Some sad news to report today, as we've lost a true icon of music and film.
Legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone has passed away at the age of 91. He reportedly died in Rome following complications from a fall that occurred last week and resulted in a broken femur.
Morricone scored more than 500 films over the course of his illustrious 50-plus year career, including John Carpenter's The Thing, Brian De Palma's The Untouchables, and Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven. He is arguably best known for his work on countryman and childhood friend Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy and his haunting theme for Roland Joffé's The Mission.
After previously being nominated five times, he finally won his first Academy Award for Best Original Score (he also received an honorary statue in 2007) for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight. The director, who is a lifelong fan, also used some of Morricone's compositions for the Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2, Inglorious Basterds, and Django Unchained.
Morricone's contributions to cinema cannot be overstated, and his awe-inspiring work will live on forever. What are some of your favorite scores from the great man? We've shared some of his most recognizable pieces below.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.