Over a 50-year career, Elmer Bernstein demonstrated a remarkable ability to convey not just the tenor of a scene but the spirit of an epoch with his indelible film scores. His delicate woodwind compositions for Todd Haynes' colourful drama Far from Heaven perfectly capture the subtle uneasiness beneath the innocent facade of the ‘50s, while the open intervals and unmistakably American melodies of The Magnificent Seven instantly conjure dusty saloons and high-noon gunfights. To journey through this playlist is to encounter some of the most memorable moments in cinematic history.