10 Greatest Uses Of Music In Quentin Tarantino Films

5. Across 110th Street €“ Bobby Womack €“ Jackie Brown

jb_intro_converted I€™ll admit the previous entry is more iconic, though that doesn€™t necessarily mean it€™s a greater use of music. Across 110th Street by Bobby Womack is the soundtrack not only to the wonderful title sequence, but also plays over the final scene and end credits of Jackie Brown, bookending the film. The song was used in the 1972 Blaxploitation film of the same name and although Tarantino denies Jackie Brown is a Blaxploitation movie itself, the use of Across 110th Street is a not so subtle nod to the genre. Tarantino uses the song almost like a theme tune for the film. The lyrics concern someone doing what they have to, to survive, but the use of this song for the film€™s title sequence and credits mean so much more than that. As with the previous Jackie Brown entry, it is really the atmosphere the song helps to create that makes it a great choice. Jackie Brown, more than any of Tarantino€™s movies before or since, uses music in a far more emotive way. Jackie Brown is Tarantino turned down a notch, although it can be entertaining when he shows off, he doesn€™t have to show off all of the time. Jackie Brown opens against a pale blue mosaic wall, as Pam Grier€™s Jackie Brown slides in from the right the camera follows her. Dressed in blue, she stands out against the pastel-coloured world around her. As yet we don€™t know a lot about Jackie, but she appears in control, even as the titles finish the camera is only interested in her. At the end of the film, as Robert Forster€™s Max Cherry fades into a blur, Tarantino again focuses on Jackie€™s face as she drives away. When Tarantino uses music, be it diegetic or otherwise, he€™ll often let the music do the talking, his music is intentionally prominent, he€™s has decided to use music for a scene and he wants you to hear it. Here Tarantino just leaves the camera on Jackie and lets the song play. Jackie, surely an emotional mess yet, as always, maintaining her ice-cool exterior, mouths along to the second chorus of the song before the credits role in one of the most beautiful moments from any of Tarantino€™s movies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OObFFe6yfgg
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David is a film critic, writer and blogger for WhatCulture and a few other sites including his own, www.yakfilm.com Follow him on twitter @yakfilm