To celebrate his two concerts at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham Dublin this summer, Light House Cinema will screen a selection of films featuring the sumptuous, moving and hugely memorable scores of Ennio Morricone. Over the past fifty years, Morricone has accumulated over 500 film credits and there are few artists in the history of cinema as revered as the legendary composer.
The season starts this week with the first of the Dollars Trilogy, A Fistful of Dollars followed next week by For A Few Dollars More and then The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Once Upon A Time In The West, The Mission and Cinema Paradiso complete the line-up for this exciting season of fan favourites.
A Fistful of Dollars From July 3rd.
The first in Sergio Leone’s ‘Dollars’ trilogy, A Fistful of Dollars is a dusty spaghetti western featuring Clint Eastwood as the iconic Man With No Name, a mysterious gunslinger who arrives in a small town and finds himself in the midst of a gangland feud. Morricone’s whistling, staccato score created an entirely new genre of film music. This score, combined with the violent but languid pacing and visual style A Fistful of Dollars, rejuvenated what some felt was becoming a stagnant genre.
For A Few Dollars More From July 10th.
The second in the trilogy features many of the same cinematic attributes as its predecessor, not least of which, its composer. Leone and Morricone teamed up again for the second film in the trilogy, which sees The Man With No Name form a reluctant alliance with a Colonel in search of a wanted bandit. With the same wry sense of humour and knowing nods to past masters, For a Few Dollars More helped cement both Eastwood and Leone as household names across the world.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly From July 17th.
The final film in the Dollars trilogy and featuring one of the most famous scores of all time, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly sees Blondie (The Good) team up with Angel Eyes (The Bad) to hunt down Tuco (The Ugly) to collect the bounty on his head. Reinforcing Morricone and Leone’s exceptional abilities to fuse music and cinematography to enhance not only drama, but also subtle shifts in tone and temperament, this film beautifully caps off a trilogy of films that changed cinema forever.
Once Upon A Time In The West From July 24th
With a story devised by Bernardo Bertolucci and Dario Argento, Once Upon a Time in the West is somewhat darker in tone than the previous spaghetti westerns. A young bride arrives in a small town to find that her new husband has been killed and becomes embroiled in the power play that ensues when she inherits her husband’s land. Sparse and dark, Morricone’s score here reflects the many dangers lurking in wait for Claudia Cardinale’s young widow.
The Mission From July 31st.
Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons protect a remote South American Indian tribe in danger of falling under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal. Lavish, powerful and utterly beautiful, Morricone’s score is vital to the heart of The Mission.
Cinema Paradiso From August 7th.
A joyful classic that celebrates the power and beauty of cinema, it seems appropriate that Morricone, who shaped how cinema sounds for so many years, provided the sweeping, elegant score that accompanies little Toto’s journey from boyhood to manhood by way of his local cinema. A true fan favourite, it’s best enjoyed in the company of film fans in a darkened cinema screen.
Tickets for the Ennio Morricone season at Light House Cinema are now on sale.
To buy tickets, and for more information, visit www.lighthousecinema.ie
Tickets & Special Offers: €9/€7.50 for individual films. Any 5 films for €35. Dollars Trilogy Pass €21.