Task One: First Draft (Soundtrack/Music)

Danny Boyle directs a wide range of films, each one with a completely different story, setting and mood. He uses the soundtrack to emphasise important moments in the film, incorporate settings and cultures, and stir up a wide range of feelings in the viewer.
The music of Trainspotting is used to evoke many feelings in the viewer. The film begins with Iggy Pop’s, “Lust for Life” which is an energetic punk song that matches the scene where Renton, Sick Boy and Spud are trying to escape the police. Not long after this the tone is changed with the song “Habanera”, from the opera “Carmen”, as Renton is trying to give up heroin. This evokes a sense of irony in the viewer as the music doesn’t match the struggle that Renton is going through. The final scenes in the film, where Renton steals drug money off his friends, are emphasised by the song “Born Slippy” by Underworld. This is a heavy and energetic dance track, which gives of feelings of excitement but also those of regret and conflict. Danny Boyle chooses music that will indicate important moments in the film, but also makes humorous or ironic choices to help us further understand the inner workings of the characters minds.
Slumdog Millionaire is a faced-paced, intense film which needed a driving score to accompany it. The soundtrack is made up of a unique mix of Bollywood and hip-hop, combining both the traditional yet contemporary and modern setting of the film. Danny Boyle said that he wanted a “pulsey” score, and told composer A. R. Rahman, “Never put a cello in my film.” Boyle wanted edgy and upfront music, and Rahman created pieces to match what we were visually seeing on the screen. The first song we hear is “O…Saya”, performed by M.I.A and A.R. Rahman. This song is up-tempo and electrifying and creates suspense and intensity for the viewer as we see the young Jamal and Salim getting chased through the streets of Mumbai. This is similar to the scene at the beginning of Trainspotting where an upbeat song with a driving beat is used to intensify a chase scene for the audience.
The Beach is famous for its soundtrack, which is extremely memorable and sets the mood for the film. The song “Porcelain”, by Moby, is probably the most memorable of the film. You can’t listen to it without being instantly transported back to the world you were in while watching The Beach. Danny Boyle has chosen to use some of the same artists in this film as he has in previous ones, such as Underworld, a techno/dance group. He’s used a more toned down, relaxed track for The Beach as it better fits the mood of the film. The music generally stays with the tone of the film, relaxed and calm when all is well, and more upbeat and dramatic when the story calls for it.