Film composition is a huge subject area in it's own right, and there many aspects to consider before attempting it. Here I will run through some terminology to help you understand music's effect in film.
Diegetic music - Where the sound is visible on screen or when the source is implied to be present by the action/story of the film. The most blatant example of this is a concert film of a rock band, where you can clearly see the band playing the music that your hearing.
Non-diegetic music - Where the source of the sound is not visible on screen. Any background music can be classified as this. It can be used to provide mood for the narrative, make reference to geographic location or the period of time of the story.
Leitmotif - Use of a musical phrase to identify with a particular character. The mood or emotion of the score could change dramatically when a character's 'theme' is introduced, such as when a hero comes to save the day. Often on many original soundtrack CDs you will find a track that make's reference to a particular character's theme.
Mickey Mousing - Where the music is synced with the actions onscreen. Can be used to add excitement to high-octane scenes and also to heavily exaggerate character actions.
Underscore - Musical accompaniment to dialogue. It should add to the dialogue of the film but not be intrusive or overbearing, as dialogue is more important in this instance. This could be used effectively in a plot twist, in which a character reveals something terrible to the audience and the music starts to turn darker.
Many of these elements work on a subconscious level, and you don't really start to take into account the music being used until you listen to it closely. There are many ways you can use these elements in film music, so it's a good idea to watch as many films as possible before you try them out yourself.
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