Friday Song: A Real Hero
This one has been in my head ever since I took in Nicolas Winding Rehn’s Drive last Saturday night. It’s curious what music sticks in your head from the movies that fuse with you. Especially if the film really affects you, like this one did me. In particular, the finale touched me like few have with its impact. The track in question reflected back to others that did similar. Jeremy Richey noted the same in his excellent review of the film.
So I offer up for this Friday something musical and cinematic. It’s a song that is on par with some of the startling and poignant of them. For unique and culminating instrumentals, I’d certainly rank the ones performed by Tangerine Dream for 1978’s Sorcerer (Betrayal) and Thief (Diamond Diary) from ’81 high up. Furthermore, Moby’s God Moving over the Face of the Waters from Heat (1995), and Gladiator’s haunting Eylsium from 2000 by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard surely belong among the rarefied.
This, I firmly believe, is what my friend and author John Kenneth Muir refers to as a “momentary conjunction of subject matter, theme, song and film technique…“. It simply “… represents what is for me a perfect movie moment, one of those inexplicable but wholly magical grace notes that always gives you goosebumps and leaves you on an emotional high.” Precisely.
Taken from the original soundtrack by the composer Cliff Martinez for the motion picture Drive, A Real Hero was written, composed and produced by College and Electric Youth. If you’ve seen this film and its last act, you know exactly what I mean by all this — and understand why the number of plays for the tune keeps going up. I hope you enjoy “a real human being and a real hero“. ♫
It Rains... You Get Wet 
13 Responses to “Friday Song: A Real Hero”
I guess I should see this movie. And read the book.
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Elyse and I think it’s a pretty good one. We hope you do too, Naomi. Thanks.
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For me, the most memorable music scene is the ending of Requiem for a Dream.
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That one, too, is pretty memorable. RfaD is one devastating movie… Thanks, Julian.
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Looking forward to this one Michael, it has receieved such a positive reception right across the board. Interested and apprehensive to discover how I will react to it. Some films seem reactionary and others inspire action, positive or less so. I wonder which it is for this?
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I’d be very interesting to hear your thoughts about this one. Nicolas Winding Rehn did capture the city extremely well (at least for this Angeleno and a certain blogging colleague of my mine) and the 70s vibe of old. Thanks for the comment, Ronan.
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Glad you liked this so much, I like how the use of music kind of served as a voice-over for the none too verbose driver.
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Great point about the soundtrack and the lead character, Kevin! I have to agree :-). Thanks.
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I’m totally in love with this soundtrack. I also like Nightcall (Kavinsky) which plays in the opening credits and Under Your Spell (Desire)
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Great call on ‘Nightcall’ (playing this as I respond this comment) and ‘Under Your Spell’, Castor. Best soundtrack this year, easily, for me. Thanks for the comment.
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Such a great song, fit perfectly with the movie and its message.
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It surely did! Thanks, mummbles.
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[…] Real Hero – Drive (2011): I’ve already covered this, “If you’ve seen this film and its last act, you know exactly what I mean by all this — […]
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