Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #841
Written 12/7/07
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Buy it... if you were impressed by the brazen choral chanting and
modern edge to the score's extremely bombastic action sequences in the
film.
Avoid it... if you're considering an album purchase based on the
hype surrounding the score and the composer's reputation, for neither
can compensate for music that lacks a soul.
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| Silvestri |
Beowulf: (Alan Silvestri) Despite being the oldest
story in the history of the English language, Beowulf has been
largely absent from adaptations to the screen. Director Robert Zemeckis
tackles the ancient tale of warriors and monsters with the same
rotoscoped filming methodology that created controversy for his 2004
film The Polar Express. Earning well in its initial weeks at the
box office, Beowulf attracts both fans of animation and
traditional action, with an epic story led by rotoscoped versions of a
noteworthy cast. The project would mark the twelfth collaboration
between Zemeckis and composer Alan Silvestri, who has been active with
light drama, adventure, and comedy scores in between Zemeckis projects.
In the adventure genre specifically, the bar was set high early in their
collaboration, with no score in their pairing equaling the enthusiasm of
their early work for Back to the Future. Expectations were
significant for Beowulf, especially within the film score
community, and it is perhaps in part due to this anticipation that the
score has not been received particularly well by many in that community.
Silvestri's recent journeys in the genre have been enjoyable and
undemanding, with efforts like Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life and Van
Helsing providing thrills that don't win awards but make for quite
decent listening experiences. With Beowulf, it's easy to get the
impression that Silvestri and Zemeckis were trying to hit a home run.
The score is as ambitious as any Silvestri has ever recorded, both in
the bombast inherent in the composition as well as the diversity of the
recording ensemble. The orchestra is joined by a sizable choir and an
array of synthesized effects to produce a "modern" action score that
could possibly appeal to a younger audience. Interestingly, though,
Silvestri's attempts to produce that generational merging simply don't
"feel right." In these regards, the score seems as artificial as the
rotoscoping visuals. It's probable that what Silvestri was aiming for
was the kind of genre-bending sound that John Debney accomplished well
with The Scorpion King, a score that makes much better use of the
electric guitar with an orchestral ensemble. The balance between the
elements in Beowulf isn't handled as well, and with a choir that
shouts more than it sings, the score is unsettling in its anxious push
to impress you. Parts of it do indeed capture your interest, but others
are simply aggravating.
Silvestri's title for
Beowulf is very memorable,
but not really in the right ways. The nine-note fanfare for brass and
choir is repeated so often in the score that it wears badly in
Silvestri's lack of adaptation and creative arrangement of it. The
progression features an almost Middle-Eastern feel that is out of place
in story. Secondary motifs exist, including one for the beast, but their
development is weak. The title theme is injured more often by its stale
orchestration and predictable pacing than its basic construct. The
opening title piece strikes you with an immediate, negative impression,
creating a bed of synthetic loops and electric guitar performances
before launching into an extremely forceful, male-dominated choral
chanting of the title theme. The major action pieces suffer from the
same infliction of electronic elements, and what's surprising about the
disappointing nature of these attempts at sonic diversity is the fact
that Silvestri has proven so wise with similar choices in the past. As
the score progresses into its second half, several contemplative pieces
save the album. The two seduction cues involving the mother of the beast
are quite beautiful, with a softer mixed chorus performing a secondary
theme with enticing harmony. That theme is based on "A Hero Comes Home,"
one of two miniature folk songs performed by actress Robin Wright-Penn
(as the queen). "He Has a Story to Tell" and "Full of Fine Promises,"
among others, feature majestic moments that occasionally elevate
Beowulf to levels that its action music cannot match. Percussion
usage is poor, with a cue like "Beowulf Slays the Beast" failing to
reach the dynamic creativity of
Predator and instead relying too
heavily on tired synth loops. The theme in "A Hero Comes Home" would be
translated into a rock song for the end credits, performed by Broadway
star Idina Menze and whose voice is perhaps too refined for the badly
overlayed synthetic orchestra. Overall, the score for
Beowulf is
an odd venture that tries so hard to please you and yet ultimately
proves to be dull and uninspired. It's the ghost of a typical Silvestri
score, with recognizable constructs from his career sometimes reminding
us of the composer. But despite being functional, this music lacks a
soul, and it's difficult to pinpoint the exact reason why. One could
blame the rotoscoping, but where's the sense in that?
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
Bias Check:
For Alan Silvestri reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.47
(in 43 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.33
(in 40,196 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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