When I first watched the film the soundtrack took over me. It was so powerful and translated that thriller so perfectly. Ellis' music is the heartbeat of The French Connection.
I'm desperately hoping that more of the 50 minutes will be found and released. This movie and soundtrack introduced me to Jazz as a teen. I went to many Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson concerts when they came through St. Louis. Never had opportunity to see Don Ellis band live before he passed. What a loss.
Ellis's dissonant, unnerving, and frenetic score to The French Connection is a brilliant work of avant-garde jazz. It's a crime that it lost the Best Score award at the 1972 Oscars to a completely milquetoast and banal soundtrack no one remembers today. One of the innumerable myopic Oscar decisions made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the past 95 years.
This is the way it should always be. Movie and music working together to make it more intense and enjoyable to the viewer. Every great movie has a feel and rhythm to it. When you go out and pay money to see a movie you want to be taken for a ride just like at an amusement park. You want to be thrilled and amused. You pay good money so you want to leave with something you'll remember forever! This is why movie and music must work together to implant a visual song in the mind. Too many movies you see today leave you with nothing but a empty wallet! You feel ripped off and wished you just stayed at home 🏡
This is one of those great scores that deserves as much praise as and is inseparable from the movie itself like Bernard Herrmann to Vertigo, Psycho, and North by Northwest, John Barry with the Bond films, John Williams to Jaws and Star Wars, Vangelis to Blade Runner... and while the movie may be made for money and as Friedkin says, the director is just doing a job, the artistry at play transcends the product.
Ellis’ first score and ,wow, what an impact he made. His career and life was tragically cut short. It’s fascinating to me that this was the first film for a number of the key personnel involved in this production.
It wasn't actually his first score (contrary to what lame brained Julie Kirgo says in her liner notes for La La Land Records release of the 'FC' scores) He scored 'Moon Zero Two' in England around 1968/69 (so far sadly unreleased). Some of his ideas from FC actually appeared in that *actual* first score.
I find it interesting that Friedkin did not consider Ellis to score The Exorcist as well. The last cues on The French Connection almost sound like an intro to The Exorcist. The high pitched strings and odd percussive elements would have been a natural for Friedkin's follow-up film.
Lalo Schifrin was originally commissioned to score "The Exorcist", but the results were so disturbing that focus audiences reacted negatively to it. According to Schifrin, Friedkin was so angry he literally threw the score out the window into the parking lot. Maybe he didn't want another avant-garde composer taking a crack at it... or maybe Ellis just wasn't available. (Parts of Schifrin's original score found their way into "The Amityville Horror".)
A great musical artist who sadly died too young
Thank you. This movie never gets old.
When I first watched the film the soundtrack took over me. It was so powerful and translated that thriller so perfectly. Ellis' music is the heartbeat of The French Connection.
Fantastic analysis of a brilliant piece of music.
I'm desperately hoping that more of the 50 minutes will be found and released. This movie and soundtrack introduced me to Jazz as a teen. I went to many Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson concerts when they came through St. Louis. Never had opportunity to see Don Ellis band live before he passed. What a loss.
50 years later this score still shocks me. Thanks so much for this commentary
Fantastic! Whenever I catch the French Connection I savor Ellis's score.
Ellis's dissonant, unnerving, and frenetic score to The French Connection is a brilliant work of avant-garde jazz. It's a crime that it lost the Best Score award at the 1972 Oscars to a completely milquetoast and banal soundtrack no one remembers today. One of the innumerable myopic Oscar decisions made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the past 95 years.
Don Ellis was my father’s favorite musician. He would try and count those crazy time signatures.
We saw Don twice.
Loved it. Great analysis!
This is the way it should always be. Movie and music working together to make it more intense and enjoyable to the viewer. Every great movie has a feel and rhythm to it. When you go out and pay money to see a movie you want to be taken for a ride just like at an amusement park. You want to be thrilled and amused. You pay good money so you want to leave with something you'll remember forever! This is why movie and music must work together to implant a visual song in the mind.
Too many movies you see today leave you with nothing but a empty wallet! You feel ripped off and wished you just stayed at home 🏡
One of the truly great soundtracks. Masterful
I love that eerie piece at the film's conclusion. A pity it's so short.
Fantastic
What a great video. Thank you and I played a lot of his music throughout the years back then and studied with Broiles as did Don. .
This is one of those great scores that deserves as much praise as and is inseparable from the movie itself like Bernard Herrmann to Vertigo, Psycho, and North by Northwest, John Barry with the Bond films, John Williams to Jaws and Star Wars, Vangelis to Blade Runner... and while the movie may be made for money and as Friedkin says, the director is just doing a job, the artistry at play transcends the product.
Oh So true! that found was..is..amazing at the opening of French Connection...and i didnt even know why.
Excellent.
A true classic.
Ellis’ first score and ,wow, what an impact he made. His career and life was tragically cut short. It’s fascinating to me that this was the first film for a number of the key personnel involved in this production.
It wasn't actually his first score (contrary to what lame brained Julie Kirgo says in her liner notes for La La Land Records release of the 'FC' scores) He scored 'Moon Zero Two' in England around 1968/69 (so far sadly unreleased). Some of his ideas from FC actually appeared in that *actual* first score.
I allways wandered who choose the music the music sequences in the movie: composer or director
I find it interesting that Friedkin did not consider Ellis to score The Exorcist as well. The last cues on The French Connection almost sound like an intro to The Exorcist. The high pitched strings and odd percussive elements would have been a natural for Friedkin's follow-up film.
Lalo Schifrin was originally commissioned to score "The Exorcist", but the results were so disturbing that focus audiences reacted negatively to it. According to Schifrin, Friedkin was so angry he literally threw the score out the window into the parking lot. Maybe he didn't want another avant-garde composer taking a crack at it... or maybe Ellis just wasn't available. (Parts of Schifrin's original score found their way into "The Amityville Horror".)