Music in Action Film: Sounds Like Action!

Music in Action Film is the first volume to address the central role of music and sound in action film―arguably the most dominant form of commercial cinema today.

Bringing together 15 essays by established and emerging scholars, the book encompasses both Hollywood blockbusters and international films, from classic works such as The Seven Samurai to contemporary superhero franchises. The contributors consider action both as genre and as a mode of cinematic expression, in chapters on evolving musical conventions; politics, representation, and identity; musical affect and agency; the functional role of music and sound design in action film; and production technologies.

Breaking new critical ground yet highly accessible, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of music and film studies.

James Buhler is Professor of Music Theory at the University of Texas, Austin.

Mark Durrand is Senior Lecturer in Musicology at the University of Akron.