10 times The Clash appeared in classic movies
Music and film go together like strawberries and cream, bacon and eggs and other notorious food combinations. Over the years, numerous additions have been to the pile of “great soundtrack” films, which invariably feature a music-loving director at the helm. Whether it is Wes Anderson or Quentin Tarantino, with a muso in the director’s chair, there is more than a fair shout that the soundtrack will be brilliant. However, sometimes music can simply punch into a movie, provide a scene with an awe-inspiring moment and then punch out just as quickly. These moments are almost even more special, and when they feature The Clash, they are simply iconic.
The Clash are one of the better-placed bands to feature in classic movies, largely because they have a sound so varied and rich that they can be quietly assigned to almost any genre in the cinematic world and deliver a powerful soundtrack. Below, we’ve picked out ten moments where The Clash provides a stellar score for some of your favourite films.
Often referred to as the thinking man’s punks, The Clash made a name for themselves as the politically minded side of the scene. While the Sex Pistols were all about shock tactics and gobbing in the face of your enemies, Strummer’s Clash were more intent on feeding the minds of the disenfranchised youth they represented. They were desperate to add intellectual pursuit and artistic purity to their sound and sent the group and their fans into a new echelon of punk rock, one undeterred by the labelling of the genre.
From their explosive debut on the self-titled LP to their whimpering end, The Clash kept their integrity at the forefront of everything they did and ensured their names were written into the history books long before they gave up the ghost. It makes them the perfect choice for directors looking to give their movies a kick of adrenaline while remaining artistically astute.
Below we have ten times The Clash appeared in classic movies.
10 times The Clash made movies better:
‘Rock The Casbah’ – The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Eli Cash remains one of Wes Anderson’s greatest creations. The role in The Royal Tenenbaums is one of Owen Wilson’s greatest and made all the better by his quippy one-liners, such as “I’m sorry, don’t listen to me. I’m on mescaline. I’ve been spaced out all day.” During one particular drug binge, Cash puts on the classic Clash song.
If there’s one song to separate the cream of the crop in regards to the band’s fans, then it will probably be ‘Rock the Casbah’. A divisive song; as often a band’s most popular songs are, this number has been oddly shunned by the band’s ultras. Written by Topper Headon, the song is imbued with a canny sense of funk that shouldn’t be overlooked.
‘Police on My Back – Knocked Up (2007)
Judd Apatow is another director who cherishes the value of music, and he clearly loves The Clash, having used the band in 2009’s Funny People. But best use comes in his hilarious 2007 flick Knocked Up, starring Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl as a couple who get pregnant after a one-night stand.
Of course, for those eagle-eyed members out there, we’ll note that this isn’t a Clash original but a cover of a deep cut from The Equals. However, The Clash have a habit of making cover songs their own, so we’ll allow it especially because the song soundtracks one of the better montages of the 21st century.
‘Rudie Can’t Fail’ – Grosse Pointe Blank (1996)
Joe Strummer was always inspired by cinema. The singer wasn’t just a musician but a director too, helming the experimental film W10 and always keeping himself connected to the medium. In 1996, he got another chance to do so when he was offered the chance to score Grosse Pointe Blank.
The film stars John Cusack as Martin Blank, a hitman who is sent on a mission during his 10-year high school reunion. It’s the kind of mishap that only happens in the movies, but if you’re worried about this being a movie for the shelves only, you’d be wrong. There is an irreverent charm to the whole proceeding, and the inclusion of ‘Rudie Can’t Fail’ adds only more warmth to proceedings.
‘(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais’ – T2 Trainspotting (2017)
‘(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais’ is one of The Clash’s very best moments on record. It sees a rock chorus meet a reggae verse head-on, and lyrically it sees Strummer address the state of the nation following a paltry gig at a reggae club in Hammersmith Palais. In the song, he touches on everything from the music industry to racism and the rise of nationalism.
Danny Boyle’s return to Renton and Sick Boy was always likely to be imbued with a perfect soundtrack, and the inclusion of this classic track is the perfect moment to score the group’s reunion in a dodgy pub.
‘London Calling’ – Billy Elliot (2000)
‘London Calling’ is arguably The Clash’s definitive song, it sums up everything that’s great about their ethos wrapped up into three-and-a-half minutes as they stuck two fingers up at the establishment with their noted degree of intelligence. However, thanks to its simplest chorus, the tune has been appropriated by a myriad of film and TV shows who are in need of a song to showcase the allure of the titular town. Within Billy Elliot it works perhaps best of all as Stephen Daldry rejects the easy win.
Rather than using the song as part of a wide draw to the capital, Daldry gives us a music video. Using the song to soundtrack Billy’s exit from ballet practice as his brother is beaten for being a part of a miner’s strike. The song provides a beautiful backdrop.
‘Train in Vain’ – (500) Days of Summer (2009)
One of the ’00s most hilarious rom-coms (500) Days of Summer is a classic of the genre. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom, a greeting card designer who falls in love with Summer (Zooey Deschanel), the movie sees Tom reflect on their relationship and discover just where he went wrong.
In one of the movie’s pivotal scenes, Summer, alongside more than a few drinks, encourages tom to get up a sing karaoke. The designer opts for ‘Here Comes your Man’ by the Pixies and delivers a stellar rendition. However, later in the film, as he dates other girls and tries to rekindle his libido, Tom finds himself in another karaoke bar, this time much sadder and much drunker. At this point, he belts out the classic Clash number ‘Train In Vain’, notably enunciating “you can’t understand” with a potency that tells you everything you need to know.
‘Know Your Rights’ – American Splendour (2003)
A biopic about a little-known comedian Harvey Pekar is usually the kind of film that gathers up awards, and American Splendour was no different. The film picked up multiple accolades amid the festival circuit but never transferred the hype into warranted cult status.
However, as well as one of Paul Giamatti’s better showings, the film also boasts a moment where music and film connect. As a political comedian, Joyce Brabner appears, ‘Know Your rights’ plays in the background as a nod to his leanings.
‘Bank Robber’ – RocknRolla (2008)
OK, so Guy Ritchie’s attempt to cash in on the British indie explosion of the ’00s may well be one of his most ill-advised films, but RocknRolla does a few bright moments. Gerard Butler and Mark Strong are those two bright sparks within the cinematic tale of the movie, but elsewhere, the soundtrack is bristling with rock classics, including The Beat, The Hives, Lou Reed and this moody reggae number from The Clash.
In the scene, Johnny Quid (Tom Wilkinson), our archetypal rocker, remembers a moment from his childhood when he is slapped across the mouth by his stepfather, who is, as you may have guessed, a bank robber of sorts. He goes on to explain that he’s “a reject, a wrong’un” and that “I never did like ya and nor did ya real dad.” It’s a seismic moment in the film made all the better by including Joe Strummer and co.
‘Stay Free’ – School of Rock (2003)
One of the most underrated family films of the century, Jack Black’s School of Rock will go down in history as one of the best music films of all time. It sees Dewey find a new band within the confines of a school and his supply-teacher role. However, The Clash appears when Dewey is kicked out of his band.
“How can you kick me out, of what is mine?” may be the first song you’re thinking of here, but the punk’s ‘Stay Free’ works as perfect ballast as Dewey tries to sell his guitar and pretends to be Ned to get himself a role at the school.
‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’ – Iron Man 2 (2010)
There isn’t just one moment of The Clash inspiring Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark in Iron Man 2, but two. When Stark begins to box with his assistant Happy (Jon Favreau), the brilliant ‘Magnificent Seven’ plays out before Natalie steps in. But the finest moment comes when Stark first steps into his laboratory in the 2010 movie.
The song’s opening bars are as iconic as The Clash have at their disposal, and they work as the perfect opening concerto for when Stark returns to his high-tech laboratory to start kicking the movie into action.
