of moments that felt like they were just slivers of full scenes lost in the editing room) and the tracked-in Morricone music, which gave the impression that what was happening on screen actually mattered.
It's taken me far too many decades to truly appreciate how amazing Maestro Morricone is. Luckily, a few hundred of his scores are available for me to listen and re-listen to.
Indeed a nice example, Henry. It’s very remarkable they lifted such an unknown track from such an unknown TV score, but what a score! I played two favourite tracks before leaving today morning: Uniti and Una fede. It incidentally reminded me of a similar experience I had ca 8 years ago: I went to the movies to see a movie called SEVEN POUNDS. Since it was scored by Angelo Milli, I was of course lightyears of having the Maestro in mind. And all of sudden toward of the end, I was flabbergasted to hear the original version of The crisis from LA LEGGENDA DEL PIANISTA SULL’OCEANO. I guess this piece was chosen as part of the temp track and they eventually kept it in the final cut.
Pane e Liberta has been on my mp3 playlist since the CD came out along with such beautiful music from other Italian TV movies from the Noughties such as:
Cefalonia Il Cuore Nel Pozzo Perlasca Risolution819
...probably scores that most people on this board have never even heard of.
I feel a massive sense of irrecoverable loss that Ennio Morricone didn't become Clint Eastwood's composer. We would have had a myriad of classic scores to accompany the films of one of the greatest directors of all time.
Henry, I wanted to see Rules Don't Apply, but I missed it. I plan to catch in on disc. I respect Beatty a great deal as a filmmaker, and he has always had good taste in scores.
Pane e Liberta has been on my mp3 playlist since the CD came out along with such beautiful music from other Italian TV movies from the Noughties such as:
Cefalonia Il Cuore Nel Pozzo Perlasca Risolution819
...probably scores that most people on this board have never even heard of.
I feel a massive sense of irrecoverable loss that Ennio Morricone didn't become Clint Eastwood's composer. We would have had a myriad of classic scores to accompany the films of one of the greatest directors of all time.
I could only half agree with you here. Not about Morricone who stays exceptional, but at the beginning of his career I was allergic to any film directed by Clint Eastwood. After an auspicious debut with PLAY MISTY FOR ME I have never seen such a series of awkward emotionally, badly staged films (SUDDEN IMPACT is my least favorite Dirty Harry film) as Eastwood directed, to the point I looked at the directing credit for every new Eastwood film hoping he gave it to someone else. The lone exception was OUTLAW JOSEY WALES which was written, directed, designed and cast (all good directors say that is 90% of it) by Philip Kaufman until Eastwood took over. Clint only gets points for doing a good job completing someone else's film.
Then somewhere around BIRD things started to improve. THE UNFORGIVEN shocked not just me but a lot of other people. Then I found out he had been living with that film in his head for twenty some years until he felt he was mature enough to make it. When you are living that long with an idea the result, whether you are a great director like John Huston (THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING) or not so great director like Richard Attenborough (GANDHI) is far richer due to the gestation period that brings great detail and nuance to the work. Indeed every film Eastwood directed afterward had a depth and sophistication that the early ones lacked. When asked about this Clint has said that was a different man back then. Sure was. He IS one of my favorite directors today although, like composers, I think there are way fewer great directors around today than in the past. So I even have problems with the idea Clint being one of the greatest directors of all time. THE UNFORGIVEN, for me, is his only genuine masterpiece.
And I do indeed, every time I hear Eastwood's piano tinkles, wish Morricone was around to help.
Indeed a nice example, Henry. It’s very remarkable they lifted such an unknown track from such an unknown TV score, but what a score! I played two favourite tracks before leaving today morning: Uniti and Una fede. It incidentally reminded me of a similar experience I had ca 8 years ago: I went to the movies to see a movie called SEVEN POUNDS. Since it was scored by Angelo Milli, I was of course lightyears of having the Maestro in mind. And all of sudden toward of the end, I was flabbergasted to hear the original version of The crisis from LA LEGGENDA DEL PIANISTA SULL’OCEANO. I guess this piece was chosen as part of the temp track and they eventually kept it in the final cut.
Thanks, now I have to see SEVEN POUNDS.
Warren has been a big Morricone fan from way back. My guess he knew a well known score cut would have brought a certain crowd out of the film. Going for the obscure has it immersing into the film all the better!
UNFORGIVEN, for me, is his only genuine masterpiece.
It's a funny old world we live in . It is probably the only Clint directed film I didn't like at all, none of it. There wasn't even a decent score to make it bearable. Other than that I stand by my previous statement.
The reason that piece was chosen is that Mahler's Symphony No 5 was always in the film from the very first cut and plays a role in the film. The task, in finding a piece for the end, was to find a piece of music that was 'of a piece' to Mahler's track, one that would sonically mesh with it and complement it. Since, correctly stated above, Warren does love Ennio, it seemed natural to go there first. Once the Ennio piece from PANE E LIBERTA was found and cut in very early on in editing, it never budged, it was never even up for replacement. It stayed unchanged through the entire post process. The level of obscurity of the track was irrelevant.
I could only half agree with you here. Not about Morricone who stays exceptional, but at the beginning of his career I was allergic to any film directed by Clint Eastwood.
So I guess you didnt like EIGER SANCTION, although it looks more like Don Siegel than Eastwood. And the Williams score is great.
Henry i was a bit late to seeing American Sniper, only just saw it on sky movies. Got to the end and the moment that trumpet sounded i went "Hey Ennio!" then i remembered that was this film that you had tipped us off about. Thought it worked really well over the footage of the cavalcade etc. And even better with the remaining credits afterwards in silence.
Without digging onto his complete filmography, let me just state that OUTLAW JOSEY WALES is a masterpiece. No less an eminence than Orson Welles went on national tv and praised it as such. And, no ,Philp Kaufman did not direct the film. He wrote the screenplay and was fired days into shooting because he did not know what he was doin'.
Glad you recognize UNFORGIVEN. GRAN TURINO is also brilliant and check out WHITE HUNTER, BLACK HEART BRM
Ps When I saw the thread title, I originally though that Tarantino was now posting here
. It is probably the only Clint directed film I didn't like at all, none of it. There wasn't even a decent score to make it bearable. Other than that I stand by my previous statement. 
