Today, it’s being reported that Oscar-winning composer and film legend Ennio Morricone has passed away at the age of 91, due to complications from a recent fall. To say that Morricone is one of the most influential composers in film history is an understatement. There are few people who have worked over the decades in the film industry to have such a singular impact on the medium, specifically in the genre of Westerns. And as you might expect, news of his passing has hit people hard, as people wrote kind words about Morricone on social media after hearing the tragic news.
Leading the way is John Carpenter, a filmmaker that not only knows a thing or two about composing himself but is also someone that called Morricone a friend.
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“Brilliant composer Ennio Morricone has passed away. A friend and collaborator, his talent was inestimable. I will miss him,” tweeted Carpenter.
Carpenter is far from the only person to remember Morricone after the news of the composer’s death. Edgar Wright, and a number of other filmmakers, actors, and musicians, wrote kind words on social media remembering the Oscar winner.
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“Where to even begin with iconic composer Ennio Morricone?” wrote Wright. “He could make an average movie into a must see, a good movie into art, and a great movie into legend. He hasn’t been off my stereo my entire life. What a legacy of work he leaves behind. RIP.”
The filmmaker also released a playlist on Spotify that he hand-picked for those not fully familiar with Morricone’s legendary work.
Filmmaker Asif Kapadia tweeted, During #lockdown we’ve watched a movie each night with the family. Showed the kids Once Upon A Time In The West, which introduced them to genius @MEnnioMorricone, only yesterday our youngest was humming the music from Cinema Paradiso while drawing a birthday card.”
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Screenwriter C. Robert Cargill also commented on the composer’s passing and tweeted, “Ennio Morricone. You always know when it’s a Morricone score, even before you see his name. With just a few notes he evokes images of a whole genre. There aren’t any others like him. One of the titans is gone.”
Here are some of the tweets about Morricone, as well as Wright’s Spotify playlist: