The theme song for this movie finds itself everywhere you look; from sporting events right before a crucial moment in the game, to commercials, TV shows and movies. Everywhere you look, you’ll hear some form of this classic western showdown sounding piece that kicks off The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Ennio Morricone was the major film composer in 1960′s Italy, which is where this movie was filmed, giving credibility to the “spaghetti western” genre. If you search for his work, you will find he has composed the soundtracks for 490 films, and is still working to this very day; Spider Dance, his latest project, is slated to come out later in the year.
You never would think that opera, or some variation of it, would find its way into a gritty, hard-hitting, action packed western. But for the most crucial seen in the movie, right before the final shootout, Ecstasy of Gold, builds the tension as the seconds wind down to who will draw first, and which of the three major characters will be gunned down.
I highly recommend for everyone to check out Morricone’s work, cause chances are, if you’ve seen a spaghetti western, it was he who composed the soundtrack for it.
He was also able to show how wide-ranging his talents stretched. Check out this Jazzy, and upbeat soundtrack for one of the most disturbing films ever made in history.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly gets my nod for the ninth best film soundtrack of all-time. Please check out prior films in this countdown: #10- A Clockwork Orange.
I couldn’t agree more, this soundtrack is an absolute classic! I actually just wrote about it on my own blog, specifically that Ecstasy of Gold gives me chills whenever I listen to it, without fail.
If you’re interested in Spaghetti Western Soundtracks, you should check out my Spaghetti Western Concept Rap album, “Showdown at the BK Corral” It’s basically an epic Western narrative over 9 tracks. I’d love to hear what you think of it! You can download it for free at sunsetparkriders.com
Pingback: The Top 10 Movie Soundtracks: #8- Schindler’s List « From New York to San Francisco