Film music is one of the most neglected components of film analysis. Several books and essays by scholars of film music point out the tendency in film theory and history to largely ignore the music in critical study. In her recent book, How the West Was Sung, Rhode Island College professor Kathryn Kalinak singularly identifies this fault within auteur theory. In her analysis she makes a strong case for film music by applying auteur theory, continental philosophy, semiotics, and music theory to the music in the westerns of auteur, John Ford. Kalinak’s current focus is song and how traditional American and folk music operate in Ford’s westerns. Ford’s control and implementation of music and song characterizes the personal style and vision of his work and, according to Kalinak, “operate narratively, thematically, structurally and ideologically”, thus providing a superior understanding of characters, historical setting and narrative implications.The Searchers, commonly referred to as Ford’s magnum opus, is by far the most significant chapter for Kalinak as she states her surprise at how little attention has been given to the music in the historical analysis of the film. “The music has much to reveal, enriching an understanding of both the film and the culture in which it was produced," and Kalinak states that characters and the driving force behind their decisions are revealed in the music. The Searchers has long been analyzed as a film about prejudice and hatred, and the music helps further the conversation regarding Ford’s true implications in his portrayal of different race and ethnic backgrounds. It is no longer just a commentary on race; the music moves the discussion further by identifying the way in which music represents all characters of different backgrounds and their relationships to one another.
Kathryn Kalinak has proven her skills when critically analyzing film music in the essays, “Disturbing the Guests with this Racket: Music and Twin Peaks,” and “Flashdance: The Dead End Kid.” The amount of research completed in How the West Was Sung is evident while her writing style is always clear and conscientious. She has a way with words illustrated in appealing background stories and anecdotes that convey the depth of her knowledge, and I thoroughly enjoy her sense of humor: “Are all prostitutes in Ford’s westerns named after cities?” In the end, Kalinak efficiently ascertains that auteur theorists have committed a major faux pas in omitting music from their theory and analysis. Kalinak’s book offers a shrewd hypothesis, well organized and thoroughly examined, that brings a wealth of discovery into the formative study of film music.
