Saturday, September 6, 2014

Top 10 Music Moments in David Fincher's Films


One of the many things I adore about Fincher's movies is how perfectly the man uses the music in them. He directed music videos before the became the movie director so he certainly understands the rhythm and how to make the footage go perfectly with the music. Not only are the soundtracks for his films brilliant, it's also about those particular songs that fit the movie so well, that frame this particular scene so superbly, you cannot possibly imagine anything else accompanying them. Here are my favorite music moments from Fincher's movies.

(click on the x to listen to the song/watch the scene)

HM: In the Hall of the Mountain King by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross from The Social Network, Baby, You're A Rich Man by The Beatles from The Social Network, Goin' Out West by Tom Waits from Fight Club

10. Immigrant Song by Karen O from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The song featured both in the trailer and amazing opening credits takes a bit of time to love it, but once you do you can't forget it. It is like the soundtrack to Lisbeth - fast, frantic and fascinating.(x) (x)

9. White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane from The Game
You may not like The Game. Hell, I think it's one of weaker Fincher's movies too. But that is a great song and it's fantastically used in the movie. The whole soundtrack by Howard Shore is pure class and so is that song.  (x)

8. She by Richard Butler from Gone Girl (trailer)
While I do think this particular rendition of the song sounds like a dying cat parade, this is such an inspired choice. The beautiful lyrics actually strike sinister as they describe the character of Amy so well and the shot of Nick discovering the contents of the shed as the song reaches the end is fantastic. (x)

7. A Thousand Details by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (trailer)
I'm not sure, but I do believe Fincher himself cut the trailers for both this and Gone Girl. What I do know for sure is that this song is specifically made for this trailer as it's on the soundtrack and appears nowhere in the movie. It's just brilliant and it made for one of the better movie trailers in recent years. It fits the footage so well and gets you pumped for the movie.(x)

6. Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan from Zodiac
This is the creepiest use of the song in Fincher's film, other than the famous Enya moment in Dragon Tattoo. It was also used in the trailer and it even inspired the use of this same exact song in last year's trailer for The Conjuring (x)

5. Closer by Nine Inch Nails from Se7en

The opening credits to Se7en remain one of the most famous and memorable opening credits in the history of film. One thing that makes them so perfect is the use of the remix of the song,  just the melody with the line "You get me closer to God" being the one heard clearly by the end, fitting the story in the film so well. (x)

4. Orinoco Flow by Enya from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The superb use of Orinoco Flow in the film's intense scene was all thanks to Daniel Craig who suggested the first song from his ipod that starts playing should be used here. It certainly made for memorable moment and it definitely immortalized the song in the mind of every movie fan. (x)

3. Air by Johann Sebastian Bach from Se7en
This is just so classy. It's when the movie takes a deep breath. As Somerset looks for clues in library and Mills looks at the evidence, the most beautiful from Bach's pieces, at least for me, plays in the background. It's stunning. (x)

2. Where is my Mind? by Pixies from Fight Club

If it was the most iconic image list, it would win, no contest. But here it must take the second place. It is a brilliant moment - with the song fitting the movie so well and being one of the most legendary moments from the 90's. In a movie as fantastic as Fight Club it's hard to choose the most memorable scene but largely thanks to the song, this one takes it. (x)

1. What if we Could? by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

This shouldn't work. The delicate, gorgeous lullaby shouldn't work in a movie like that. But it does. Twice. It's first used in the lovely sex scene between Mikael and Lisbeth and then it is featured in the film's tragically beautiful ending where Lisbeth's dream, the one she finally allowed herself to have, dies and she puts on her armor again. (x) (x)

37 comments:

  1. Yessss, I love your list so much! I think these are all awesome choices, and your number one is PERFECT :D How many Fincher posts have you planned leading up to Gone Girl?

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    1. Thank you! I don't know, I just write them as I go along :)

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  2. Oh that is awesome. I think NIN did "What If We Could?" during their last tour as it got a great reception. This list is pretty much spot-on.

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    1. Oh man I would love to hear it live!

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    2. Well, here's a listing of bootlegs from last year. I'm not sure which show played that song but I know it got a great reception.

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    3. This sounds like it could have been amazing live. It's my favorite song of all the soundtracks they made so far.

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  3. This is a seriously great list. All of your Gone Girl lead up posts are making me want to go on a Fincher binge!

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    1. Thank you! Fincher binge is pretty awesome thing to do :)

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  4. Amazing. I guess my favourites have to be Where Is My Mind and Hand Covers Bruise in TSN, at like every juncture it is used. Love Enya and She (totes how I feel about it) and Immigrant Song too :D

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    1. Hands Covers Bruise is so good, I think it plays a little bit when Eduardo throws that hateful look at Mark after he yells at him. The music is so perfectly used in that movie, but the tracks didn't stand out for me as much as several from Dragon Tattoo.

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  5. Awesome post! Some phenomenally good music here, I do absolutely love The Immigrant Song in Dragon Tattoo.

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  6. I know only Hurdy Gurdy Man from Zodiac which I just finished. It really is catchy! I liked the movie and the ending reminded me of the one Seven had! And holly shit, in the basement scene I almost thought Graysmith was dead. This scene alone won my love for the movie.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the movie! I liked Edwards' and Ruffalo's performances best out of all the aspects of the film but yeah the basement scene was extremely chilling.

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    2. Now I was just told that 'Fight Club' is good. Looks like I will watch that one too.

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    3. Oh, both FC and Se7en are both in my top 10 of all time :)

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    4. Which is always a good sign! :)

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    5. Awesome, come back to say whether you liked it after you see it :)

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  7. Great idea for a Fincher series Sati!

    Boy, 'She' in Gone Girl sounds so much darker & sinister than the one in Notting Hill, but yet the song fits both films!

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    1. Thank you!

      It's those lyrics, they are so great! i kinda think this may actually be the opening song for the movie, much like Immigrant Song was for Dragon Tattoo.

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  8. I'm in love with this series Sati! Such inspired lists and discussions. Fincher should be everyone's theme! Love these choices as well. In fact, the musical choices by Fincher for the trailers for both Gone Girl and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo are so inspired and so perfect. I actually had Karen O's Immigrant Song as my ringtone for almost a year thanks to that incredible trailer.

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    1. Thank you! I love these trailers so much. They are perfect - cut a lot like music videos, which he knows how to do, and they really don't spoil anything about the movies. He has such a great intuition when it comes to music and I kinda love how he let Craig chose the song for this scene in TGWTDT :)

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  9. Great list!

    Of course, I am personally partial to The Social Network, because of my love for the film, but I was surprised that you didn't include "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from the rowing scene. It isn't my favorite scene, but I just kind of perk up every time I watch. And, I know that a lot of people love it.

    Also, Hand Cover Bruise is maybe my favorite score ever! Just throwing that out there! ha

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    1. Thank you! Oh there's gonna be a separate post about that rowing scene:)

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  10. Holy shit, I have to rewatch TGWTDT very soon, your posts are getting me so pumped about it!

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    1. That's why I write them! :) Hope you'll have good time!

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  11. ANOTHER perfect list. So many excellent moments to choose from. I love the repetition of "Hurdy Gurdy Man" in Zodiac, and "White Rabbit" is used so well (a few times) in The Game. Seriously, great work here.

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like The Game's music moment - the film isn't the best but it's definitely not terrible and it still has plenty great scenes

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  12. This list is wonderful! I loved the Orchestra version of 'Hand Covers Bruise' they played at The Oscars whenever The Social Network won something. Not directly Fincher, but it was still something I enjoyed.

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    1. Thank you! I always like the orchestra versions of songs they play during ceremonies, sometimes they are better than the original ones.

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  13. Great post, but I'm surprised to see nothing from The Social Network here >.>

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    1. Well it's in HM :) I just listen to those 10 separately from the movie more often than TSN tracks

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  14. Brilliant work! I'm really glad to see "In the Hall of the Mountain King" and "Goin' Out West" in the HM's, as they'd make my top 10. Interesting to see The Game on here. I need to watch that soon.

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  15. Exceptional Work!! I was looking for the top ten movies of all times and found your blog pretty awesome. I must say that you have designed your blog with a classic touch and it is really appealing. However, with regards to your top 10 music moments lists; i would say that I just love "Where is my Mind?". Thanks for publishing the nice list and keep doing the good work. Thanks

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