Ennio Morricone
January 2021
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.
Introduction
‘I come from a background of experimental music, which mingled real sounds together with musical sounds’
Ennio Morricone
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
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