Pass the Popcorn: The Enduring Romance of Music in Film

March 13th, 2025

Music has long been the invisible thread weaving together the emotions of love stories, from classic cinema to real-life romances. As Film Streams prepares to host a special screening of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis with live musical accompaniment, it’s a reminder of the integral role sound has played in storytelling—even before the advent of talkies.

Marie Schuett, Marketing and Communications General Manager at Film Streams, notes that the importance of a film’s score goes beyond mere background noise. “It gives an in-depth look into a character’s emotional state and provides audio commentary on a scene,” she says.

Long before the first spoken words were captured on film, music served as the primary emotional guide for audiences. The first commercial movie screening, a set of 10 shorts by the Lumière brothers, took place in Paris in 1895. Even then, silent films were rarely projected in complete silence—live musicians, whether a lone pianist or a full orchestra, would accompany the moving images to create a richer experience.

The transition to synchronized sound revolutionized cinema, with The Jazz Singer (1927) becoming the first feature-length film with recorded dialogue, thanks to the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system. However, silent films had already established a deep connection between music and storytelling, one that continues to shape how audiences experience love stories and dramas on screen today.

That immersive experience is set to return on March 28, when Film Streams presents a screening of Metropolis at Dundee Theater as part of its centennial celebration, the Dundee Hundee. The film, a visually stunning depiction of a dystopian future, will be accompanied by a live performance from The Anvil Orchestra, bringing its striking imagery and themes to life in a way that echoes the golden era of silent film screenings.

“Imagine the excitement in the cinema as the musicians struck their first notes, weaving a story that engaged and mesmerized audiences,” Schuett says. “We get to relive that experience.”

Directed by German filmmaker Fritz Lang, Metropolis remains one of the most influential films of all time. Its iconic visuals—from the towering machinery choreographed in perfect harmony with its workers to the dramatic transformation of the robot Maria—are legendary. But the addition of live music will provide modern viewers with a glimpse into how early audiences felt when they first encountered such cinematic spectacle.

For those who have never experienced a silent film with live accompaniment, this screening offers a rare opportunity to step back in time and witness how music breathes life into visual storytelling. Whether it’s a heart-wrenching love scene or a moment of high-stakes drama, the right musical score has the power to transform a film’s impact—and in many ways, it always has.

Film Streams invites audiences to experience Metropolis as it was meant to be seen—and heard. More details can be found at FilmStreams.org.