Music music every where , but not a song to pick

For me a soundtrack to a film can make that much better. The soundtrack of a film doesn't usually get the recognition it deserves. When making my film I am making sure that it plays a vital role in creating an exciting piece. Going back to when films were black and white and the people who created them knew nothing of sound or dialogue , the soundtrack was what made the films exciting. For obvious reasons no dialogue was used in these films and so what would happen was a piano would play during the showing. As years have past technology has grown and film makers now have the luxury to use sound in there films. Our brief is to make a silent movie so we will NOT have that luxury. So I want to look back at when the soundtrack was the main piece in the puzzle and how I am going to use it efficiently in my film. I want my soundtrack to be powerful and hard hitting, although I don't want it to overshadow the film. I am caught between an orchestra or a non-licensed song. Looking at films such as Barraka and the old Charlie Chaplin movies were an orchestra has been used it sways me into using that type of soundtrack. The instruments being used are powerful and create a feeling which the audience can react to. This especially the case with Barraka , the music complements the images you are seeing. Although analysing the films of today and seeing how a song is used in a film it makes me feel that maybe that is a better option. A song which is load or even popular can make an audience heart rate increase, encouraging adrenaline and excitement. The negative with this is that to use songs in your film you need to have the license for it , and that costs money. So looking at my options I think getting an orchestra playing on a non-licensed music library will be my best option.