One of the greatest music composers of all time, Ennio Morricone worked on numerous classic films: The Man With No Name (Dollars) Trilogy, The Untouchables, The Thing, Once Upon A Time In The West, In The Line Of Fire, The Hateful Eight, and countless others. His music not only accompanied each film to perfection, but his compositions would also capture the essence of the story being told, as well as the emotions and facial expressions presented by the characters (whether or not they had dialogue). In memory of the legendary composer, here are some of his best pieces of music.
1. Il Forte (The Strong) – The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly:
This is the best deleted scene from The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, which was restored in the extended edition of the film. This scene perfectly displays a more humane side of Lee Van Cleef’s Angel Eyes. While he is a cold-blooded villain seeking gold, you see, in this scene, how disgusted and saddened he is by witnessing the wounded Southern soldiers, especially through his eyes and facial expressions, and Ennio Morricone’s Il Forte (The Strong) captures the emotional side of warfare.
2. Il Triello (The Trio) – The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly:
The greatest Western shootout of all time! Ennio’s composition (trumpet, loose guitar strings, background human voices, sounds of gunfire, the xylophone, drums, piano, symbols, castanets), as well as the facial expressions (Blondie’s confidence/focus, Angel Eyes’ desperation, and Tuco’s fear/anxiety) all display not only one of the best Western scenes, but one of the best film endings ever.
3. Il Buono, Il Cattivo, Il Brutto (The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly-Main Title):
The best title sequence for a film, the main theme for The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly is energetic due to the constant loud sounds of the guitar, flute (Blondie’s melody), ocarina (motif for Angel Eyes), human voices (Tuco’s melody), trumpet, wind instruments, yodeling, howling, whistling, and cannon firing. Ennio’s main theme for this film represents the action and epic journey that the three protagonists go through in this story.
4. L’Estasi Dell’Oro (The Ecstasy of Gold) – The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly:
Watching Eli Wallach’s Tuco run around the cemetery, desperately searching for the gold, is another classic scene from this film, and is perfectly accompanied by the operatic voice work in this piece, along with the wind instruments.
5. For A Few Dollars More:
The best music from the second film in Leone’s ‘Dollars’ trilogy. This final duel was intriguing in how the villainous Indio (Gian Maria Volonte) thought he had the upper hand in defeating Colonel Mortimer, but Eastwood ingeniously interferes and gives Mortimer the opportune moment to get even with his enemy. The chimes from the pocket watches, symbolizing the love Mortimer had for his sister (as well as Indio’s intimate love for her), including the use of the guitar and loud trumpet, make this duel personal and memorable for the characters.
6. A Fistful Of Dollars:
The first film in “The Man With No Name” series also had a great main theme, with the combination of the guitar, human voices, the bell, and whistling.
7. Four Friends – The Untouchables:
The most emotional Ennio Morricone composition, this piece is powerfully effective in Malone’s (Sean Connery) and Wallace’s (Charles Martin Smith) death scenes in The Untouchables, a classic cop/gangster picture involving the takedown of Al Capone. The use of the violin and the wonderful orchestration always brings me to tears. This is such a somber and moving composition.
8. The Untouchables (End Title):
One of Ennio’s most energetic compositions, the ending theme for The Untouchables is music that symbolizes victory and triumph, good prevailing over evil.
9. The Untouchables:
Another terrific main theme for a classic, especially with the use of the piano and the harmonica, providing the right vibe of crime and suspense.
10. The Untouchables – “Al Capone”
The “Al Capone” theme for The Untouchables encapsulates the look and feel of Capone’s luxurious lifestyle, with the fancy hotel, breakfast in bed, the security and hotel service, and Capone reading the paper with a large cigar, and a huge smile on his face.
11. The Thing End Theme:
Morricone’s score for The Thing is one of the eeriest and scariest compositions ever, especially for one of the greatest horror films ever made. The synthesizers especially set the mood for the film, as well as the unsettling tension, conflict, mystery, and paranoia that surround Kurt Russell and his crew in Antarctica. Who is human? Who is part of The Thing? Morricone’s score makes the audience feel uneasy, horrified, and creeped out by the events that unfold.
12. In The Line Of Fire – Horrigan Saves The President
A terrifically suspenseful Eastwood thriller in which he tries to save the President from a deranged assassin played by the menacing John Malkovich. Ennio’s orchestral score slowly builds up during the film’s climax for an exciting stand-off.
13. Once Upon A Time In The West – Final Duel
Aside from the ‘Dollars’ trilogy, this Leone classic was another great example of a Western with the right atmosphere and intriguing characters. The final duel in this film, where legends Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda face off, is perfectly accompanied with Ennio’s score (especially the electric guitar and the harmonica). The music also provides drama for the close-ups, when Bronson tears up a little in his eyes as he remembers the death of his brother, and Fonda with the harmonica in his mouth as he finally recalls what he did to Bronson and his brother before dying from a fatal gunshot.
14. Django Unchained – “Un Monumento”
Quentin Tarantino used some of Ennio’s music for his terrifically bloody Western, Django Unchained. The best one, “Un Monumento,” is an emotional and hopeful piece because Django mourns the death of his mentor, partner, and friend, Dr. King Schultz, and then rescues his wife Broomhilda from the horrors of slavery before going on his final path of redemption.
15. The Hateful Eight – “Beastiality”
Incredible how it took this long for Ennio to win a competitive Oscar. He should’ve had dozens by this point. However, Ennio’s score for Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight is no less brilliant, eerie, and haunting. Not only is this score reminiscent of his work in John Carpenter’s The Thing, but some of Ennio’s unused music from the horror classic was put to good use in Tarantino’s Western. My favorite one, “Beastiality,” sets the right tone of dark comedy, paranoia, and chaos as characters like John Ruth and his prisoner, Daisy Domergue, fight and punch each other to death. As in The Thing, the characters in The Hateful Eight go at each other’s throats for nearly three hours, distrusting and questioning each other’s motives.
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