The Song with the Screen

The moment when the opening of The Lion King is pushed to greatness is when you look at the amazing song and how it is relevant to what is happening on screen. The opening song, “The Circle of Life”, was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of best song in 1994. The score as a whole won the award for the best music score. With a résumé like that, it is sure that the song at the begging was going to hold up its part of the bargain. Your attention is immediately grabbed when the first notes of the song spring to life, and the sun rises. The sun rising gives you a sense of beginning. It then goes on to show how the song being sung is grabbing many of the animal’s attention as well. When the low drum comes in and the verse begins, it shows all of the animals making their journey to see their new king.  As it reaches the chorus, all of the animals have arrived and begin to gather around that King’s home. The music softens as it flashes to the new born baby and brings a feeling of innocence around him. As Simba is hoisted up into the air, the music regains power and the feeling of innocence is changed to a feeling of hope and triumph. The song perfectly complements the action on the screen. This is why the introduction to the Lion King is one of the greatest to ever touch the film screen!