Film Music, Referees, and Porridge

Film Music, Football Referees, and Porridge. What do they have in common? Nothing, you might think, and you’d be justified in thinking that the Covid-19 lockdown has finally driven me mad. However, I’m going to argue that film music can be compared to a good football referee, and a perfect serving of the popular breakfast dish. Hear me out on this one…

What makes a good football referee? Well, they have to be fair to both teams, they have to know the laws of the game, and they have to be consistent. They also have to know when to stop the game, and when to let it flow. You can apply the effective use of music in film to some of those statements, albeit in quite an abstract way. However, aside from all of the aforementioned attributes of a good referee, there is one saying that I once heard at a football match that really stuck with me. A fellow supporter, during a game that had a particularly fussy referee, leaned over to me and said: “the best referee is one that you don’t notice”.
Now we’re getting somewhere. Think about how music works in film. Scenes of particular drama require music of some description. If a referee is really fussy and blows his or her whistle constantly, they’re spoiling the game. If they don’t do anything except run around, and let everything go, they have no impact on the game. If they let the game flow where possible, but make an appearance at appropriate times for the benefit of the game, then they’re a good referee. The exact same principle applies to film music. There are moments in a film when music should not be used, but when music IS required, it should be there to do its job, and little else.
This is where can bring Porridge in. Deciding what makes good film music is like examining the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. In Goldilocks, one bowl of porridge was too hot, one was too cold, and one was just right. We can apply this level of thinking to film music. If film music is too overbearing (hot), then it loses its impact, and is unsuitable. If it is not there at all, or is barely audible (cold), then it too loses its impact, and is unsuitable. However, if the music is there, doing its job, and its audible but not overbearing, then it’s just right.
As a film musicologist, to suggest that film music should never be exaggerated, or overblown, or full of high drama might seem like a strange statement to make, and of COURSE there are times when a little bit of indulgent orchestral power hits the spot, but on the whole, music is just one element of a successful film, and – like a good referee and a temperate bowl of porridge – having it there to just do its job, and do it well, makes it the best option for all concerned.