Film Scores and Films Scorned

I’ve pretty much used up every last ounce of wit I had saved up in coming up with that article title, so after this point you will all have to bear with me simply being earnest in my writing about a great hobby and passion of mine: film scores.

Sometimes an entire film can be summarized in the opening notes of its most notable theme. Who can forget Jaws? It only takes two notes repeating to induce the prickly, ominous feeling that you’re not alone in the water. A good score can establish a strong relationship with its listener over time. There is the first exposure: it could be in its intended environment, being played alongside the film it was made for, or it could be in isolation where one listens to the tracks beforehand. Then comes the inevitable repeat plays: depending on the depth of one’s fondness for the music, it might end up becoming your own personal soundtrack, attaching itself to events and intwining itself to emotional seasons. Seasons inevitably change, as does the meaning of the music. The last part of the cycle is the revisitation. Coming to a score after years and letting the floodgates open, remembering the nuances of certain melodies or catching harmonies you weren’t paying attention to the first time.

Understandably, you can apply what I’ve just described to music in general; you can also say the same about growing up with a special relationship to particular films. As for the former, when music is lyrical in nature the words can seem juvenile in retrospect or gradually lose meaning, lacking the swelling drama and gentle subtlety that a good film score can create. As for the latter, film scores crystallize the magic of film into a very fluid and complimentary medium. You can’t watch Star Wars while walking down a street (at least I don’t really recommend it), but you certainly can time your steps to the Imperial March and share a private grin with yourself.

While I can’t really go into extensive detail about every soundtrack that I’ve ever loved, I wanted to share three notable scores from the last year. I selected ones that weren’t, for one reason or another, given Oscar nominations (because it seems to be the largest avenue of exposure and discussion for soundtracks if you’re just a casual listener). Be warned, there might be a slight spoiler or two for the actual films. (Also I have zero background in music theory so my explanations may verge on the abstract. Just saying.)

Rachel Portman – Never Let Me Go - Portman’s work here is incredible, mostly because she isolates her instruments with precise care and lets each one have its turn at delivering a fragment of the story. Her melodies and solos sound like they could belong to a chorus of people; her instruments could be characters. (I notice a lot of cello, violin, and piano, which I thought was a great compliment to the movie’s three main characters.) Given the movie and the questions it raises about what it means to possess a soul, some of the melodies seem to be musical methods by which the souls of the characters are asserting their rights to exist. The melodies grow and pulse like a thought, a heartbeat, or a statement. There is something hopeful and human and universal about the score. (My favorite track: We All Complete)

Daft Punk – Tron Legacy - This soundtrack is worth a try if you’re familiar with electronica and want to dip your toes into some orchestral themes, or if you’re from a solidly orchestral background and want to experience sophisticated electronica that doesn’t sound like some noob playing with music programs at the Apple Store. The key to this album’s greatness is that Daft Punk understands completely where the electronica works best and where the more traditional orchestral elements must reign supreme. Where precision is necessary, the beats definitely veer towards the artificial, but the drama and fluidity are created by the human element of controlling instruments. The synergy is dynamic and it creates like the musical equivalent of a book that’s a page-turner. (My favorite track: The Game Has Changed, but if you’re a big Daft Punk person, you’ll really enjoy “End of Line”)

Clint Mansell – Black Swan – If you enjoy Tchaikovsky and Requiem for a Dream, you’re pretty much set to love this one. Segments from the main themes from Swan Lake are isolated and repeated, sometimes elaborately and sometimes sparsely, coupling sinister undertones with instrumental whimpers for help (and the occasional triumph). It captures and compliments the energy, both light and dark, that makes the movie so delightful (and creepy). The movie deals with precision, loss and gain, and emotional unravelling, which all play a part in the songs. Beneath every melody is a sense of urgency and entrapment that is impressive in the awareness it inspires in a listener. (My favorite track: Perfection.)