Once Upon A Time In America

Film Facts

“Noodles.. I slipped” (Dominic, Once Upon A Time In America, 1984)

Sergio Leone’s final film and a love letter to America, ‘Once Upon A Time In America’ was released in 1984, an emotional and long-spanning story about Noodles (Robert De Niro) and his life in crime. Once Upon A Time In America is the THIRD film in what has come to be known as the ‘Once Upon A Time’ trilogy, consisting of ‘Once Upon A Time In The West’, ‘Once Upon A Time In The Revolution’ and Leone’s finally film ‘Once Upon A Time In America’. The original cut Leone had shot was 269 minutes, however, the distributors worked with Leone to cut it down to 229 minutes (The European Cut). Tragically, The Ladd Company (distributing his film to American cinema cut the film down to 139 minutes, and rearranged the film chronologically without Leone’s knowledge, which was received poorly by audiences. Since this time the European Cut is considered to be the theatrical version of the film and is critically acclaimed by audiences, but sadly Leone passed away before this occurred, thinking his final film was not understood or loved by the audiences. Leone assembled a strong cast here in Robert De Niro (Noodles), James Woods (Max), Elizabeth McGovern (Deborah), Jennifer Connelly (Young Deborah), and Joe Pesci (Franki Monaldi). The supporting cast; James Jayden (Patsy), William Forsythe (Cockeye), Larry Rap (Fat Moe). The film moves between an older Noodles and a younger Noodles as Leone takes us through a well-told story in New York City, spanning over the lifetime of the protagonist. 

Sergio Leone, the Father of spaghetti westerns and Ennio Morricone, the Father of Western film scores, partner up for the final time to design an absolute masterpiece. The plot follows the protagonist Noodle, a young boy in 1918 and his gangs of misfits Max, Patsy, Cockeye and Dominic, who survive on scraps and robberies. The group rises through the ranks and collides with existing gangs of New York, tragically losing young Dominic to Bugsy (their fierce rival). Noodles seeks revenge on Bugsy and are ultimately put in prison for murdering him, before rejoining the group in 1930. Straight out of prison into a life of crime, Noodles rejoins his group and becomes heavily involved in their operations again, and the stakes are much higher. The criminal syndicate they are involved with becomes complex and Max is certain that they need to find a way out, which Noodles rejects. The next job they pull Max is dead along with the other gang members, leaving Noodles with nothing, no money, no job, no connections, forcing him to buy a ticket on the next train out of New York. 

Noodles returns in 1933, avoiding capture and investigating the history of Max’s death which results in their eventual reunion while exploring the mystery behind his death.

Italian composer Ennio Morricone, Leone’s partner in crime, was the only choice for this film, and he produced an excellent soundtrack. Morricone always manages to pull the heartstrings in each of his films, and ‘OUATIA’ is no exception. Morricone composed the score for ALL of Leone’s films, along with a number of other films as well, designing some of the most recognisable music in film. His career spanned over fifty years and he finally received an Oscar award in 2015, before he passed away in 2020 at age 91. 

Track Facts

Composer 

  • Ennio Morricone

Label

  • Mercury Records

Award Nominations 

  • BAFTA Film Awards – Best Score – Won
  • 1985 Golden Globes – Best Original Score – Nominee
  • Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists – Nominee
  • Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards – Best 

Release 

  • 1984

The Jam 

Many of us know that Morricone is one of the giants in film music, and for those who don’t know him, he was regarded as the ‘Father Of Western Film Scores’ while also becoming Sergio Leone’s right-hand man as they both paved the way for the ‘Spaghetti Western’ genre of film. Morricone made a name for himself by scoring Leone’s ‘Dollars Trilogy’, highlighted by his world-renowned ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Theme’, however in Once Upon A Time In America, we see Morricone take a totally different approach in his instrumentation and aesthetic. Before the filming even took place, Morricone reflects on the lead-up: ‘Leone and I had been discussing the theme and the music we wanted to use for the seven years before filming actually started, and we had recorded some of them.. The historical period was not a problem, simply because it is not something I have to invent. (An Interview With Ennio Morricone by Marco Weba, CinemaScore #13/14, 1985)

The ‘Once Upon A Time In America’ theme offers an emotional journey of sorrow, joy and resilience, which acts as a reflection of the characters in the film. The woodwinds bring us in slowly with the thematic hook which remains central to the score, while the strings sit right underneath this and support it harmonically, maintaining his soft touch, while building the theme. The melody moves through an ostinato which offers so much emotion, before shifting to a higher register where Morricone offers a lighter mood, something to celebrate and find joy in. The theme of the film is tender and fragile, just keeping its balance on the tightrope between darkness and light, something I feel reflects the movie quite well. It’s in Morricone’s careful selection of instrumentation and voicing that designs such an emotive score, encompassing the emotion the audience goes through while viewing the film.

‘Poverty’ begins with a darker approach, keeping a deep drone on the strings as the piano plays a softly layered melody on top while the piece develops and designs such a sombre emotional theme. The strings move into a higher register, harmonizing with the pianist as the melody moves into higher registers, which for me, acts as Morricone raising the stakes, pushing the emotion as far as he can. The piece takes an unexpected change of pace into the interlude performed by the flute, which is again, developed and harmonized by the string family, before returning to the ‘poverty’ theme again. In a similar approach, ‘Deborah’s Theme’ begins with a similar drone on the lower string instruments, which sets the piece up for another emotive and sombre experience, as Morricone chooses to do with many tracks in this soundtrack. This time though, the melody features elements of the main theme, as Morricone moves in and out of this, while also developing what feels like a soft and sad musical idea, which I feel aligns with Deborah perfectly. Morricone brings in a choir of soprano and alto voices, which sits right on top of the theme, nice and steady, and only carefully used where necessary. At the end of this track, Morricone chooses to stick with the strings, which pours the emotion onto the screen, so much emotion it’s even hard to handle while listening to this track without the film. Morricone comments on Deborah’s Theme ‘It’s a deep story, and the dialogue often has the many pauses and slow rhythms that Leone loves to use. This time I wanted to work with that silence, to make it a musical rest, making the meaning of the music stronger. (An Interview With Ennio Morricone by Marco Weba, CinemaScore #13/14, 1985)

There are a number of various pieces throughout the soundtrack (Prohibition Dirge, Photographic Memories, Speakeasy) which feature periodic music, often acting as background jazz music which fit right into Morricone’s repertoire, and occasionally he will come back to the central theme, while we follow the story on screen. Morricone offers a real consistency in his approach in this film, staying true to his belief in the main theme. Researching further into the music of the film and the work behind the film, Leone had this to say ‘The work is done originally for me. I discuss it with Morricone months ahead of time, and the music guides me through the film in terms of certain sentiment or emotions. I have him create ten of fifteen or twenty themes before choosing one. (How ‘Once Upon A Time In America’ Became Sergio Leone’s Butchered Swan Song, Koraljka Suton)

TFMJ Pick

Cockeye’s Theme is the standout piece in this soundtrack, for many reasons.  The pan flute features here as the lead instrument, bringing in what feels to me like a western-style melodic idea, and is used carefully throughout the film. It would be remiss of me if I didn’t mention that ‘Cockeye’s Theme’ was used in what I believe to be one of the film’s most important and memorable scenes when Dominic runs into Bugsy under the Manhattan Bridge, it’s something I’ll always remember, watching that scene for the first time. The pan flute is supported by the orchestra, particularly the strings as the melody moves into the main theme. Morricone is a master at writing music for western films, for dramatic moments, for atmosphere.. There are few tracks in a filmography that rival this particular scene, Morricone and Leone are completely in sync here, all cylinder firing, absolutely stunning, unforgettable. The set-up of the orchestra builds loneliness, tension, and uneasiness with plenty of dissonance and space before the pan flute takes the lead and sets the scene. There is plenty of space in this piece, and plenty of dissonances as the piece continues to build the atmosphere. In an interview many years later, Morricone had this to say about the pan flute: ‘The choice of the pan flute wasn’t mine. The script writer wanted to have someone playing that instrument. This way, or course, it is a theme that comes out of reality (as in Once Upon A Time In The West, where a character plays the harmonica). I called Gheorghe Zamfir because he is a good performer on the instrument’ (An Interview With Ennio Morricone by Marco Weba, CinemaScore #13/14, 1985). Another theme that’s used right next to this theme is the ‘Friends Theme’ which makes many appearances throughout the film and the soundtrack, a playful track that brings in a select number of instruments to create a joyful and playful theme, while the gang of kids roam the streets of early 20th century New York City.

Soundtrack Send-Off & Rating

‘Once Upon A Time In America’ is one of Morricone’s greatest scores, it generates such emotive qualities, whilst also possessing haunting melodic themes and precise harmonic development. Morricone always has the power to bring the screen to life in his music, and this final film in what has become known as the ‘Once Upon A Time Trilogy’ is his most diverse, most focussed score, spanning over a film that lasts 4 hours, which in itself is not an easy task. Morricone is consistent in his approach and the main theme remains at the centre of the story and its characters, as he often brings the theme into and out of surrounding musical ideas. It’s a shame that Leone’s film was chopped up and butchered so badly upon its original release and that Morricone wasn’t listed in the film’s opening credits, but viewing the film now, it is a timeless masterpiece, in itself, a work of art. To finish I’ll refer to a quote written by Jesse Pasternack, ‘Its intensity, versatility, and grand beauty make it one that I cannot help returning to again and again. It is a score that I have always adored, and treasure even more now that Morricone is gone. (A Different Listen Every Time: Morricone’s Mournful Music For Once Upon A Time In America, Jesse Pasternack, 2020)

References

Ennio Morricone On Once Upon A Time In America – https://cnmsarchive.wordpress.com/2015/04/08/ennio-morricone-on-once-upon-a-time-in-america/

How ‘Once Upon a Time in America’ Became Sergio Leone’s butchered Swan Song – 

How ‘Once Upon a Time in America’ Became Sergio Leone’s Butchered Swan Song

A Different Listen Every Time: Morricone’s Mournful Music for Once Upon A Time In America – https://blogs.iu.edu/aplaceforfilm/2020/08/10/a-different-listen-every-time-morricones-mournful-music-for-once-upon-a-time-in-america/

Lawrence Of Arabia

Film Facts

“I can’t make out whether you’re bloody bad-mannered or just half-witted” (General Murray). “I have the same problem sir (T.E Lawrence, Lawrence Of Arabia, 1963)

Lawrence Of Arabia is an Old Hollywood spectacular, a journey across the desert of Arabia as we follow Thomas Edward Lawrence, who fought alongside the Arab guerrilla forces, in his conquest to unite the Arabic kingdoms and empower the Arabic people during the destruction of World War I. T.E Lawrence is portrayed by Peter O’Toole, who turns out a strong performance in his interpretation of T.E Lawrence and his quirkiness and outrageous initiative and boldness. The film spans from the beginning of WWI, until his death in 1935, while interacting with a number of key characters such as Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness), Auda abu Tayi (Anthony Quinn, General Allenby (Jack Hawkins) and Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish (Omar Sharif). The supporting cast was all well recognised in their own right, combining to produce the legendary film that it is known to be. 

The film follows the misfit T.E Lawrence as he is dispatched to assist Colonel Brighton in discussion with Prince Faisal on how to proceed in their fight against the Turks, and from here the sheer charisma of T.E Lawrence takes the spotlight, as he embarks on the journey to take Aqaba on a surprise attack, and everything to follow. ‘Lawrence Of Arabia’ is directed by the legendary David Lean, and the screenplay was written by both Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film was based on the autobiography ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ written by T.E Lawrence. The score was written by French composer Maurice Jarre, who teamed up with Lean for films to follow in ‘Doctor Zhivago’ and ‘A Passage To India’. The score is a resounding, traditional score that centres its focus on traditional instrumentation while exploring the various harmonic minor modality, providing an Arabic sounding score in its ‘Main Title’. 

Track Facts

Composer 

  • Maurice Jarre

Label

  • Colpix Records

Award Nominations 

  • Academy Awards – Best Music, Score – Substantially Original (Won)
  • Golden Globes – Best Original Score (Nominated)
  • Grammy Awards – Best Original Score from a Motion Picture or Television Show (Nominee)
  • IFMCA – Best Archival Release of an Existing Score (Nominee)
  • Laurel Awards – Top Song (Nominee)

Release 

  • 1962

The Jam

**This discussion is based on the basic soundtrack release on Spotify, not the extended edition nor any original soundtrack releases prior**

Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom! The timpani thrusts us into the world of T.E Lawrence and his spectacularly unique story in the deserts of what was then known as Arabia. Unique to films in Old Hollywood an Overture is played to a completely blank screen, as we sit, and listen to the famous hook from this film written in the Melodic Minor mode, an Arabic tone cemented into the score right from the beginning. Jarre moves the score along with the Timpani before introducing us to the core theme for this film, before then moving back to a number of percussive instruments and the number of various themes Jarre wrote for the film, acting as any overture would. What a thrill it is to sit and listen to the musical adventure written for the David Lean film, parallel to the adventure of T.E Lawrence, what a great way to build anticipation! The ‘Overture’ cements Jarre’s name in film music history as being only one of his significant achievements, and most importantly one of his very first. 

Leading up to the film Jarre was ONE of THREE composers originally poised to score the film in a collaborative project, which included Russian composer Aram Khachaturian to compos the ‘Arabic styled’ theme music, and Benjamin Britten was asked to compose the ‘British style’ music, while Jarre was asked to compose the ‘Dramatic style’ music. Due to circumstances Britten and Khachaturian were unable to remain on the film, and after negotiations, editing and drafts, Lean was set on Jarre after hearing the various themes he had composed while in early pre-production. 

For those who don’t have the ‘Director’s Cut’ or the ‘Special Edition,’ you would have missed the Overture above, and begun at the Main Theme, which essentially introduces the T.E Lawrence theme while the introductory credits roll. All the while an older T.E Lawrence takes off in his motorcycle as David Lean opts for the book-end opening scene, where we start at the end of Lawrence’s life, rather than the beginning. ‘Miracles’ is when the story begins to take place, as Lawrence makes his way across the desert with his companion. The eerie sounds of the strings, the deep percussion and the bassoon provide an appropriate backdrop to the desolate landscape. ‘Miracle’ builds atmosphere and sets a great backdrop for a montage, reacting to what’s occurring on-screen and Jarre executes these cues with tactfulness. The ‘Nefud Mirage’ works in a similar way, providing dizziness, and eeriness for Lawrence and Ali’s men as they make their way over the Nefud desert, one of the largest deserts in the area. The treatment of this sequence begins with a careful introduction with the strings, before setting a simple ostinato while they travel across the desert, embellishing instruments and notation when cue calls for it, relying heavily on the string family, specifically the harp as the track closes. 

The ‘Rescue Of Gasim/Bringing Gasim Into Camp’ introduces a descending whole-tone scale and once again provides a certain eeriness and atmospheric quality, and Lawrence decides on going back for Gasim who had fallen off his horse from pure exhaustion and is now stranded in the Nefud. Once again we hear the Lawrence theme, always keeping us in the sweeping deserts of Arabia, and Jarre lifts the emotion in his brassy hits as Lawrence returns with Gasim against the odds, before finishing the track with the ‘Arabic Theme’ again, keep this melodic theme central to the score for the film. Following this is ‘Arrival At Auda’s Camp’ which again centralises around the T.E Lawrence theme while including a number of embellishments to support the visual stimulus. 

Jarre brings a classic military feel to ‘The Voice Of The Guns’ beginning with a marching snare while introducing the brass instruments to provide melodic support and cymbals to accentuate the accented beats; The ‘British Military Theme’. The theme plays out at the British officers assemble for a meeting while inside the consulate, a fitting theme for the British Military. In ‘Continuation Of The Miracle’ Jarre designs a sparse harmonic range while Lawrence journeys across the desert, reusing similar elements from previous tracks in this soundtrack. Jarre keeps this track simple, slow and consistent, confident in his emotive energy without feeling the need to do too much. 

‘Sun’s Anvil’ opens with dissonant harmonies and chordal tones, with a strong arpeggiated brass ostinato, driving the piece forward while providing tension for what is to come. Jarre provides a constant dissonance in this track which comes together at times with the ‘Arabic Theme’ before moving onward with the story. ‘Lawrence And The BodyGuard’ is what was first played in the Overture,  featuring the percussive hits and harmonic minor scale work from the woodwind instruments, however, the track itself offers little development, moving through this ostinato a number of times while moving in and out of dynamic ranges, accompanying the performances on screen. Jarre begins ‘That Is The Desert’ similar to the way he began a number of tracks within this score in designing a sparse and atmospheric quality, allowing the various instruments of the orchestra to move in and out of this space. Jarre builds a great amount of tension, calling upon the entire orchestra to build the music up to meet the performances of the actors on screen. The ‘End Title’ begins the ‘Arabic Theme’ on what sounds like a harpsichord, before moving through various themes such as the ‘British Military’ theme and back to the ‘Arabic Theme’ before abruptly ending with a crescendo on the horns. 

TFMJ’s pick from this score is the ‘Main Title’, beginning with steady string clusters, the percussion thunders in to drive the piece forward before moving through the various themes Jarre utilises throughout the film including the ‘Arabic Theme’, the ‘British Military’ theme while pulling certain dramatic elements from the score to link these core themes. It’s every bit epic and colossal as the film itself, demanding attention and stirring energy from the very start. This score sets the tone for this film and supports both the story and the setting, introducing us to the world of T.E Lawrence and the adventure to come. 

Soundtrack Send-Off & Rating

‘Lawrence Of Arabia’ is an ‘Old Hollywood’ epic that reaches some of the highest heights in Hollywood accompanied by an equally prolific score. Jarre designs an aesthetic that is believable, emotional and adventurous while keeping the film consistent in its breakup between ‘British Military’, ‘Arabic Theme’ and ‘Dramatic Sequences’. Jarre designs a score that sweeps you off your feet as soon as the ‘Overture’ begins, and matches Lean’s vision in his characters and his setting. Jarre’s score is a reminder of his diversification and talent, and to this day remains one of the most celebrated scores, leading Jarre into one of the most prolific careers in film music and a strong partnership with David Lean. 

To finish, I have included some words Jarre shared while reflecting on the process that Jarre went through in writing this score, “When you write the music for a film, do you know whether the film will be a great success? I tell them no, I was mainly concerned about finishing the music in time.. And that’s why the work was a little like Sam Spiegel said, ‘You have a job like Superman!’.. But at that point, I had no idea that I was working on probably one of the best films in the history of cinema” (Maurice Jarre, Interview with Alexandre Desplat, CNN, 2008/09)

References

Cry Of The Forests

Jarrah is a type of hardwood that is unique only to a forest located in the southwestern corner of Western Australia. Home to a variety of native plant and animal species, the Jarrah Forest is an integral part of the Australian ecosystem and is on the verge of extinction due to the deforestation practices still going on, despite the continuous protests from local communities. Directed by Jane Hammond, ‘Cry of the Forest’ takes us to the forefront of this ongoing injustice, revealing the damage it is causing to the environment.

‘It’s very hard to see any case for continued native forest logging’.
– Dr. Bill Hare

Hammond consistently focuses on imagery/stills of the forest either cut down and dismantled, always reminding the audience of the damage being caused. The hum of the soundtrack casts a dark shadow over the film that we can’t shake, a purposeful emotive quality that comes with the film and makes for a powerful experience.

Piecing together interviews from volunteers, protesters and locals in the community with landscape shots of the areas affected and footage taken on smartphones (following the tree excavators deep into the forest), the film is organically dramatised and provocative in its presentation and message. There is an interconnectedness that Hammond draws between the forest and the human race, something that is deep and profound. ‘Cry of the Forest’ speaks volumes for a forest that gives so much and asks very little in return.

Finding Creativity

Creativity is a universal language, expressed in a multitude of ways through anyone who is willing to open themselves up to it. But creativity isn’t without its struggles and hardships as we use it to seek growth, knowledge and expression within our own lives. Directed by Roger Ungers, ‘Finding Creativity’ turns to local artists as they discuss their own experiences with their creative journeys. 

We’re introduced to Dr. Tim Patston, a Coordinator of Creativity and Innovation, who provides an objective and informative analysis on the creative process which acts as the backdrop for the experiences of current artists working within their medium, making for a compelling and analytical documentary. Along with Holly Grace (Glass Artist), Coskun Uysal, (Chef/Restaurant Owner), Henry Brett (Singer/Songwriter) and Jan Own (Social Entrepreneur), we learn to look at creativity through their eyes and their works as they explain their accomplishments, fulfilment and struggles during their creative process.

‘I think a lot of people think that creativity belongs in the arts because that’s where it’s very visual. But in all fields, there is no doubt that creativity is core’.  

  • Jan Own

While being surrounded by a world of business, capitalism and wealth, it’s refreshing to hear the stories of local artists and their passion for living a creative life. Ungers give us a breath of fresh air in this film.

Black Summer

Australia’s history has had its share of natural disasters, the most recent and perhaps one of the most frightening was the bushfires that turned our skies red and filled the air with ash during the summer of 2019/2020. Yet the communities most terribly affected by this catastrophic event have been somewhat forgotten in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Black Summer’ gives a voice to a handful of those who fought and survived the blaze that threatened to take everything from them, as well as the volunteers from FIREAID who helped them rebuild. 

Directed by Hagyung Koo, ‘Black Summer’ invites the audience to listen to the stories of regular people who lived through an extraordinary event, witnessing first-hand footage of the fires raging on the borders of their property as the residents fight to keep their homes safe. We watch as the flames engulf the bush while the native animals flee for safety. The devastating reality made it seem as if Hell itself had erupted to the surface.

Each perspective shares a common message; Climate change is a real phenomenon that is impacting the earth every day and human intervention has only managed to speed up the process. If we don’t fight for the earth, the earth can no longer defend us from the elements.
“We need radical changes, not changes that bring about bloodshed or revolution, just subtle changes in our lives.”
– Jarrod Ruch, Goongerah (VIC)

Spiderman (2002) 

Film Facts

‘With great power, comes great responsibility (Uncle Ben, Spider-Man, 2002)

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002) was a breakout comic book film, and one of the first films released by Marvel in conjunction with Blade and X-Men before Marvel built the MCU into what it is today. This was the first Spider-Man film that told the story of the young Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and his journey from a modest nerd to the web-slinging hero of New York City. 

Parker, a mild-mannered high achiever, lives with his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) next door to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), the love of his life. A high school field trip has Parker going through an unexpected change as the result of a bug bite from a genetically enhanced spider, resulting in acquiring super strength, sharp reflexes, an ability to climb walls and a web that shoots from his wrist. 

“With great power, comes great responsibility.”

With these famous last words spoken to Parker before the tragic death of his Uncle Ben, Parker decides to use his newfound abilities to become the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man we’ve all come to know and love. He even acquires a nemesis in the form of the Green Goblin, an evil alter-ego of Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe), father of Parker’s best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco). The cast assembled were well chosen, with strong performances as each of the classic comic book characters. Tobey Maguire leads as Spider-Man, supported by Willem Defoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris. 

Spider-Man (2002) was directed by Sam Raimi, based on the screenplay written by David Koepp which was adapted from the original source material given to us by the legendary Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Raimi manages to tie in a well-known story with an action-packed pace and some darker elements to give balance to an evolving hero’s story. 


The soundtrack was written by Danny Elfman in partnership with Pete Anthony. Elfman is a prolific composer in his own right, whose work on Burton’s first two Batman films was recognised as some of the most profound music written for a comic superhero movie in recent memory. Anthony is known for his work as a conductor/orchestrator in many film scores and is in high demand across the film industry to this day. Elfman brings his quirky and energetic style to this film, with a strong theme for Spider-Man, which in my opinion remains the strongest theme to date. Elfman brings the entire orchestra to life in this film with the addition of a choir ensemble, providing a strong foundation for the soundtrack and the character of Spider-Man.  Raimi and Elfman have teamed up again with Marvel Studios for Doctor Strange PII

Track Facts

Composer 

  • Danny Elfman

Label

  • Columbia

Award Nominations 

  • Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA – Saturn Award, Best Music (Won)
  • BMI Film Music Award (Won)
  • Grammy Awards – Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (Nominee)
  • SFX Awards – Best SF of Fantasy Film Music (Nominee)
  • World Soundtrack Awards – Best Original Soundtrack Of The Year (Nominee)

Release 

  • 2002

The Jam

Softly, patiently.. The first lingering note of the violin is played to begin the ‘Main Title’, and we slowly take our first step into the world of Peter Parker as Danny Elfman cuts right to the core of Maguire’s character in offering mystery, darkness, determination and inspiration. Elfman will always inspire me with his focus on rhythm and harmony, and his own individual quirkiness and style. The ‘Spider-Man’ score is one of the best examples we might find in Elfman’s extensive soundtrack portfolio. ‘Main Title’ acts as a blueprint for the remainder of the score, as many elements from this introductory piece are used and recycled throughout the soundtrack. “The core of the orchestra might be the same on almost every film score that I do.. Certain groups of string, brass and woodwind players, and then I’ll make adjustments depending on the film, and in Spider-Man I definitely loaded more towards the Brass. I knew it was going to be very percussive, brassy score.. Most of the percussion is coming from my own, everything from trash cans to pots and pans to Northern Indian drums and African Drums and everything in between going. The orchestra itself will be relatively traditional” (Danny Elfman in Behind The Scenes: Spider-Man – Composer Profile: Danny Elfman, Columbia Pictures, 2002)

I believe Elfman’s strength as a composer is to combine his skill in contemporary music, with the demands of music for film and media. ‘Costume Montage’ combines the instruments of the orchestra along with everyday instruments, found in contemporary music. The score here lightens the mood and focuses our attention on what Peter perceives to be cool or necessary to attract MJ’s attention as the ad’s of cars and prize money move by the montage, bringing forth a great vibe. ‘Revenge’ offers more breadth and room, allowing for harmonic development for the emotive journey Peter undertakes in this particular sequence. The score begins with slow percussive elements, and a number of supporting instruments, mostly atmospheric, leading up to the death of Uncle Ben, leaving Peter to decide whether to stay with his Uncle or chase down his killers. As Peter turns around to chase the criminals down, Elfman turns on the heat quickly, using the horns to push the energy up. Elfman incorporates a number of synthetic sounds into the segment of the track as well, as the layers build and work with each other. 

‘City Montage’ fades in with soft strings into the ‘Power and Responsibility’ theme, something that Elfman designed as a split theme for the character of Spider-Man: “Peter Parker and Spider-Man had two different themes I used.. I used one for Peter Parker and one for Spider-Man. That was a little bit of a process I went through with Sam” (Danny Elfman in Behind The Scenes: Spider-Man – Composer Profile: Danny Elfman, Columbia Pictures, 2002). City Montage develops from this initial theme into a highly melodic score which keeps the feeling of the Spider-Man score central, however, it rises and falls as the camera moves from scene to scene, as Spider-Man swings around NYC, saving citizens and stopping criminals like a seasoned pro. ‘Alone’ is a reflective track where Elfman lays off the percussion instruments and allows for a sparse and harmonic conversation between the soft timbre instruments of the orchestra.

‘Specter Of The Goblin’ is unique in many ways, as Elfman is selective in his choice of instrumentation with a focus on percussion while bringing in small dissonant cluster tones with the strings. The piece is manic, it’s fast-paced and energetic, evoking the craziness that Norman Osborn is undergoing since his experiment at the laboratory. Elfman’s understanding and willingness to explore a range of percussive instruments give the soundtrack variety and emotional variance. This track does end with a strong showing from the brass instruments before ending on a heroic note at the transition of the scene. ‘Parade Attack’ is one of the standout tracks, moving through what was a well-executed scene, including pinpoint cues from Elfman, managing to evoke a number of emotions. The ostinato on the strings give us the impression right away that something is about to go down, and as the percussion and brass join the march of the riff, the Goblin begins the wreck havoc, at which point Peter pulls back the buttons on his shirt to reveal the Spider-Man costume, again, very well executed aurally and visually. The score remains consistent, moving the energy levels in parallel with the action on screen, however, the ending of this particular track is wonderful. Elfman brings in a vocal choir for this ending segment as Spider-Man saves MJ at the last moment, swinging her around NYC to a safe point. The way in which Elfman seamlessly but meaningfully switches the emotive energy is world-class. 

‘Getting Through’ is the ‘love’ theme, albeit quite melancholy, as is the relationship of MJ and Peter Parker. It works hand in hand with the theme while treating the complexity of their relationships appropriately. The rubato at the end of phrases, and the lead of the woodwind and string instruments soften the dynamic between the two characters on screen while offering mystery; we are left wondering if their love for each other will work or not. The following track ‘Final Confrontation’ is of course the showdown which has been building since the second act of the film, between Spider-Man and Green Goblin. Elfman is consistent here, using the small string motifs in support of Spider-Man; the sound of slinging webs. Opposite to this is the established Green Goblin theme, heavily centred on brass and percussion in a great show of strength. Elfman pulls back on the dynamics and then pushes them sky-high as both Peter and Norman go blow to blow, eventually rounding this confrontation off with Elfman’s ‘Power and Responsibility’ theme, a truly appropriate and perfect way to end this track. 

TFMJ Pick

The Film Music Jam’s pick for this soundtrack is ‘Farewell’. This particular track encompasses the many themes Eflman has designed which occur at various points of the film, creating a reflective and deep score. Elfman begins the track the same way he begun the ‘Main Title’, with a simple drawn-out note played on the strings allowing the additional instruments to creep in slowly, however, instead of focussing on rhythm and energy as he did in the ‘Main Title’, the harmony opens up into the ‘Power and Responsibility’ theme. This is ONE half of Peter, the confused teenager, who is still grappling with the responsibilities which have been thrust upon him. The track centre’s on the string family as the love theme becomes the focus, emphasising the complicated lives of Peter and MJ, and their evermore complex love for each other. The ‘Love Theme’ rises and falls with a lovely harmonic progression as Elfman backs off on the dynamic level, before powering into Peter’s second theme, which brings us right into the ‘Main Title’. Here, he has chosen and accepted his life, he is.. Spider-Man. During this final scene, we see Peter accept his responsibility as Raimi reflects “When Peter Parker finally becomes Spider-Man by the end of the picture and accepts his responsibilities.. Responsibilities that come with great power.. I hear the music finally soar, in a complete theme. When the chorus kicks in, it’s just very moving to me, and I feel that he has fulfilled his destiny. (Sam Raimi in Behind The Scenes: Spider-Man – Composer Profile: Danny Elfman, Columbia Pictures, 2002). The way in which Elfman builds this score up from a small string harmonic pattern, slowly releasing this into a wide rhythmic and harmonic space and then moves the score into the Spider-Man theme is meticulous. This track summarises the superb, complete score Elfman has designed.  

Soundtrack Send-Off & Rating

The Spider-Man (2002) OST fit’s Raimi’s aesthetic and Maguire’s portrayal of Spider-Man to perfection. Elfman designed a number of central themes and used this as a foundation for the remainder of the score, offering a consistency rarely found in superhero films. Elfman’s quirky tendencies are prominent at the start, as the ‘Main Title’ brings forth many intricate rhythmic patterns. Elfman separated Peter Parker and Spider-Man, moving between the two themes at different times during the plot, eventually bringing them together. As soon as we hear the ‘Main Title’ we already gain insight into who Spider-Man is, as we can imagine the web-slinger moving from building to building without even seeing it yet. 

References

Behind The Scenes: Spider-Man – Composer Profile: Danny Elfman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFBgziTe3tw)

Danny Elfman Interview (2002) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvQVqhBjLfU)

Danny Elfman Interview: Oz, Sam Raimi, Burton, Batman & more (https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/danny-elfman-interview-oz-sam-raimi-burton-batman-more/)

Joker (2019)

Film Facts

“Everybody just yells and screams at each other. Nobody’s civil anymore! Nobody thinks what it’s like to be the other guy, to be somebody but themselves. They don’t.” (Arthur Fleck, Joker, 2019).

Joker (2019) serves as the backstory of the notorious arch enemy of Batman, Joker. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is an average working class man in difficult circumstances who is constantly pushed to the back of society and trodden on, treated like less than a human being. It is this continuous treatment which drives Arthur to a breaking point and in doing so, he discovers his alter-ego. A clown-faced criminal power figure that embodies Arthur with comfort, control and ultimately, power, as he eventually gives in to the madness within. 

This film provides an insight into the sufferings of people in society, making this film a relevant topic of conversation on mental health as well as a prominent DC film. It forced audiences to feel a very real pain in an entirely fictional narrative, based on a well-known DC Comic villain. The film does a fantastic job in drawing the viewer into Arthur’s suffering, allowing the audience to empathise with him and accepting the way he responds to ongoing abuse and the negative circumstances that make up the entirety of his life, almost justifying the violent atrocities that follow.

It truly is an amazing experience watching this film; from the beginning to end, we really get behind Arthur even as he descends further and further into madness. So much so, it has demanded the attention of the Academy Award committee, eventually rising to the top of film accolades for the year. This DC film expansion transcends all of which we have come to understand about the 21st century comic book cinematic universes. 

Joker is directed by Todd Phillips, well known for his work on ‘The Hangover’ and written by both Phillips and Scott Silver. Joaquin Phoenix stars as the protagonist Arthur Fleck or ‘Joker’, supported by Robert De Niro (Murray Franklin), Zazie Beetz (Sophie Dumond) and Frances Conroy (Penny Fleck). It’s a tight-knit, talented cast where most of the story is unfolding in Arthur’s mind, with Phoenix doing the heavy lifting in a stellar performance, ultimately winning him ‘Best Actor’ for 2020.  

The soundtrack was written by Icelandic composer Hildur Guonadottir, known for her work on the film Sicario: Day Of The Soldado and most notably the HBO miniseries Chernobyl. Guonadottir’s work on Chernobyl was absolutely fantastic, offering such a dark and immersive score drawing listeners into the world of the story, and the Joker offers the same aesthetic. Gudnadottir is a trained cellist, and focusses the score around her well known string family with her superb ability to get inside the mind of the Joker and completely control the emotional landscape of the film. Guonadottir became the first solo female artist to win both the Golden Globe and the Grammy Award for ‘Best Original Score’. 

Track Facts

Composer 

  • Hildur Guonadottir

Label

  • Watertower Music

Award Nominations 

  • Academy Awards – Best Achievement in Music Written For Motion Pictures (Won)
  • BAFTA – Original Music (Won)
  • ACCA – Best Original Score (Nominated)
  • Blogos de Oro – Best Original Score (Winner)
  • BMI Film & TVAwards
  •  – Film Music Award (Won)
  • – Special Recognition (Won)
  • Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards – Best Score (Won)
  • CinEuphoria – Best Original Music (Nominee)
  • Columbus Film Critics Association – Best Score (Nominee)
  • Denver Film Critics Society – Best Original Score (Won)
  • Discussing Film Critics Awards – Best Original Score (Nominee)
  • Florida Film Critics Circle Awards – Best Score (Nominee)
  • Georgia Film Critics Association – Best Original Score (Nominee)
  • Gold Derby Awards – Original Score (Won)
  • Gold Derby Awards – Best Original Score Of The Decade (Nominee)
  • Golden Globes – Best Original Score (Won)
  • Grammy Awards – Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Won)
  • HFCS – Best Original Score (Nominee) 
  • HCA – Best Score (Won) 
  • HMMA – Best Original Score (Won)
  • HFCS – Best Original (Nominee)
  • IFJA – Best Musical Score (Nominee)
  • IFMCA – Best Original Score (Nominee) 
  • IFMCA – Film Score Of The Year 
    • Best Original Score For Drama Film 
    • Film Music COmposition Of The Year 
    • Film Composer Of The Year
  • INOCA – Best Original Score (Nominee)
  • INOCA – Best Original Score (Nominee) 
  • Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards – Best Score (Won)
  • LEJA – Best Music – Nominee) 
  • MCFCA – Best Score (Won) 
  • NDFS – Best Original Score (Won) 
  • Odyssey Awards – Best Score/Soundtrack (Won)
  • OFCC – Best Score (Nominee)
  • OFTA – Best Music, Original Score (Nominee) 
  • OFCS – Best Original Score (Nominee) 
  • PCC – Best Score (Won)
  • Reel Music Award – Overall Score Of The Year (Won) 
    • Best Original Score For A Drama Feature 
  • SFBAFCC – Best Original Score (Nominee)
  • Satellite Awards – Best Original Score (Won) 
  • SCL Awards – Outstanding Original Score For A Studio Film 
  • Venice Film Festival, Soundtrack Stars Award – Best Soundtrack (Won)
  • WAFCA Awards – Best Original Score (Nominee) 
  • World Soundtrack Award – Film Composer Of The Year (Won)

Release 

  • 2019

The JamStrings, strings, strings. This may well be one of the single greatest showcases of the string family, and the intimate relationship a cellist Guonadottir has with these instruments. This entire score is not solely focused on the string family, rather it uses this ensemble at the centrepoint and boy, do we feel each note. It may be difficult to hear, but an entire Orchestra was at hand for this score; only as the film reaches its highest heights do we hear the orchestra rise to surface, Guonadottir’s explains: “Toward the beginning of the film, the orchestra is hardly audible, hiding behind the cello, in the same way that Arthur has hidden from himself for most of his life, burying his anger, hurt and resentment behind a false laugh or smile. “As we go further into the story, and he starts to understand more, and his anger starts to come a bit more on the surface—especially towards the end of the film—the orchestra has become so loud that it kind of has eaten the cello… and the Joker has taken over the Arthur Fleck we saw in the beginning.” (Interview with Matt Grobar, December 2019) Guonadottir remains minimalistic in her instrumentation, and explores a range of minor keys and harmonic environments, painting the grey and dull emotive image of Arthur’s life. ‘Hoyt’s Office’ sets the tone for the film and Arthur’s character, as Guonadottir restricts the harmonic movement,, keeping the viewer locked in this depressing space, and this moves nicely into ‘Clown Defeated’ which offers a similar harmonic movement with the help of a bass drum and floor tom. The sadness builds and builds with each note, each track accompanies Arthur on the way to his eventual madness, as Guonadottir does an excellent job in maintaining the atmosphere for the entire film. What I really enjoy in this soundtrack is how with such consistency, we still experience such fierce changes in the score, and ‘Following Sophie’ is a prime example. Building with simple straight beats and a grounded ostinato, we are pulled into this dark space as the bass strings and percussion push down, and down into each beat, relentlessly driving the scene forward as we watch on nervously with each note. The percussion becomes noticeable, moving through a crescendo before the climatic pint of this score. This track is a gem. Without a track written with such passion, this particular sequence becomes simple and modest. Guonadottir moves in and out of heavy hitting tracks such as this to atmospheric tracks such as ‘Penny In Hospital’, ‘Young Penny’, ‘Confessions’ and many more. ‘Penny Taken To Hospital’ again uses the sounds of the Contrabass and the Cello to drive the emotion through the roof, with each dissonant note, the feeling of hopelessness and tragedy is forever looming, presenting itself as evermore prevalent with each sequence. 
During an interview upon the release of the film, Guonadottir comments on the creative process in following a musical story which runs parallel with Arthur’s descent into madness: “The story is almost like this crescendo. We start with him not really knowing where he came from or been through, so not really understanding who he was and why he was. So I think the story starts out pretty subtle and quite emotional, and that’s what I wanted. For me, it was the cello, and Todd was clear from the beginning he wanted the cello to be a big part of the storytelling. For the cello, I wanted cello to be almost hidden in the beginning. So, in the first scene when the kids are attacking him, you hear a track you almost think is a solo cello. It’s a very low-key, lonely track that’s basically a solo cello, but in fact, there’s a whole orchestra playing behind the cello. It’s hidden, so you can’t really hear it, but you feel there’s more there, and that’s kind of what I wanted to experience with Arthur”. (Interview with Jack Giroux, October 2019)

We are slowly taken through each track with a very consistent message of pain, suffering and a singular focus on Arthur’s world. In the music we feel focussed on Arthur, as melodically the music remains simple with one core idea explored, rather than a number of changes occurring. It’s easy to follow and easy to feel what Guonadottir and Phillips want us to feel. This leads to ‘Bathroom Dance’, Arthur becomes The Joker. In interviews around this particular scene Guonadottir explains that the music was played on set over and over, by request of Phillip, to help Phoenix come into his character, and this dance was the natural reaction from Joaquin, exactly what we see on screen. It’s an amazing moment not only cinematically, but how the score influenced the performance of the cast. ‘Bathroom Dance’ carry’s Arthur through his transition to Joker, a transformative and an Oscar winning moment, both aurally and visually, unforgettable. ‘Escape From The Train’ serves to build the anticipation in Arthur’s attempt to evade the police and ultimately light the spark to an all out riot, as we hear louder, more prominent percussive instruments , helping build the scene up to what we experience as the crescendo of the score and the film. ‘Call Me Joker’ on the other hand, is the one single track which brings about a sense of hope and triumph, of course working hand in hand with Joker’s mob riot and recent city take over. From the violence and pain caused in this scene, Arthur is at his highest, happiest and most comfortable state as ‘Call Me Joker’ works through major intervals while overlapping on relative minor chords and the drumming beat of the percussion. “You just see him as a poor young man, kicked and lying on the street and lonely, but there are these bigger forces behind it you can’t see in the beginning, but you know they’re there. You feel them coming. You feel the frustrations blowing up as the film progresses and the orchestra starts to become… the angrier and angrier he gets, the orchestra gets bigger. I felt it was very important for the music to be very simple, to the point, and never cool, like fancy beats. I wanted it to almost be naive, like how we perceive him. So yeah, that was the narrative. (Interview with Jack Giroux, October 2019)

  • TFMJ Pick 

‘Bathroom Dance’ is absolutely outstanding, it’s highly emotive, deep in it’s sound and meaning and perfectly embodied by the protagonist. The truth behind ‘Bathroom Dance’ is that it was a cue played on set, designed to influence the performers. From this, the scene and score become embedded within the film as Arthur’s metamorphosis as Guonadottir reflects: “It was so magical to see that what Joaquin was doing was so, so similar to what I had experienced, physically. It was just mind-blowing to see how that communication could travel with so little speaking about it.. It was one of the most beautiful collaborative moments I think I’ve had.” (Interview with Matt Grobar, December 2019) ‘Bathroom Dance’ begins with the warm sounds of the Cello, a simple melodic movement supported by the remaining bass strings. All the while Arthur is moving through a unique dance, having assassinated three men, and now, finally, we see Arthur feeling justified in his existence, proud of himself. The track moves through this melodic movement while a soprano choir lightly rests on top of these heavy strings as the dynamics increase. 

The space in which the piece moves in is vast, free of restricting harmony, it moves the character and it moves the audience.  The violins and violas combine with the choir to raise the emotive value while the dynamics continue to increase, before moving into a lower register, reminding the audience of the darkness within, despite the emotional turn Arhtur has taken. ‘Bathroom Dance’ is a track which completely captures the scene, the character and stands alone as such a beautifully composed piece, in any context. I believe this track will go down as one of the best tracks experienced in film. 

Soundtrack Send-Off & Rating

‘The Joker’ offers minimal instrumentation, with overwhelming knowledge and compositional finesse. A cellist by trade, Guonadottir brings us into her world of composition, while also bringing Jaoquin’s character into the spotlight. Even now as I listen to this soundtrack through and through I feel trapped in a dark space of worry and sadness. It serves as an accurate translation of Arthur’s characters, and the emotions he carries, reaching to the heart of suffering and sorrow as humans. Guonadottir has designed a soundtrack which remains consistent and fits into the aesthetic of the film perfectly, focusing on the emotion and the vibrancy of the string family. Each track moves our emotions around like pieces on the chess board, completely in control, completely immersive. 

References

https://www.slashfilm.com/569655/joker-composer-interview/?utm_campaign=clip

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/joker-composer-hildur-gu-nad-214525079.html

The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

Film Facts

‘I’ve been a nobody all my life, and I won’t give it this one opportunity you can bet your life on that you just go on” (Robert Ford, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, 2007) ‘You’re giving me signs, to make me wonder maybe you’re minds been changed about me” (Jesse James, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, 2007) 

This film follows an infamous outlaw of America’s wild west after the Civil War, Jesse James (Brad Pitt) at the height of the James families’ criminal activity and the man who would eventually assassinate him, Robert Ford (Casey Affleck). Ford is introduced as a young, aspiring criminal who hopes to rise through the ranks and get close to James in an effort to be seen and recognised.  As the events of the film transpire, leading up to and following the assassination, the perception of hero and villain are eventually skewed, the result of which would turn the protagonist into the antagonist. Watching as Ford’s conscience pulls him and those around him in different directions, we the viewer are left to watch the characters wrestle with the consequences of their actions.

Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck are supported by a strong cast including Sam Rockwell (Charley Ford), Jeremy Renner (Wood Hite), Paul Schneider (Dick Liddil) and Same Shepard (Frank James). Brad Pitt always brings great authenticity to his roles and I personally thought Affleck was outstanding as the supporting actor, it was hard not to believe this was what Robert Ford was like as he faced the conflict within himself. The colour scheme and the particular style of filming makes this film feel unique from early on, it’s easy to see how well balanced the lighting is, as well as the slow pans and tactful zooms, expertly executed by the legendary cinematographer, Roger Deakins. Andrew Dominik directed the film and wrote the screenplay and achieved such a unique and outstanding aesthetic to this film, with the heavy use of still photography, magazine cut-outs and polaroids. 

The soundtrack was composed by two band members of ‘Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Both Cave and Ellis had paired up to score ‘The Proposition’, which featured a fantastic score, and this was no exception. Cave and Ellis team up again to write this stunning score which is a joy to listen to throughout the film and is just as satisfying when experienced as its own entity.  

Track Facts 

Composers

  • Nick Cave 
  • Warren Ellis 

Label

  • Mute

Award Nominations 

  • ACCA, Best Original Score – Nominated 
  • CFCA, Best Original Score – Nominated 
  • ICS, Best Original Score – Second Place
  • INOCA, Best Original Score – Nominated
  • OFTA, Best Music and Original Score – Nominated
  • OFCS, Best Original Score – Nominated
  • Satellite, Best Original Score – Nominated 
  • SLFCA, Best Score – Nominated 

Release 

  • 2007

The Jam

This soundtrack sticks to a traditional instrumental focus, which keeps the score soft and unsuspecting, humming through the film, grinding at us as we watch the story unfold. ‘Rather Lovely Thing’ brings the shadow of sadness and depression into the film from the beginning, as Ellis and Cave design a simple motif beginning with the rolling chords played by the piano, followed by the pulse of the bass guitar and the additional layering from the violin. These instruments are eventually supported by additional string instruments and a bass drum, combining for an absolutely gorgeous track. ‘Moving On’ uses similar instrumentation but harmonically shifts in it’s pizzicato arpeggiated pattern, while the violin and piano move around this ostinato. With such an effective use of harmony and instrumentation, Cave and Ellis maintain a lovely consistency from the first track to the last in this record. 

The consistency of this soundtrack is reflected in the process as Nick Cave says, “We actually did the music for the Jesse James film before the film was made. We were raring to go with it. And we made the music so we could gauge where we could go with music and where we could not go with music. We recorded twenty pieces of music and sent that to Andrew and the main piece of music comes from that; it is the thing we recorded in a single Brighton session. And that was a way for Andrew, instead of speaking in abstract terms about music and about melancholy, to say: “That bit is good and that bit I don’t like.” (Nick Cave, The Guardian, 2007)

Each track maintains a sombre emotional focus, as the everlasting cloud of tension and anxiety continues to linger all the way through the film. The piano, the strings, the bass guitar, electric guitar and bass drum remain the centre of this entire soundtrack, minimal instruments with major effectiveness. ‘Song For Jesse’ brings in a Xylophone and various tuned percussion in repeating arpeggios, opening the harmonic range but keeping the tone focussed, juxtaposed to ‘Cowgirl’ which offers a classic western vibe, also remaining centered on the core instrumentation. ‘The Money Train’ and ‘Last Ride Back To KC’ shift the focus from the piano to the string instrument, diving deeping into a darker place of emotion, as its energy grabs you and pulls you down into this space, before moving into ‘What Happens Next’ which takes a harmonic turn in a more focussed approach as the climax approaches. Tragedy is at hand, everywhere and always, this is the single most consistent feeling that runs through this score, with minimalistic instrumentation, it’s truly astonishing how consistent yet appropriate this score is. With every action Jesse or Robert take in this film, it’s surrounded by a score which engulfs the characters in regret, confusion and ultimately a dark cloud of depression. The characters are trapped in this score, with a plot which weaves within the space between the tracks. 

  •  TFMJ – Pick Of The Score

‘Last Ride Back To KC’ is TFMJ’s pick. ‘Last Ride To KC’ begins with a mid-ranged drone on the string instruments, setting up a melancholy atmosphere for the bass strings. We are teased with the slightest sound of a bass clarinet, softly supporting the melody, taking the lead in offering such a warm yet isolated emotion. The opening to this track is deeply immersive, and offers listeners a chance for reflection and meditation separate to its purpose for the film. In the final third of this track the Marimba/Xylophone, Glockenspiel and additional string instruments are added to a melodic shape, pushing the track along slowly. This allows the melody to explore the wide space present in this piece, opening up the harmonic range as the piece slowly gathers itself together and walks steadily to the end of the track. 

Soundtrack Send-Off ONE

‘The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford’ soundtrack offers a consistency so rare in film scores that it should be praised just for that. What makes this score even more special and unique (for a Hollywood film) is it’s minimal use of classic instrumentation and its power in dictating the emotion of the film from scene to scene. There is nothing more I can say to finish, but to simply congratulate Nick Cave, Warren Ellis and Andrew Dominik on what was a superb balance between the score and the visual aesthetic, a prime example of professional collaboration and what can come from a shared vision, generating an aurally and visually stunning product from start to finish. 

References

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/nov/29/popandrock

Midsommar


“Today was tough. Are you going to be okay?”
“Are you not disturbed by what we just saw?”
“ Yeah of course I am. That was really shocking. I’m trying to keep an open mind though, it’s cultural you know? We stick our elders in nursing homes. I’m sure they find that disturbing. I think we really need to just at least try to acclimate.”
(Christian and Dani, Midsommar, 2019).

Film Facts

Despite her deep and unending grief at the tragic loss of her family, Dani (Florence Pugh) attempts to maintain her fractured relationship with her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor), as she accepts the invitation to join him and his friends, Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Mark (Will Poulter) in travelling to Sweden to visit Pelle’s (Vihelm Blomgren) ancestral commune ‘Harga’ in Halsingland for the midsummer festival.
The celebration itself begins innocently enough with gatherings, feasts and giving thanks for the harvest. But as the film progresses, disturbing elements begin to reveal themselves to the unsuspecting visitors until each of them face a violent, unexpected demise for the sake of a cultural offering.

All except for Dani who in the end, after a series of twisted and haunting occurrences, manages to overcome her struggle with grief and perpetual sadness, finding peace within a community, a family and within herself. 

‘Midsommar’ completely immerses the viewer in the experiences of the protagonist Dani (Florence Pugh), an absolute star in this film supported by Jack Reynor, William Harper, Vihelm Blomgren and Will Poulter. The beginning of the film provides the audience with a strong contextualised empathy in witnessing the horrific grief Dani experiences with the tragic death of her family, and Dani carries her pain all the way throughout the film. This emotive focus is effectively juxtaposed by the stunning palette of vibrant colours during Sweden’s bright and long lasting summer sunshine. Director Ari Aster has a substantial history in short films, however many will know him from his most recent film, ‘Hereditary’.

English composer Bobby Krlic (AKA The Haxan Cloak) wrote the score to this film which contains many conventional horror techniques while also bringing in Nordic inspired elements. Krlic is a diverse musician having written for a number of various musical platforms including television dramas, video games, progressive/experimental and of course in films. 

Track Facts

Composer 

  • Bobby Krlic

Label

  • Milan Records

Award Nominations 

  • IFMCA Award – Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/ Horror Film (Nomination)

Release 

  • 2019

The Jam

Aster and Krlic knew each other well before production began on Midsommar, in fact, Krlic was present for the ‘Hereditary’ premier screening as he recalls, “It was at a screening in London that Ari was at too. The last 15 minutes of that film is one of the most intense things I’ve ever seen in the cinema — it really affected me. I remember turning around to Ari as the credits were rolling and I said, “Holy shit dude, this is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” He just looked at me and said, “Let’s fuck people up even more with Midsommar.” It was game on at that point.” (Krlic in article from Larry Fitzmaurice, 1/7/19) Indeed it was game on as these two creative artists teamed up to design one of the most unique horror films from recent memory. 

Krlic designs a score which captures both the horror and serenity of Midsommar, the haunting string clusters and embellishments to the dream-like glissandos of the Harp with perfectly positioned cadences. Krlic has no problems switching to traditional orchestral compositions as this soundtrack is extremely diverse. Bobby Krlic comes from a diverse background of composition and as such brings a unique array of musical creativity. We must first recognise the opening track ‘Prophecy’ which opens up with a magical fairytale vibe, with the long glissandos of the Harp and light string harmonic layering, ingenious really on the preface of what’s to come later. From this point forward the soundtrack moves into darker levels, beginning with one of the most harrowing tracks in the soundtrack ‘Gassed’, and for reasons on screen, this works perfectly as it begins with Dani’s harrowing cry. The next track ‘Halsingland’ brings us into the world we are about to experience for the rest of the film, maintaining emotions through a deep drum as the group drive into the mysterious and isolated village, the eeriness creeps in. 

Krlic lessens the focus on the ‘Musique Concrete’ concept in the next track  ‘The House That Harga Built’ and moves to the traditional orchestral instruments. This track is absolutely gorgeous, along with the visual scene, as we are presented with a stunning Nordic style dwelling while the strings and the piano come together to create such a lovely ambience, a relief from the tension! The music to follow offers many qualities which work hand in hand with this unique horror film as Krlic chooses his weapon, sometimes leaning on his digital altered instrumentation and then moving to the traditional instruments of the orchestra subject to the content on screen. The remaining tracks offer a consistent mix of tension and peacefulness as the film moves between the two emotive themes, however, it must be stated that ‘The Language Of Sex’ is unique in it’s own way for it’s own reasons, again, right inside the aesthetic of the film. 

When discussing the Midsommar score, Krlic mentions ‘Drawing from influences as disparate as classic Disney animated films, the ultraviolet melancholia of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, and Alexander Desplat’s score to Jonathan Glazer’s classic 2004 drama Birth. The process was often deeply collaborative between him and Aster, a mind-meld reflected in how perfectly suited the former’s music plays against the latter’s distinctive imagery.(Krlic in article from Larry Fitzmaurice, 1/7/19)   

Krlic’s score was centred on the ‘Musique Concrete’ compositional technique (the use of tape manipulation and raw sound material) which gives this score such a hauntingly emotive resonance. Krlic explains ‘I wanted it to have echoes of musique concrete. Then there’s a 16-piece orchestra with double bass, cello, viola and violins. We recorded all of that at AIR Studios’ (Krlic, Paul Weedon, 5/7/19). Krlic goes on to explain that there was a lot of diegetic music written in traditional Nordic, Scandanavian and Icelandic music concepts. The score is essentially written with a 16-piece orchestra while many of the tracks are altered through the ‘Musique Concrete’ concept, preventing the instruments from featuring in their native form.

There are many superb tracks in this soundtrack which offer a range of unique qualities, but personally I find it hard to go past ‘Fire Temple’ as the shining star. This is the final track/scene in the film and encapsulates all of Dani’s grief, frustration and sadness as the walls of the wooden temple come crashing down in flames. The warm crescendo of the strings rises up to meet us, with a harmonic development which offers both curiosity and inspiration, there remains an uneasiness yet relief. The remaining strings are introduced as the crescendo increases before moving into the final scene of the film and rebuilding the musical energy. ‘Fire Temple’ brings us close to Dani, and highlights the deep struggle of her emotional journey with a simple ostinato supported by embellishments and trills on the violins. The piece comfortably sits with a gentle dynamic swell while sticking to the same melodic phrase as vocal chanting is added to the piece before being abruptly de-railed by varying non-chordal tones. After a minute or more, the strings come back to the foreground to see Dani off into what we might assume as her renewed life. The emotion that this piece carries, particularly in a horror film, is staggering, Krlic understands both the aesthetic and the emotional value with such a connectedness, as the score reaches its height in the closing seconds, where some of us might find ourselves smiling with Dani as the curtains draw. This finishing track offers a range of qualities, all showcasing Krlic’s ability to cater his music in a sensitive and effective way. 

Soundtrack Send-Off

Krlic and Ari clearly understood each other, as each scene, each plot twist and emotional experience was accompanied by a score which brings the emotional value on screen to the surface, offering a completely immersive experience for the audience. The ‘Musique Concrete’ provided a consistently eerie score, appropriate for this horror film, but different from many other horror films was Krlic’s use of the 16-piece orchestra (specifically the string family) offering a musical depth beyond what we may have been expecting. This is not your ordinary horror film, nor your horror score, this is a masterpiece in its own right as a complete experience visually and aurally. 

The WITCH

Film Facts

‘What dost thou want?.. What canst thou give? (Black Phillip and Thomasin, The Witch, 2015)

‘The Witch’ is a film about the family of William and Katherine and their children Thomasin, Caleb, Mercy and Jonas. Based around the time of the 1630’s in the state of New England, the family are banished from their Puritan colony over what appears to be religious extremism, and in turn set out to live on their own farm in the woods. The family begin to experience a number of tragic and disturbing occurrences including the disappearance of their newborn, the abduction of their son Caleb and with every passing moment the film becomes darker and the family become more and more divided. Anya Taylor-Joy is fantastic in this film and supported by both Ralph Insen and Kate Dickie who were also superb, their accent and the methodist type acting really brings forth an authenticity to the performance. The film is directed and written by Robert Eggers, his first feature film, while the music was composed by Canadian composer Mark Korven who until this film was best known for his work on the sci-fi cult classic Cube.

Track Facts

Composer 

  • Mark Korven

Label

  • Milan Records

Award Nominations 

  • Central Ohio Film Critics Association – Best Score (Won)
  • BloodGuts UK Horror Awards – Best Soundtrack/Score
  • Fangoria Chainsaw Awards – Best Score
  • Fright Meter Awards – Best Score
  • International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA) – Best Original Score

Release

  • 2016

The Jam

Korven designs an eerie and tense score which continues to elevate the haunting tone which the movie is based on, matching the aesthetic of the film perfectly. ‘What Went We’ begins with a tone which remains consistent throughout the entire score and sets the tone for the film right from the opening scene. Korven speaks of the influence that Penderecki’s ‘Threnody To The Victims Of Hiroshima’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp3BlFZWJNA) had on the score.  

Korven chose to stay true to acoustic instrumentation for this score by request of Eggers to refrain from digital or synthetic sounds. The film itself is shot in a way which builds suspense, a focus on natural lighting with a grey and depressing palette, providing an authentically aged look to the film. Korven often plays off the back of many scenes which are silent, leading into particular scenes with sparse and unique sounds; We do not get classic instrumentation or harmonic and melodic development. Some unique instrumentation which serve as the focal point for this score are:

  • The Waterphone
  • The Hurdy Gurdy
  • The Nyckelharpa & Bass Nyckelharpa
  • Steel rulers 
  • Reverb tanks
  • The Ebow

While reflecting on this choice of instrumentation, Korven states; ‘With instruments like these, the goal is to just produce sounds that in this case are disturbing.. This was a family living on the edge of survival so it shouldn’t be perfect, it needed to be a little bit flawed and fragile sounding’ (Mark Korven, Great Big Story & Indie Film & Music). The authenticity which these instruments deliver in their unique and aged timbre works hand in hand with the performances of the cast and the aesthetic of the film

Each track in this score holds the same atmosphere, it develops ideas slowly and works on increasing the dissonance and the emotion of each scene. There are string based chordal tones and percussive ostinatos throughout the score, heard in the track ‘William and Thomasin’. A medieval tune called Lachrimae (1604) was an original sketch period piece which was not used in the film but helped build the atmosphere and the tone that Eggers was looking for in this film. 

‘A Witch Stole Sam’ is TFMJ’s highlight track, with its superb eeriness in its instrumentation and input from the ‘Element Choir’. The piece begins with a drone on the Nyckelharpa, developing dissonant chordal tones with various medieval instruments, eventually leading to the harrowing shrieks performed by the choir. The click clack of the percussive instruments are introduced with increased sounds from the choir, while the Nyckelharpa is continuing to move between the focal tones. As the piece reaches its end, the ever increasing crescendo moves further upward before dropping off suddenly as the Witch caresses baby Sam in her lair. 

When Korven discusses this track he mentions that his original recording of the track was based solely on the Nyckelharpa, but the feedback from Eggers was that he wanted an ‘edgier’ sound, so fellow Candian Ben Grossman (known for his skills in medieval instruments) brought in an ancient Finnish instrument called the Jouhikko, giving the Witch her own ‘dissonant and disturbing voice’ (Mark Korven, Indie Film and Music). The Canadian improvising ‘Element Choir’ are brought in at the end of this track to increase the tension even further with various melodic runs and intervals which create a haunting dissonance. The choir can be heard throughout the score, most prominently in ‘ Witch’s Coven’. 

Soundtrack Send-Off & Rating

Mark Korven has designed a soundtrack which focuses on Medieval and unorthodox acoustic instrumentation, matching the aesthetic of Eggars cinematography and world building perfectly. The score helps the world in ‘The Witch’ come across with authenticity and remains consistent throughout the film. The strength in this score is the atmospheric quality it brings to the story, with a focus on period, tension and an ever present eerie vibe. Korven’s score is exactly the sound and timbre this film needed for success. 

Please see Mark Korven’s personal webpage here – http://www.markkorven.com/Instruments_1.html 

References

The following Videos and Articles were used for additional research: