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Great films where music is a central theme.

I'm a film lover for as long as I can remember. There's nothing like a film that combines my passion for music and film. I'm going to leave out concert films from this, as there are plenty of threads on that. Lets stick to other films - dramas or documentaries - that use music as a central theme, or have it as a key element in the narrative. Here are a few of my own favorites to get the ball rolling.

As it is in Heaven
The Bands Visit
Schultze Gets the Blues
Troubled Water (the Erik Poppe film)
Sweet and Lowdown
Bird
'Round Midnight
I'm Not Here

Documentaries:

Throw Down Your Heart
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Lets Get Close (Bruce Weber)
Buena Vista Social Club
Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man

So it's really could be split into two threads; Narative films and Documentaries. But lets try leaving it open to both, just no concert films. What are some of your favorites?
jax2
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
08-06-11: Jax2
... I didn't really want to eliminate films where music was a plot element, yet was not necessarily the central theme.
While "Psycho" is clearly not within the thread's boundaries, it brings to mind another Hitchcock film scored by Bernard Herrmann that does fit, the 1956 version of "The Man Who Knew Too Much." The section entitled "Music" in this Wikipedia writeup on the film has some interesting information, including the fact that Mr. Herrmann was the orchestral conductor during the film's lengthy climactic (although not concluding) scene.

Best regards,
-- Al
martykl
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Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

At the risk of sending Marco into a violent, convulsive siezure, I will note that Marshall Crenshaw's sountrack is great. To bring him back out of it, I'd add that the story is a "mockumentary" (a la Spinal Tap) which details the travails and joys of a fictional musician called Dewey Cox and is hilarious.

Marty
orpheus10
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Delilah.
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bikecommuter
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Jax2,

Surprised we didn't come up with Young Frankenstein. I think the violin theme definitely meets the parameters. Then there is also Dreamgirls, which we missed somehow.

Back to your question about Close Encounters: I said "close" because I wasn't entirely persuaded it fit the thread. The idea that the "space people" communicated via music, including the fugue written on that five note theme, is why I think it belongs.

I couldn't come up with Crossroads, but glad Bianchi did. It was hovering just outside my awareness.

David
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bikecommuter
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OMG! How could I have forgotten Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and their most excellent band, Wyld Stallyns? Most heinous. Party on dudes!

David
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