Eight scenes that Ennio Morricone’s music made memorable

Ennio Morricone, one of the most influential and prolific film composers ever, died today in a hospital in Rome. ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ – The final duel In the opening credits of the first film of the Dollars trilogy, with an unholy, thrilling mixture of whistles, shrieks, exclamations, bells and twanging electric guitar, Morricone revolutionized film scoring. ‘Allonsanfàn’ – Vision Most film fans today know Rabbia e tarantella as the track that plays in the closing credits of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. ‘The Battle of Algiers’ – Before the bombing Though he did bombast better than anyone, Morricone could also pare down his sound when required. Critic Pauline Kael wrote that "in The Battle of Algiers, music becomes a form of agitation: at times, the strange percussive sound is like an engine that can't quite start…” ‘The Untouchables’ – Shootout on the bridge The exhilaration of the raid by Eliot Ness and his men on gangster bootleggers at the Canadian border finds the perfect accompaniment in Morricone’s exultant theme.