Tornatore’s moving, triumphant tribute to the late, great Morricone does full justice to its subject. Combining choice clips from his movies with archival footage and tributes from directors (Bertolucci, De Palma, Tarantino) and musicians (Bruce Springsteen, Quincy Jones, Pat Metheny), this colorful work traces the awe-inspiring life and career of a seemingly modest, self-effacing man with a rare, uncanny gift that brought him unexpected success — and healing vindication. Best of all, we get to know the man himself via interviews done shortly before the Maestro’s death in 2020. Not all the movies he wrote for were great, but they were always better for his contributions.

Ennio Morricone was a brilliant, prolific film composer, amassing 500+ film credits over half a century, but best known for his work with director (and former classmate) Sergio Leone. A formally trained musician, at first Ennio was looked down on by teachers and peers in Italy for doing film work, which ate at him. Still, the  quality and inventiveness of his output converted his doubters over time, as they witnessed him redefining what music could do for movies.