Music! A film takes upwards of several hours to say what a talented lyricist/singer can put across in one verse (or one line). Plus, there's the old argument that you can (indeed, sometimes have to) listen to a song hundreds or thousands of times; one or two viewings is sufficient for all but the best films.
But here's the best argument I have for music; whenever I'm feeling down for whatever reason, I don't think, "Gee, I'd like to see so-and-so movie." I play Astral Weeks or White Light/White Heat or Blood On The Tracks or Spiral Scratch (if I need a pick-me-up) and that's all it takes. There's no movie that can do that for me.
That said, I'm convinced that if the original version of The Magnificent Ambersons was ever found, it would trump every single one of my favorite albums. Even in its butchered version, it's amazing. Still, no other movie I've seen even comes close to it.
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