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PRINTER-FRIENDLY VIEW 
Review of Green Zone (John Powell)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... if you seek the thrill of John Powell's scores for the
Jason Bourne franchise in an even more percussively abrasive and
oppressively propulsive environment.
Avoid it... if electronically enhanced, perpetually slashing rhythmic force for over fifty nearly-sustained minutes, despite organic muscularity from strings and brass, is simply too overwhelming for you, especially considering the depressing thematic constructs necessary to enhance the sense of victorious corruption.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Green Zone: (John Powell) Realistic-minded films
about combat conditions in America's second war on Iraq had existed for
a few years prior to Green Zone, but Paul Greengrass' 2010 entry
took that concept and merged it with the star, shooting techniques,
pacing, and music of his two Jason Bourne films. Inevitably
controversial because of its blurred lines between fact and fiction,
Green Zone takes the basic character sets and experiences
outlined in Rajiv Chandrasekaran's fascinating book "Imperial Life in
the Emerald City" and thrusts them into the genre of an action thriller.
[Editor's note: This was the last book I read before suffering a
major setback in my eyesight in 2008. It is gut-wrenching and
entertaining journalism that is an absolute necessity for those seeking
to understand America's early blunders in the war] Green Zone
is essentially a chase film laced with political intrigue; Matt Damon is
an American military officer charged with finding the weapons of mass
destruction that were cited by the disastrous George W. Bush
administration as the primary reason to go to war with Saddam Hussein's
Iraq. As his team continues to take casualties while coming up empty, he
learns that much of the intelligence was fabricated for the CIA and that
the true answer lies with a former Iraqi general who is both the target
of Damon's team and those higher up in the Pentagon seeking to protect
their secrets. As the protagonist fights both his own government and
endures one frustration after another, he eventually finds marginal
solace in the divulgence of his knowledge to the journalist who in real
life was responsible for blowing the lid off of most of the Bush clan's
claims about WMD. While the basic aspects of military life in Iraq's
"Emerald City" and the inspirations for the fictional characters are
clear and indisputable, the actual events of the chase are solely for
storytelling purposes. That didn't stop the film from being labeled
"anti-American" by those supporting the war, however, and Green
Zone sharply divided critics and was ultimately labeled a
substantial fiscal loss for Universal. It did represent the continuation
of a collaboration between Greengrass and composer John Powell, one
which includes both of the director's Bourne films and the lesser known
United 93. Not surprisingly, Powell was asked to emulate much of
the style heard in those two Bourne-related assignments, for the music
functions in Green Zone as the same kind of supporting element as
the quick movements, fast pacing, and downbeat ambience. Interestingly,
while Powell will surprise absolutely nobody with his music for this
entry, he has proven that he is indeed a master of this very specific
sound. It's interesting to hear the composer continue to tweak and
evolve this style with effective results.
The musical equation in Green Zone is very familiar, not simply because it has become a calling card for Powell's career, but because it is a style of accelerated movement that is emulated so often by other composers in response. The ensemble is a dynamic synthetic and organic blend, generating most of its volume with a pounding and slapping percussion section that is in part live and in part sampled. Keyboarded electronic tones are a holdover from the Hans Zimmer playbook, relentlessly enhancing the bass region. An orchestra contributes string and brass performances, the former not typically utilized in the ostinato fashion famous from the Bourne scores but instead tackling more simplistic lines that pulsate with intensity. Brass is utilized for additional muscle as the score reaches its climax. A few colors for locale and character exist, highlighted by mad strumming of acoustic guitar in a few places underneath the rest of the ensemble. It's the percussion that really dominates Green Zone, however, including Taiko drum-like tones that will overwhelm listeners not specifically seeking an adrenaline rush. The thematic constructs in the score are minimal but effective. Introduced at the end of "Opening Book," the main theme's distinct, descending three notes eventually reveal themselves as a full action device late in "Attack and Chase" and one of excruciating orchestral melodrama to cap off "WTF." The most effective aspect of this theme is its capacity to generate that "sinking feeling" that anyone in these circumstances in Iraq must feel. There is a sense of dread and finality that conveys the power of the government in this idea, and by the time Powell forcefully concludes the idea late in the score, there can be no doubt that corruption trumps nobility. The entire score, as to be expected from Powell, is an exercise in rhythm, almost constantly moving with conviction and remarkably increasing its pace and intensity of performance as it progresses. Its 53 minutes on album are fluid and sustaining despite containing only minimal variance in instrumentation and construct. The final minute or so of the score, as the protagonist's report is sent via e-mail to the journalist, allows the listener a slightly more upbeat payoff in the form of Powell's more traditional ostinato figures. Few cues in the middle of this listening experience stand apart from the whole; a couple of synthetic distractions include the outward ethnicity in "Freddy Runs," grinding metallic sounds that border on manipulated voices in "Truth/Magellan/Attack," and an echoing bird call effect at 2:26 into "EVAC Preps Part 2." Worth special mention, however, is "Attack and Chase," a superb five minutes to rival James Newton Howard's "Chase Across DC" from Salt as the year's best techno-action cue. Overall, Green Zone will be too percussively abrasive for some listeners, but if you accept Powell's trademark sound in this genre as a viable approach to modern day thrillers, then it's hard to imagine a more effectively propulsive and dauntingly oppressive work than this. ****
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 52:51
NOTES & QUOTES:
The insert includes no extra information about the score or film.
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