Lately ive been listening to a lot of movie soundtracks and scores. The very best scores serve to augment the mood of the movie in question. They help evoke emotional responses from the audience as they are drawn deeper into the movie. Music, when well-composed, can enable us to transcend even that of our own imagination. It paints a mental image for the listener and can effectively leave a profound impression on us. Jaws soundtrack anyone? (By the way, my mum admitted to having a fear of going into the open sea after she watched Jaws, largely due to the simple yet unsettling 'dum-dum--dum-dum' of the main theme.) Ever experienced reminiscence just by listening to a song? That is the emotive power of music at work. Certain combinations of musical notes are uplifting; the same notes when arranged differently can bring about great sorrow and or even educe horror.
Some examples:
Often, we tend to recognise scores from certain movies. We listen to a short piece and our mind cognitively links it back to the movie it was in. In short, an affecting score is needed to complement the visual images of which make up a movie.
