Ennio Morricone
October / November 2020
Courted by great directors to score their films, Ennio Morricone contributed to a remarkable selection of classics.
A Fistful of Dollars
Leone’s classic western introduced the world to Clint Eastwood’s ‘man with no name’.
For a Few Dollars More
Sergio Leone’s follow-up to A Fistful of Dollars concerns bounty hunters, a heist and cold revenge.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
One of the greatest westerns – and film soundtracks – ever made.
The Battle of Algiers
A dazzling depiction of events in Algiers during the French occupation in the 1950s.
Once Upon a Time in the West
An epic western and Leone’s masterpiece.
Two Mules for Sister Sara
One of many collaborations between Clint Eastwood and Don Siegel, set in post-Civil War Mexico.
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom
Pasolini’s powerful – and shocking – final film is an examination of post-war fascism.
Days of Heaven
Malick’s visually beautiful account of life in the Texan wheat fields during WW1.
The Thing
John Carpenter’s terrifying – and supremely gory – horror classic about a creature from another world.
Once Upon a Time in America
Leone’s gangster epic follows youngsters rising through the ranks of organised crime.
The Mission
Moving tale of the alliance between a Jesuit priest and a slave trader in 18th-century South America.
The Untouchables
Elliot Ness goes head to head with Al Capone in De Palma’s gangster saga.
Cinema Paradiso
Tornatore’s Oscar-winner began a long collaboration with Ennio Morricone.
Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down
Almodóvar’s darkly romantic – and controversial – tale of obsession.
White Dog
A dog trained to attack dark skin is reconditioned in Fuller’s exploration of the roots of racism.
The Legend of 1900
Tim Roth stars as a talented pianist, abandoned as a child on an ocean liner.
The Hateful Eight
Tarantino’s western brings together a motley crew of characters in a remote lodge.
Introduction
Morricone was one of the greatest composers to work in the cinema. Working in a variety of genres, he created scores that vividly evoked characters and environments. His musical instinct and his fondness for introducing different sounds and instruments into his repertoire saw him courted by auteurs like Pasolini, Zeffirelli, Polanski, Leone, Malick and De Palma. His range was huge, from the indigenous drumming and the oboe melody in The Mission to the cracking whips, gunshots and even an ocarina in Leone's ‘Dollars trilogy’. Unusually, he often composed his music to the script rather than to filmed footage, which resulted in some directors allowing the score to shape the shoot. His death in July this year, only four years after winning his first competitive Oscar for The Hateful Eight, leaves us with over 400 films and TV shows touched by the hands of a true virtuoso.
Justin Johnson, season programmer
In partnership with
We have joined forces with Scala Radio on our Ennio Morricone season. Scala Radio is the station that plays classical music for modern life, and if you love film scores then listen at 9am every morning with Charles Nove. Whilst on Saturdays from 1pm, Mark Kermode reviews the latest films, champions up-and-coming composers and takes us on a journey through the film-scoring process. Listen across the UK on Digital Radio and find out more at scalaradio.co.uk
25 & under
If you're aged 16 to 25, you can get £3 cinema tickets at BFI Southbank to any film, any time.