Introduction Music is an essential part of any film. The art progressed from the piano accompaniment of silent films to massive orchestral soundtracks which become as iconic as their respective movies. Music in a modern film can have many elements and serve many purposes to aid filmmakers in telling the story. Being such an integral part of movies, music and composers are recognized and awarded equally with the actors and directors. Elements of music from various composers and soundtracks are analyzed to understand their meaningful impact on the film. Composers Film composers are known for the music they create for various motion pictures. Soundtracks are recognized not only as an iconic part of the movie but also as independent compositions that people listen to in their leisure time. Perhaps the man that revolutionized the art of scoring films and gave future composers creative freedom is Henry Mancini active from 1946 to his death in 1994. His most iconic works include the instantly recognized themes for Pink Panther and Peter Gunn as well as “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s . Meanwhile, a musical genius, Hans Zimmer is considered one of the best film composers of modern cinema. He was behind the soundtracks to major blockbusters such as Interstellar , Inception , The Pirates of the Caribbean series, The Dark Knight series, and many others. Great film composers do not simply write music to accompany a film; they write music to amalgamate the feelings and message. Skilled modern composers often write based on the concept of a film and reflect on the themes before production even starts. Frequently music is written to offer the security of tradition while being abstract and original. Mancini used both non-diegetic motifs and diegetic songs in his film soundtracks often with authentic jazz instrumentation. For example, in “The Pink Panther Theme” the mood is mysterious while dramatic and playful. The dynamics of the catchy tune suggest the character’s evasiveness and whimsicality. Zimmer masterfully combines real instruments and synth-sampled sounds, but several parts may be duplicated. Several dramatic themes in one film can have a similar melody, but differing rhythms give it enough variance. The genesis of Zimmer’s approach in many of his films to production is based on non-diegetic leitmotifs and the use of textures. His compositions are instantly recognized because Zimmer vividly communicates the film’s emotion and writes mainly for the message, not the superficial content (Morrell 10-11). Songs from Soundtracks Often songs are inserted in cinema, either in the background to ongoing actions (but without interrupting dialogue) or sung by characters themselves. Two well-known compositions are “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland from 1939 The Wizard of Oz and “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon and Garfunkel from 1967 The Graduate. Both are lyrical compositions with deeply emotional verses reflecting the themes of the inner struggles that the characters in either movie are experiencing. While “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is considered a perfect example of the AABA 32-bar song form, “Mrs. Robinson” is more unorthodox, continuously repeating t