Episode 117: Christopher McQuarrie & Lorne Balfe On The Music Of Mission Impossible: Fallout (Contains Mild Spoilers)

Soundtracking with Edith Bowman

If you want a masterclass in how to score an action movie, you've come to the right place. Because in this episode, director Christopher McQuarrie and composer Lorne Balfe talk us through their stellar work on the genuinely brilliant Mission Impossible: Fallout.

As you'll hear, Chris and Lorne are, quite simply, tremendous company. We cover a lot of ground too - from the intricacies of scoring a chase sequence to reworking one of the most famous themes ever.

Indeed, one of the obvious challenges faced by Lorne was how to marry Lalo Schifrin's iconic work on the TV series with Christopher's requirements for his very contemporary take on the franchise. Our opening cue Kashmir is an example of how he did it - featuring as it does Lorne's interpretation of Lalo's classic 'Plot' & 'Mission' themes.

There's also plenty more of the score to enjoy and some great anecdotes about cinematic folklore.

Be warned, while there are no major spoilers, Chris and Lorne do go into the narrative in some detail, so you might wish to wait to listen if you prefer to watch films 'blind'.