National Treasure: A Treasure Trove of Tunes
(movies.disney.com/national-treasure)
National Treasure is an entertaining movie about, well, finding a hidden national treasure. As such, it involves both history lessons and adventure/suspense. Therefore, the music, created for the film's soundtrack, serves as an intriguing mixture of music sounds and motifs. After the movie was released in 2004, composer Trevor Rabin received a BMI Film Music Award in 2005 for his work in National Treasure. The song selections for the scenes before and during the stealing of the Declaration of Independence use ethos, logos, and pathos to advance the plot and to highlight the message that necessary (and even patriotic) actions may necessarily differ from societal expectations/rules to the target audience of families seeking entertainment.
Here is a portion of the banquet scene with classical music playing in the background before Benjamin Franklin Gates steals the Declaration:
Here is a portion of the scenes surrounding the stealing of the Declaration of Independence:
Through the music in these scenes, which reflect the musical motifs of the work overall, the movie builds credibility. While many people would not know that composer Trevor Rabin was far from being a novice (because most individuals do not often take time to look up the composers of films' scores), he was very experienced, writing more than twenty film scores prior to this, including two for Nicolas Cage, who plays Ben Gates in this movie (see proof here). Rabin's credentials shine because the music is not overpowering, yet it contributes to the mood of the scenes (including the switches between the closely connected banquet scene and the stealing scenes). Additionally, the film score containing a classical work during the banquet makes the banquet more realistic, lending credibility to the film. Overall, the award-quality music, as well as the realistic music during the banquet, give ethos to the film.
In addition to the musical choices during these scenes being credible, they are also logically located and are used as cues. For example, because the score was composed specifically for the film, the musical motifs are repeated constantly throughout the film except for a handful of locations, the banquet scene being one of them. Switching into the classical music presents a stark contrast to the drama/action going on the film and portrays the irony of the situation—a group of individuals supporting the Declaration of Independence are unwilling/unable to keep it safe, so Ben Gates must resort to nontraditional methods. Additionally, the music cues events throughout the dramatic scenes following the banquet scene. The suspense before the shooting scene is built with increasingly loud music, and during the actual shooting, a specific musical motif (which occurs when dangerous conflicts between Ben and Ian happen) plays in the background. Logically located music throughout the stealing of the Declaration of Independence presents the audience with an added level of entertainment and knowledge of the message of the movie.
The logic leads to the emotions the music evokes in the audience. With the target audience being primarily families, the suspenseful, James-Bond-like music, keeps the listeners engaged while the light classical music is almost so serious that it is humorous. Rule-following is often done in classical music (a point which the parents in the target audience may know [click here for a complete list of musical styles and time periods]) and is completely in contrast to the message of Ben Gates at this point in the show (also demonstrated when he drinks all of the alcohol at once at the end of the scene). Ironically, when Gates explains that the Founding Fathers were not rule-followers, it seems out of place in the classical, elegant environment of the banquet room. With the irony, parents will receive enjoyment out of the scene, and with the more modern (rule-breaking) music constantly building during the subsequent scenes, children will realize and be excited that something dramatic is about to happen. The emotion the music creates contributes to the message of the film while entertaining the target audience.
Because of the ethical, logical, and emotional musical choices during and before the stealing of the Declaration of Independence, the film's plot and its message of the necessity of breaking societal rules/expectations are imparted upon the target audience of families seeking entertainment. The musical choices at this point in the plotline reflect the larger masterpiece of musical sounds found in National Treasure. Rabin leads the audience on the discovery of a national treasure by not disappointing with a bonus treasure trove of tunes.
Here is a portion of the banquet scene with classical music playing in the background before Benjamin Franklin Gates steals the Declaration:
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ-9J3V1bFA)
Here is a portion of the scenes surrounding the stealing of the Declaration of Independence:
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtEG7_WefAo)
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| www.imdb.com/name/nm0704909 |
In addition to the musical choices during these scenes being credible, they are also logically located and are used as cues. For example, because the score was composed specifically for the film, the musical motifs are repeated constantly throughout the film except for a handful of locations, the banquet scene being one of them. Switching into the classical music presents a stark contrast to the drama/action going on the film and portrays the irony of the situation—a group of individuals supporting the Declaration of Independence are unwilling/unable to keep it safe, so Ben Gates must resort to nontraditional methods. Additionally, the music cues events throughout the dramatic scenes following the banquet scene. The suspense before the shooting scene is built with increasingly loud music, and during the actual shooting, a specific musical motif (which occurs when dangerous conflicts between Ben and Ian happen) plays in the background. Logically located music throughout the stealing of the Declaration of Independence presents the audience with an added level of entertainment and knowledge of the message of the movie.
The logic leads to the emotions the music evokes in the audience. With the target audience being primarily families, the suspenseful, James-Bond-like music, keeps the listeners engaged while the light classical music is almost so serious that it is humorous. Rule-following is often done in classical music (a point which the parents in the target audience may know [click here for a complete list of musical styles and time periods]) and is completely in contrast to the message of Ben Gates at this point in the show (also demonstrated when he drinks all of the alcohol at once at the end of the scene). Ironically, when Gates explains that the Founding Fathers were not rule-followers, it seems out of place in the classical, elegant environment of the banquet room. With the irony, parents will receive enjoyment out of the scene, and with the more modern (rule-breaking) music constantly building during the subsequent scenes, children will realize and be excited that something dramatic is about to happen. The emotion the music creates contributes to the message of the film while entertaining the target audience.
Because of the ethical, logical, and emotional musical choices during and before the stealing of the Declaration of Independence, the film's plot and its message of the necessity of breaking societal rules/expectations are imparted upon the target audience of families seeking entertainment. The musical choices at this point in the plotline reflect the larger masterpiece of musical sounds found in National Treasure. Rabin leads the audience on the discovery of a national treasure by not disappointing with a bonus treasure trove of tunes.
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