Cutthroat Island: A Case Study

The Hollywood film industry is one which thrives on extremes – successes, failures, triumphs and disasters. While we normally think of these in terms of films as a whole or their star actors and directors, music is not exempt from the highs and lows of modern-day filmmaking. However, scant attention has been paid to the relative strengths and weaknesses of a film and its soundtrack, particularly when one or both elements are slated. This dissertation will seek to explore the role that music plays in that oft-overlooked category: the critically panned film.