FILM SCORE
The film score in LOTR is excellent because it adds to the tone of the scene by enhancing the feeling of what the characters experience, while also providing a transition between scene changes. When Arwen and Frodo are being chased by the Nazguls, they play dramatic quick-paced music, which helps build suspense. And then the music completely stops once Arwen and Frodo cross the river, indicating to the audience that they are safe from the Black Knights.
In another instance, when Gandalf fights Balrog, LOTR plays intense music to build tension. But right when Gandalf falls off the bridge, the music cuts out, leading to a period of sadness. The change to sad mellow music after Gandalf dies not only allows the audience to "feel" Frodo's and the rest of the group's pain, but also serves as a transition from the battle scene to a scene of realization that Gandalf will no longer be with them.