Rachel Portman: "Less is more" in film music

Rachel Portman, soundtrack composer of 'Chocolat' and 'Emma', talks to Charlotte Green about her new film, 'Belle' and the power in taking the music away.

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On this edition of Culture Club, Charlotte Green talked with the film composer, Rachel Portman. She was the first female composer to win an Academy Award in the category of Best Musical or Comedy Score, for Emma in 1996. Portman was also nominated for Academy Awards for her scores for The Cider House Rules in 1999 and Chocolat in 2000.

She talks to Charlotte about her music for the new British drama film Belle as well as writing music for film in general.

Rachel Portman: Outlook 'great' for female film composers >

"I'm a big advocate for less is more and unfortunately there is a tendency more and more to rely on the music," she says of the current approach to film scoring. "I'm often trying to persuade a director of the power of taking a piece of music away...We don't need to be told what to think." 

Charlotte Green's Culture Club with Rachel Portman