[h2]8. Danny Elfman and Tim Burton[/h2]
No director or composer on this list is quite as hit or miss as Burton and Elfman – the former has his fair share of awful films and the latter is prone to phoning it in – but when the stars align, these are two of the most interesting artists in the business. Especially together, given how crucial Elfman’s music is to the creative success of Tim Burton’s best films. As with the greatest composer/director collaborations, Elfman and Burton simply understand each other, on a practically psychic level, and when both are at their best, it is a wonder to behold.
Burton’s films are known for impressive, imaginative production design, but Elfman’s music is often even more important than the visuals in creating a clear, immersive sense of time, place, and atmosphere. This is probably best exemplified in Edward Scissorhands, but it shines through in all of the director’s most significant work, especially, to my mind at least, the Batman films. When I think of Burton’s Gotham, my mind jumps to Elfman’s music first, and that is high praise given what an aesthetically rich landscape those films have to offer.
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