Top Film Scores: Number One

1. The Mission (1986), Ennio Morricone. This is truly my favorite film score of all time. I was surprised at how easy it was to decide on it as number one; the moment I thought of it, I knew it surpassed the rest. If you haven’t seen the movie or heard the music, consider it an obligation.

The story is set in 18th century South America, as a Spanish Jesuit priest, Fr. Gabriel strives to civilize the Indians in the remote wilds of the rain forest and bring them to the love of Christ. Morricone fittingly uses period instruments, most notably the harpsichord, while the writing for strings is clearly in the harmonic style of typical renaissance polyphony.

The film opens with Fr. Gabriel’s dangerous ascent of a waterfall, the music swelling hopefully and resting triumphantly as he arrives at a new world atop the cliffs in a dark forest. He sits alone on a rock and starts to play his oboe; thus we hear for the first time the most striking theme of the entire movie–Gabriel’s Oboe. It is the beauty of this melody which attracts the natives, calms them and tames their hearts. It can be heard throughout the film as a kind of symbol of peace and tranquility amidst the violent restlessness of the world. It serves as a true representation of Gabriel’s character.

Another very striking motif in the score is the rhythmic and dancelike choral passage that evokes the spirit of the natives, heard over and over again, both wild and joyful.

The story centers around Rodrigo Mendoza, a notorious slave hunter who converts to Christianity after slaying his brother in a jealous rage over a woman. One of the most powerful scenes of the movie is Rodrigo’s penance, as he is forced to climb a mountainside, bearing upon his shoulders the mantle of his old self–a net full of the armor and weaponry that represents his formerly brutal life. It is a most difficult and arduous ascetic ascent up the steep muddy slopes; and the music portrays this wonderully with the low bass clarinet and other woodwind instruments following him in a kind of ritualistic ostinato. At one point, the incessant motive pauses and we hear a quote of the famous “Dies Irae” as though Rodrigo himself recalls the terrible Day of Judgment. I don’t want to say what happens when he arrives at the top of the hill; you’ll have to see it yourself, and believe me it is one of the most powerful scenes in any movie.

Other beautiful tracks include “Brothers”, which tells of the love between Rodrigo and his younger brother Felipe; and “Ave Maria” sung by a choir of the Indians in the mission. The last portion of the film escalates to a heart-rending pace, arriving finally at a truly unforgettable climax.

I don’t want to say any more about the story because you need to see it for yourself and be rewarded by the experience. The music has such a deeply profound spiritual significance. It portrays the heart of the true missionary–a place where the love and peace of Christ well up and overflow, embracing all of humanity.

The movie is a work of art, a masterpiece; and that is why it easily tops the list of greatest film scores of all time.