Jennifer Lewis Writing and Rhetoric February 24, 2013 Two Notes of Emotion The influence music has

on the viewers of a movie often goes unnoticed, when in fact much thought and work goes into what part of each song should be played throughout a movie. The music that is played forces emotion upon the viewers, causing them to fully engage in the story. The directors of Friday Night Lights, the movie, chose Your Hand in Mine by Explosions in Sky to play throughout the movie. Although it is uncommon for one song to be played consistently throughout a movie, this song seems to be suitable for every scene that it is played in. The directors of Friday Night Lights specifically chose Your Hand in Mine because the sequence of the song perfectly mimics the plot of the movie. Most often directors assign certain songs to fit specific parts of a movie, however the director of Friday Night Lights found one song that pertains to most parts of the movie. The different parts of the song epitomize the plot, allowing it to be applicable throughout the movie. The slow start of Your Hand in Mine consists of two notes, which creates a build up to the climax of the song, that occurs about one minute into the song. Similarly, the beginning of the movie sets the setting and describes the characters in order to set up and introduce the plot of the movie. The two notes may also signify the choices that the characters are forced to chose, either between what is right and wrong or whether to continue striving for excellence or admitting defeat. Your Hand in Mine seems suitable for the movie because it creates an atmosphere of a winding journey that

the viewers as well as the characters take throughout the movie. When listening to this song without watching the movie, it is forces listeners to feel this journey because the song itself is very long, and it starts off very slow and then it finally gets fast after about a minute and fourteen seconds into the song. However, once the song begins to speed up it continues for about a minute and then slows down again. This change from fast to slow in its beat mocks the wins and the losses throughout the season of the football team. The relationship of the song to the movie adds a useful dimension to the movie. The simplicity of the song allows for it to be played at all parts of Friday Night Lights. The beginning and end of the song fades in and out, respectively, which is similar to the way the plot is set up. The movie begins slowly setting the tone and plot and ends after a devastating loss and fades out by explaining what the characters went on to do the rest of their lives. The similarity of the set up between the two creates a relationship that allows for the viewer to feel engaged in the story and to easily follow the plot. The lack of words allows for the song to be replayed consistently without becoming repetitive and often times the influence of the song is overlooked by viewers. The two instruments, guitar and drum, set an ambiguous feeling throughout the song. It constructs a feeling of a journey through its pattern that forms an aura of trust. The song does not change in its beat or in the instruments that are used, thus making listeners feel a sense of consistency. Because of this lack of variance of all aspects of the song, it allows for a feeling of safety and familiarity. Similarly, due to the fact that the song is played throughout the movie, it creates an overwhelming feeling of solace as if viewers know what is to come. The song has one minute parts that are a faster beat, which fits the scenes of the movie when the football team is either struggling in a game or about to defeat a big team. It forces the

viewers heart to start racing and senses to become heightened, evoking emotion. The different patterns of the song are paralleled by the long journey that the characters face in Friday Night Lights. The song brings unity to the movie by way of the similarities in the plots of each. The song has pathos, or evokes pity, through its slow music during sad parts and faster pace music during the intense parts, such as the climax. It allows for the watchers to feel sympathy towards the characters through this simple change in the beat of the music. Throughout the game that causes the football team to qualify for the championship, the heightened, more intense part of the song is played over and over. Whereas when the team loses the championship, the portion of the song that is played is the two note fade out in order for to evoke an overwhelming sense of despair. The culmination of the mood of the song and the movie coincide and generate these emotions in the viewer. The goal of the song is to force the viewer to feel certain ways throughout the movie, and this song is suitable to do such as aforementioned. The relationship between the song and setting creates a winding journey that adds a useful dimension to the story. The beginning and end of the song and of the movie are similar in that they both fade in and out, respectively. The balance and ambiguity of the song allows for the viewers to feel an overwhelming sense of solace and unknown. Thus, allowing the viewers to perceive each situation as desired, but forcing them to feel excited at some points and sad at others, according to the pace of the music and plot of the story. Not only does the song persuade the viewers feelings, but it also effectively allows for entertainment throughout the movie. The similarities between the plots of both successfully create the overall culmination of mood throughout the movie. The impact

that this particular song has on the viewers illustrates the importance of the relationship between music and the plot of a movie.