The thesis explores the function of musical pauses in the context of film music. What is a musical pause? When and why have they been employed in the history of western classical music? Would there be other or additional reasons for utilizing pauses when applied to film music? Through analysis of select movies the thesis unveils to what extent musical pauses are used in each film, and discusses how these pauses impact the audiences understanding of the movies’ narrative. Pauses are an entity of music not often discussed, not even among musicians. While there exists a body of research that states the importance of pauses in western art music, there seems to be little mention of it in literature on film music. Yet, as will be explored in this thesis, musical pauses have the potential of enhancing as well as altering a films narrative in both efficient and musically meaningful ways. However, for musical pauses to be effective in film music, they need not only to be recognized by the composer, but their function must also be brought to the attention of the films director, editor and sound designer.