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The Dark Knight: (Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard)
The superlatives don't seem to stop for director Christopher Nolan's
vision of Gotham City. Three years after reintroducing the legendary
comic book hero with
Batman Begins, Nolan and his brother,
Jonathan, have fashioned a sequel that is, by nearly all critical
accounts, a superior and transcendent summer blockbuster. In
The Dark
Knight, the Nolan brothers build upon the framework that established
the origins of the Caped Crusader in
Batman Begins with the
addition of the characters of Harvey Dent and the Joker. Stunning
cinematography and art direction are prerequisites for any outstanding
super hero film, and
The Dark Knight spares no expense in its
sense of spectacle. The rejuvenation of the
Batman franchise from
the soulless sequels that followed Tim Burton's original two films is
quite remarkable, though for film music fans, the split in opinion over
the changing winds of the concept's musical sound has been as ferocious
as it has been polarizing. In its most basic foundation, the debate pits
identities for the titular character defined by two distinctly different
composers, men who not only tackled the task from opposite directions,
but faced entirely different directorial styles in the process. There
will always be heated discussions about whether Danny Elfman or Hans
Zimmer better captured the essence of Batman (and let's not forget
Elliot Goldenthal), but the roots of that disparity are inherent in the
manner with which Burton and Nolan so differently treated the character
and his universe. Never has Hollywood presented such a conundrum for
fans to ponder; two very successful but extremely distinct views of the
same concept in their own franchises. Nolan could very well be on track
for artistic dominance and might eventually surpass Warner Brothers'
earnings for the first four films combined, but there will always remain
respect for Burton's original
Batman, as well as a notch on many
"guilty pleasure" lists for
Batman Returns. The inevitable
comparison in soundtracks is a troublesome subject, in part because of
Hans Zimmer's habit of polarizing film music collectors and in part due
to an abundance of crazed hype generated by both the studio and the
composer prior to both Nolan films.
While Zimmer collaborated with highly respected veteran
James Newton Howard for both of Nolan's
Batman films, it's easy
to get the impression that these are primarily Zimmer scores. They have
the distinct traits of his works in most sections and he was involved
for greater lengths of time in their creation. In interviews, Howard
often volunteers a secondary position and showers Zimmer with constant
praise. With the exception of a few clear moments in
The Dark
Knight, Zimmer's trademark sound is on grand and predictable
display. The two composers did several rounds of interviews prior to
this film's release, often jovial in tone and always curiously overt in
their expressions of respect for one another. At times, they sound like
teammates on a college sports team who, under those circumstances, would
give each other a good slap on each others' asses for a job well done.
They both think very highly of their work for
The Dark Knight, as
assuring as they had also been about their choices prior to
Batman
Begins (but perhaps with a bit more cautious restraint the first
time). Their words are illuminating of their intentions (and Nolan's
agreement with them), and they convey a confidence that you rarely hear
so strongly from composers nowadays. They have spent ample time
explaining their unconventional moves and placing those choices in
context, recognizing in some cases that this music will "irritate" some
listeners. They also, however, have spent so much time dwelling on the
rationale for these decisions that their attitude tends to border on
condescending, especially in their dismissal of the Burton/Elfman
approach that they are apparently tired of hearing about. Warner is
sticking to its guns, too, commercializing the endeavor to such an
extent that there are three different CD albums (a regular CD, a
collector's edition with extra art, and a limited special edition
digipack... Open thy wallet, fool!) and even a 2-LP vinyl product for
the most serious (and nostalgic) aficionados. For their achievements,
the composers are being treated like rock stars, performing live on
stage at an IMAX theatre in New York City prior to the premiere showing
of the film and then appearing throughout the country at Virgin
Megastores to sign copies of the products over the following days.
Zimmer then plans later in the year to go on a worldwide concert tour
during a sabbatical from film score writing.
Perhaps lost in all of this hype is one tiny little
complication: the quality of the music. Reactions to both of these
scores from the die-hard fans of Zimmer have been utterly predictable.
Reactions from Howard's fans have been more interesting, in many ways,
because many of them consider Howard to be a far more talented and
versatile composer. Some of them seemingly tolerate or, in better cases,
appreciate Howard's contributions to these scores while taking a step
back from Zimmer's work. For
The Dark Knight, Zimmer was able to
expand upon ideas that he concocted in
Batman Begins and, for the
most part, produced an extremely similar score in tone and style. Many
parts of the two are interchangeable, and this fact is due to the
composer's notion that the Nolan interpretation of Gotham and its
characters is far more gloomy and brooding than even Burton's vision.
Zimmer is quick to emphasize "sound" and "texture" over traditional
thematic structures, which is largely why he doesn't take any
inspiration from Elfman's music for the concept. One of the more
obnoxious and disrespectful statements that Zimmer made in a 2008
interview about
The Dark Knight involved his dismissal of
Elfman's "happy jolly theme" for
Batman. Regardless of the
differences in the movies, and regardless of the fact that Elfman's
rendering of his primary idea had shades of Bernard Herrmann attached to
it, Zimmer seems inept at understanding the notion of duality. It's
possible that the reason Zimmer used the words "happy" and "jolly" to
describe that theme (outside of the fact that he sometimes doesn't
exercise good diction in his use of English) is because Elfman used some
rousing major-key statements in his material. But what remains more
important is the fact that Elfman used both minor and major key
components in the theme to represent Bruce Wayne's two personas. Elliot
Goldenthal would follow suit in his title theme for the latter two
sequels. Zimmer, on the other hand, is so infatuated with the darker
side of the character that he doesn't seem to equate the major key part
of Elfman's "happy jolly theme" with the necessary element of superhero
duty. Elfman's score is downright menacing in parts (despite its
major-key usage) and is, appropriately, gothic. Conversely, relying
solely on minor-key dramatics is boring and immature.
By now, any score collector will be familiar with the fact
that Zimmer loves to use cellos and basses to churn up his sense of
brooding melodrama. Throw in some broad brass tones over the top, some
electronic pulsation or ostinato for movement, and convey the whole
thing in harmonious progressions... It's become the Zimmer trademark of
the 2000's. If he wants to treat Nolan's superhero as with this sound,
then so be it. Few would argue that the sound isn't functional. The
first film was so good in its other production elements that it easily
carried an underachieving score, and
The Dark Knight will
probably do the same. Zimmer and Howard are both quick to point out that
continuity is important, and that being the case, both of the most
obvious motifs from the first score return. The pinpoint string
ostinatos representing the general coolness of Batman, as well as the
rising two-note minor-key progression for his heroic self, are both
preserved and given satisfactory airtime. The progression is more
intelligently woven into several of the action cues. Much fuss was made
at the time of
Batman Begins about the fact that Zimmer had
written a more elaborate idea for Batman, but that the theme had no
place in that film because the character had not yet matured into his
regular role as Gotham's savior. In the sequel, we finally hear what
Zimmer had in mind for the character and, unfortunately, it's a murky
blend of
The Last Samurai,
The Thin Red Line,
The Da
Vinci Code, and, most interestingly,
Crimson Tide. It's hard
to imagine how collectors who denigrate James Horner for his blatant
self-referencing will be able to give Zimmer a free pass for
resurrecting so many previous scores in
The Dark Knight, for the
pulls are undeniable. The expanded title theme only appears twice in the
score ("I'm Not a Hero" and "A Dark Knight" on the albums), ironically,
and passes as a generic, muscular anthem from the composer. Its slow,
easy shifts, as pleasantly harmonic as they were in scores as far back
as
The House of the Spirits, rank well on Zimmer's list of easy
listening hits, especially in the expansive exploration of the idea in
"The Dark Knight." This theme, while entertaining in its most basic
sense, is devoid of style, vivacity, and duality.
The ideas that Zimmer and Howard composed for the film's
two major secondary characters are far more intriguing. The composers
very explicitly split these duties, with Howard jokingly stating that he
is too traditional to come up with the kind of radical sound that Zimmer
eventually conjured for the Joker. Instead, Howard tackled Harvey Dent
and his eventual villainous side, Two-Face. While the Joker's material
is Zimmer's alone, the Harvey Dent contributions by Howard are arranged,
performed, and mixed into a style that fits Zimmer's larger mould for
the surrounding score. The two composers have commented frequently on
the fact that their material has been heavily integrated, though
Howard's music for Dent does stand apart from Zimmer's writing in its
brighter romanticism. Indeed, the two did boil the score down to action
(Zimmer) and elegance (Howard), as had been the case in
Batman
Begins. The Harvey Dent theme is defined by Howard's usual solo
piano and varied string tones. Its compelling progression is the most
memorable tune of
The Dark Knight if only because it exists in
the treble region as well as Zimmer's more comfortable darker shades. For the
Dent side of the character, Howard uses the primary, repeating six-note
figure on delicate piano and poignant strings. For the evolution of
Two-Face, the theme becomes a bold brass piece of surprisingly forceful
harmony. The last minute of "Harvey Two-Face" offers a gorgeous
performance of theme with all the robust orchestral majesty of the best
parts of
The Water Horse and
I Am Legend. The lighter
portions of the theme convey the same character intimacy as the ending
to
The Interpreter. The theme's subsequent usage can be masked by
Zimmer's heavy bass applications, which disappointingly strips the idea
of its caring appeal (with the exception of "Blood on My Hands"). In
fact, outside of "Harvey Two-Face," "Blood on My Hands," and parts of
"Agent of Chaos," it's difficult to point to specific moments within the
score and identify them as purely Howard contributions. To this end,
Zimmer indeed was quite effective at his editing tasks. It's a bit
surprising that Zimmer didn't alter the six minutes of "Harvey Two-Face"
to fit better stylistically with the remainder of the score, though its
effectiveness would likely have been diminished if he had done so.
Zimmer toiled for three months with the theme for the
Joker, and in the end, he took a two-note motif and condensed it down to
one note. Debate amongst the fans has ensued about whether one note can
qualify as a theme. It all comes down to the texture of the performance,
and this is where Zimmer defines the idea. This representation isn't
even as much a note as it is a sound effect, a rising tone of a siren
that's been altered into a harsh, digital calling card that is
extraordinarily distinct. With such a blatantly awkward construct, this
rising tone is very effective at representing the character. In "Why So
Serious?," Zimmer drives the point home with a series of equally
abrasive, looped rhythms and pounding ensemble hits. A substantial
amount of ambient design went into this performance, as well as several
others accompanying the Joker and his rising tone. While Zimmer's idea
works, it also proves that any sound effect can be altered to convey a
character or idea with a single note. Perhaps the most famous use of a
unique sound in such a way was with the "Blaster Beam" effect employed
by Jerry Goldsmith in
Star Trek: The Motion Picture. One rip of
that monster pipe and everyone knew that Goldsmith was referring to the
mysterious cloud approaching the Earth. In theory, any noise could
function for a crazed individual, so long as it was presented in an
abnormal way. A hair dryer, a garbage can lid, a squealing baby, the
sigh of an orgasm. The problem with using one sound, one note for the
Joker is that it betrays the complexity of the character. Once again, as
with the Batman character, Zimmer has tried so hard, labored for so
long, that he has over-thought the situation. Praise may be poured on
the idea because it's intellectually different, but that doesn't mean
that it's the best representation for the character. The attempt to
simplify the musical idea for the purposes of being radically different
says more about the composer than it does about the character on screen.
That doesn't mean that the music box and waltz approach of Elfman for
the same character was any better, but at least it was
three-dimensional. On album, Zimmer's "theme" for the Joker is
unlistenable, as is the entire "Why So Serious?" cue. Those nine
minutes, among others in the score, are, as one famous film score
reviewer said, minutes of your life that you'll never get back.
Zimmer integrates his themes well into the mass of the
underscore, with Batman's two-note motif and the Joker's rising tone
easy to identify in several places. The action and suspense material is
perhaps the biggest disappointment of the score, either pointless in its
aimless development or boring in its references to previous Zimmer
works. You have to get a chuckle out of a reprise of
Backdraft
percussion and progressions when the fires in
The Dark Knight
become a factor. More annoying is the use of the "mutiny" theme from
Crimson Tide, a motif used by Zimmer when the submarine crew is
in the active state of an armed takeover, in parts of Batman's extended
identity. You'll hear these similarities especially in the midsections
of "A Dark Knight." Some of the library samples that Zimmer employs are
also reminiscent of
Crimson Tide, including the drum pad and
metallic percussion sounds (among other ambient elements) first heard
late in "Aggressive Expansion." A swooshing sound effect to mimic
Batman's cape is decently incorporated into several cues, but doesn't
have much of an impact. Extended moments of dissonance, as in "A Little
Push," are weakly aided by more uninteresting sound effects. This
distraught tension extends to "I Am the Batman," which may effectively
represent torment of the soul, but offers nothing to please on album.
The penultimate track, "Watch the World Burn," presents Zimmer's cellos
and basses in snooze mode. There are singular, momentary highlights in
the action music between "And I Thought My Jokes Were Bad" and "Introduce
a Little Anarchy," but these will often remind of previous Zimmer
ventures of the 2000's. The familiar ostinato from
Batman Begins
is translated into even more menacing bass string performances at times,
almost overwhelming two cues. The very lengthy "A Dark Knight" is the
most consistently enjoyable album track, even with the violins
translating the Joker's theme obnoxiously at the eleven-minute mark. Its
bombastic brass conclusion of theme at about 14:20 is somewhat
overwrought, however. A slow dissolving of the franchise ostinato (which
is a bit more electronic here) and reprise of the two-note Batman theme
is an appropriate way to finish off the product.
Overall,
The Dark Knight is once again a score
that will likely be carried by the quality of the film. It receives top
grades for effort, but is suspect in terms of actual quality and
consistency. Zimmer has attempted to address the darker ambience of
these Nolan films by simplifying the style of his themes and lowering
the tone of the soundscape to more primordial levels. Whether or not
that philosophy actually works is as interesting a debate as whether or
not Zimmer was artistically capable of providing any other sound for the
concept. Regardless of the fact that Danny Elfman's far more famous
Batman theme would not be a comfortable fit in Nolan's films,
Elfman still displayed something in his music for the franchise that his
friend Zimmer has not: intuition. Undoubtedly, a talented composer
(including Elfman himself) could have taken the brilliant duality of the
original Burton films' scores and adapted the sound for the Nolan
alternatives. Hearing a Batman theme without a sense of duality is
insulting to Bruce Wayne. And on the subject of creativity: a one-note
"theme" for the Joker or the reliance on low strings for a dark ambience
isn't creative. If Zimmer had been able to provide the same effect with
high strings and (God forbid!) woodwinds, then there would be reason to
be impressed. As it is, too much of this music falls into Zimmer's
comfort zone. The score sounds, as usual, as though a heavy hand was
used in the mixing and editing of all the individual performances.
Although the recording used over 100 orchestral players and is,
technically, more organic in that foundation, Zimmer once again gives
the score an overbearing bass mix and a harsh edge that only betrays the
complexity and sophistication of the concept. Howard, who provided
beautiful ideas for both the love theme in the first film and Harvey
Dent here, needs to be excused; if anything, there should be lamentation
that Howard didn't handle these entire scores by himself. In the end,
even the biggest detractors of the score for
The Dark Knight
should recognize that it functions in its basic duties, but Zimmer can't
be let off the hook for his tiring self-references and over-thought
attempts at innovation. Gotham and its hero, despite all their gloom and
despair, still have a heart, and Zimmer has yet to find its pulse.
**
| Bias Check: | For Hans Zimmer reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating
is 2.98 (in 52 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.24
(in 219,436 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
For James Newton Howard reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating
is 3.34 (in 34 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.39
(in 46,712 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
|
The inserts of the initial (July, 2008) releases include a lengthy note from the director
about working with Zimmer and Howard on the score. They also offers extensive credits and
photography from the film.
