Beethoven's Music in Movies
by Breumaster | created - 18 Dec 2020 | updated - 09 Jan 2021 | PublicOn December 17th, 2020, we celebrated the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the most interesting and exceptional music composers the world has ever seen. Hundreds of productions used the outstanding emotional power of his music to dramatize scenes and even whole sequences.
When you look at these movies, which of them would you have suspected to contain Beethoven the least?
Tell us here.
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1. Knowing (2009)
PG-13 | 121 min | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
M.I.T. professor John Koestler links a mysterious list of numbers from a time capsule to past and future disasters and sets out to prevent the ultimate catastrophe.
Director: Alex Proyas | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Chandler Canterbury, Rose Byrne, Lara Robinson
Votes: 247,318 | Gross: $79.96M
Symphony N°7, 2nd Movement
2. Kiss Me, Stupid (1964)
Approved | 125 min | Comedy, Romance
Jealous piano teacher Orville Spooner sends his beautiful wife, Zelda, away for the night while he tries to sell a song to famous nightclub singer Dino, who is stranded in town.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Dean Martin, Kim Novak, Ray Walston, Felicia Farr
Votes: 8,602 | Gross: $5.00M
For Elise
3. Help! (1965)
G | 92 min | Adventure, Comedy, Musical
Sir Ringo Starr finds himself the human sacrifice target of a cult, and his fellow members of The Beatles must try to protect him from it.
Director: Richard Lester | Stars: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Votes: 21,096 | Gross: $13.08M
Symphony N°9 in D Minor, Op. 125
4. What? (1972)
R | 112 min | Comedy
During her Italian vacation, a young and beautiful American tourist finds herself as a guest in a coastal villa inhabited by some odd people.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Marcello Mastroianni, Sydne Rome, Hugh Griffith, Romolo Valli
Votes: 4,483 | Gross: $0.00M
Moonlight Sonata
5. Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)
PG | 89 min | Comedy, Horror
The vengeful doctor rises again, seeking the Scrolls of Life in an attempt to resurrect his deceased wife.
Director: Robert Fuest | Stars: Vincent Price, Robert Quarry, Valli Kemp, Peter Cushing
Votes: 7,101
Moonlight Sonata
6. Death in Venice (1971)
GP | 130 min | Drama, Romance
While recovering in Venice, sickly composer Gustav von Aschenbach becomes dangerously fixated with teenager Tadzio.
Director: Luchino Visconti | Stars: Dirk Bogarde, Romolo Valli, Mark Burns, Nora Ricci
Votes: 23,016 | Gross: $0.15M
For Elise
7. Zardoz (1974)
R | 105 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
In the late 23rd century, a savage trained only to kill finds a way into the community of bored immortals that alone preserves humanity's achievements.
Director: John Boorman | Stars: Sean Connery, Charlotte Rampling, Sara Kestelman, John Alderton
Votes: 24,523 | Gross: $0.07M
Symphony No. 7 in A, op. 92, 2nd movement
8. Being There (1979)
PG | 130 min | Comedy, Drama
After the death of his employer forces him out of the only home he's ever known, a simpleminded, sheltered gardener becomes an unlikely trusted advisor to a powerful tycoon and an insider in Washington politics.
Director: Hal Ashby | Stars: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden
Votes: 77,571 | Gross: $30.18M
Symphony N°6 in F Major
9. Gorky Park (1983)
R | 128 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A Moscow police officer investigates a vicious triple homicide and stumbles upon a high-level international political conspiracy.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: William Hurt, Lee Marvin, Brian Dennehy, Ian Bannen
Votes: 15,799 | Gross: $15.90M
String Quartet Op. 18
10. Brewster's Millions (1985)
PG | 102 min | Comedy
A minor-league baseball player must spend $30 million in 30 days in order to inherit $300 million. However, he's not allowed to own any assets, destroy the money, gift it, give it to charity, or tell anyone about the deal.
Director: Walter Hill | Stars: Richard Pryor, John Candy, Lonette McKee, Stephen Collins
Votes: 43,026 | Gross: $38.80M
For Elise
11. The Age of Innocence (1993)
PG | 139 min | Drama, Romance
A tale of nineteenth-century New York high society in which a young lawyer falls in love with a woman separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman's cousin.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, Linda Faye Farkas
Votes: 67,685 | Gross: $32.20M
Piano Sonata No°8 in C Minor, Op. 13
12. Fearless (1993)
R | 122 min | Drama, Thriller
A man's personality is dramatically changed after surviving a major airline crash.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Isabella Rossellini, Rosie Perez, Tom Hulce
Votes: 24,537 | Gross: $7.00M
Concerto N°5 in E Flat for Piano and Orchestra
13. Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
PG | 107 min | Comedy, Family, Music
Showgirl Deloris Van Cartier returns as Sister Mary Clarence to teach music to a group of Catholic students whose run-down school is slated for closure.
Director: Bill Duke | Stars: Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Maggie Smith, Barnard Hughes
Votes: 58,405 | Gross: $57.32M
Symphony N°9, 4th Movement (Ode to joy)
14. Before Sunrise (1995)
R | 101 min | Drama, Romance
A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Andrea Eckert, Hanno Pöschl
Votes: 338,761 | Gross: $5.54M
Piano Sonata N°8 in C Minor, Op. 13
15. Crimson Tide (1995)
R | 116 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
On a U.S. nuclear missile sub, a young First Officer stages a mutiny to prevent his trigger happy Captain from launching his missiles before confirming his orders to do so.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Gene Hackman, Denzel Washington, Matt Craven, George Dzundza
Votes: 123,147 | Gross: $91.40M
Piano sonata N°14 Op. 27 N°2
16. The Horse Whisperer (1998)
PG-13 | 169 min | Drama, Romance, Western
The mother of a severely traumatized daughter enlists the aid of a unique horse trainer to help the girl's equally injured horse.
Director: Robert Redford | Stars: Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill, Dianne Wiest
Votes: 43,500 | Gross: $75.38M
Sonata in F major for cello and piano, P. 5. N°1
17. Patch Adams (1998)
PG-13 | 115 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
The true story of a heroic man, Hunter "Patch" Adams, determined to become a medical doctor because he enjoys helping people. He ventured where no doctor had ventured before, using humour and pathos.
Director: Tom Shadyac | Stars: Robin Williams, Daniel London, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Votes: 122,150 | Gross: $135.03M
For Elise
18. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
PG | 103 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
When the crew of the Enterprise learn of a Federation conspiracy against the inhabitants of a unique planet, Captain Picard begins an open rebellion.
Director: Jonathan Frakes | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton
Votes: 79,393 | Gross: $70.12M
Piano Sonata No°8 in C Minor, Op. 13
19. Cruel Intentions (1999)
R | 97 min | Drama, Romance
Two vicious step-siblings of an elite Manhattan prep school make a wager: to deflower the new headmaster's daughter before the start of term.
Director: Roger Kumble | Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair
Votes: 204,922 | Gross: $38.77M
Symphony N°9 in D minor, Op. 125
20. Sunshine (1999)
R | 181 min | Drama, History, Romance
The fate of a Hungarian Jewish family throughout the 20th century.
Director: István Szabó | Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Rosemary Harris, Rachel Weisz, Jennifer Ehle
Votes: 15,781 | Gross: $5.10M
Egmont: Overture - Opus 84
21. Changing Lanes (2002)
R | 98 min | Drama, Thriller
A young lawyer and a businessman share a small automobile accident, and their mutual road rage escalates into a feud.
Director: Roger Michell | Stars: Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, Kim Staunton, Toni Collette
Votes: 74,579 | Gross: $66.82M
Ode To Joy
22. Irreversible (2002)
Not Rated | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Events over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order as the beautiful Alex is brutally raped and beaten by a stranger in an underpass tunnel.
Director: Gaspar Noé | Stars: Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel, Philippe Nahon
Votes: 147,469 | Gross: $0.75M
Symphony N°7
23. K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
PG-13 | 138 min | Drama, History, Thriller
When Russia's first nuclear submarine malfunctions on its maiden voyage, the crew must race to save the ship and prevent a nuclear disaster.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Harrison Ford, Sam Spruell, Peter Stebbings, Christian Camargo
Votes: 67,332 | Gross: $35.17M
Moonlight Sonata
24. Equilibrium (2002)
R | 107 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In an oppressive future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system and state.
Director: Kurt Wimmer | Stars: Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Emily Watson, Taye Diggs
Votes: 346,719 | Gross: $1.20M
Symphony N°9, 1st Movement
25. Mission: Impossible III (2006)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
IMF agent Ethan Hunt comes into conflict with a dangerous and sadistic arms dealer who threatens his life and his fiancée in response.
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Tom Cruise, Michelle Monaghan, Ving Rhames, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Votes: 390,347 | Gross: $134.03M
String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18 N°4
26. Disturbia (2007)
PG-13 | 105 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When a teenager is placed under house arrest, he succumbs to despair and starts spying on his neighbors, hoping to spice up his life. This, however, leads him to witness a serial killer on the loose.
Director: D.J. Caruso | Stars: Shia LaBeouf, David Morse, Carrie-Anne Moss, Sarah Roemer
Votes: 247,919 | Gross: $80.21M
Symphony N°5
27. The Man from Earth (2007)
Not Rated | 87 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
An impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring scholar reveals to his colleagues he has a longer and stranger past than they can imagine.
Director: Richard Schenkman | Stars: David Lee Smith, Tony Todd, John Billingsley, Ellen Crawford
Votes: 199,918
Symphony N°7, 2nd Movement
28. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A prince of the mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth. Hellboy and his team must fight to stop him from locating the all-powerful Golden Army.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Alexander
Votes: 285,688 | Gross: $75.75M
Violin Sonata N°9 (Kreutzer-Sonata)
29. Drag Me to Hell (2009)
PG-13 | 99 min | Horror
A loan officer who evicts an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Ruth Livier, Lorna Raver
Votes: 217,260 | Gross: $42.10M
Piano Sonata N°8 in C Minor, Op. 13
30. John Wick (2014)
R | 101 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.
Director: Chad Stahelski | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe
Votes: 738,056 | Gross: $43.04M
Symphony N°9, 4th Movement (Ode To Joy)
31. Crimson Peak (2015)
R | 119 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam
Votes: 158,135 | Gross: $31.09M
Violin Sonata in F Major, Op. 24
32. Ready or Not (I) (2019)
R | 95 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A bride's wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a terrifying game.
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett | Stars: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Henry Czerny
Votes: 181,752 | Gross: $28.71M
Symphony N°9 in D Minor Op. 125: Molto Vivace & Sonata N°7 in D Major, Op. 10, N°3: III. Menuetto Allegro
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