Pride and Prejudice

Dario Marianelli’s uncompromising Oscar-nominated score for Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's literary masterpiece Pride & Prejudice truly stands out in the 2000-2010 scoring era. This is Marianelli’s first union with Wright, who went on to score Atonement, The Soloist, and Anna Karenina, but it was Pride & Prejudice that launched Marianelli into the spotlight after receiving the Oscar nomination.

I went into this film with no expectations, and no knowledge of Marianelli’s score. This definitely helped me to have a unbiased approach to the film, only later hearing all the very strong opinions people have concerning the film who see it as their religious duty to uphold the 1995 version, or the “correct version,” of Jane Austen’s most sacred Pride & Prejudice. First it was a great film (I didn't say better than the 1995 version), and secondly I’m reviewing the score. Let's move on.

Dawn, Stars and Butterflies, Leaving Netherfield, The Living Sculptures of Pemberley, Georgiana, and Credits all hearken back to early Bach sonatas. Marianelli wanted a portion of the score to have a more authentic approach. What would Lizzie have heard in her day? The more traditional music brought a sense of authenticity to the film as a whole. The songs are pretty, light, and joyous.

In the main dances, Meryton Townhall, Can’t Slow Down, and Another Dance, Marianelli uses traditional English Country tunes for the Bennets’ energetic dancing. The important thing to notice is that there is zero emotion put into these songs. We get halfway into the film and up comes A Postcard to Henry Purcell, where Darcy and Lizzie have their first dance. Marianelli abandons the unemotional English country themes and breaks right into a sweeping violin solo. There is so much to say about these 3 minutes. First off, the scene is phenomenal. As Lizzie and Darcy dance and taunt each other, the camera swivels around emphasizing the intensity. The beginning of the song features only a violin, but slowly the strings come in, growing stronger, and the violin yearning . The people around are lost, literally removed from the screen, the song now fully emphasizing Lizzie and Darcy's sole concentration on each other. Three-quarters of the way through the song Lizzie and Darcy’s dialogue ceases and the music takes over, the strings now in full strength, the violin repeating in almost a minimalistic manner the core elements, over and over again, passionately, without compromise, as Darcy and Lizzie dance.

The song effectively communicates the strong feelings that are presented in the scene. Lizzie now doesn't know what to think of Darcy, she’s upset that she cares, she's conflicted. Yes, she’s in love and she doesn't know it. A good score shows you this without any dialogue. You should see that she's in love and more importantly, hear it. Dario’s adaptation of Henry Purcell’s Abdelazar fits perfectly and is one of the highlights of the score. Simply breathtaking.

This begins the more romantic set of emotional, repeating elements that will be heard throughout the rest of the film. The Secret Life of Daydreams features a piano hopping around lightly, signifying Lizzie’s thoughtful heart, the wheels in her head turning, the life before her, and the choices she must make.

The beginning of Darcy's Letter reveals the first contentious piece of music heard in the score: the harsh repetition of strings creates an anxious mood which then shifts down to a soft, mournful tone featuring a cello. Lizzie receives the letter and the final stage is set for the ending of the film; now knowing the truth and how she was wrong. This mournful theme perfectly shows her remorse.

Now, the climax, Your Hands Are Cold, where Darcy and Lizzie are finally reconciled and love confessed. Beginning with the same tension as Darcy’s Letter, the song then transitions into a mellow harp accompaniment, but then springs into a full out, lush, sweeping melody; racing across the piano just as their hearts race to each other. This is the romantic climax of the film and Marianelli effectively shows the restrained passion delivered in this scene. It continues, in a very resolved tone, with soft strings containing a harp accompaniment. This is one of Marianelli’s finest moments and one of my favorites songs for film.

"Breathtakingly passionate"

Mrs. Darcy begins with the main theme, Dawn, and then transitions into a solely stringed  climax and then again transitions into the main theme, this time played with strength and swiftness. Emphasizing resolution and tying the film together, this song, especially the middle section, expresses Lizzie and Darcy’s tenderness and love to the fullest extent, leaving the viewer with a compelling impression.This is a five star score, both effective and traditional providing essential emotion to the movie as a whole. Jean-Yves Thibaudet piano playing was exceptional. I constantly come back to Marianelli's score because it is at times subtly tender and at others breathtakingly passionate.

Braveheart

Mel Gibson's tale of William Wallace leading his Scottish country men to freedom is, simply put, one of the greatest (and most inaccurate) films I have seen, and James Horner’s Academy Award Nominated score (1995) deserves none other than just that praise; beautiful, tearfully mournful, inspirational, touching and glorious, it is without doubt one of Horner’s greatest contribution to film. The score could not have been more effective or moving. Brings me to tears.

To start off you really can’t appreciate the majesty of this work unless you've seen the film. I listened to the score for years and it was decent, but when I viewed the film I witnessed the music to its perfection because the emotion of the score is tied to the emotion of the film.

Every great film has a main title and Horner’s Main Title perfectly sets the mood for the film. The bagpipes play the main theme as spectacular landscapes of Scotland are shown emphasizing its beauty and purity. From the first landscape shown and the first sound of the pipes you love Scotland. Into its latter half, it transitions into strings, grows mournful, setting the stage for the sadness that will hit in the very beginning of the film, and lastly displays a horn solo.  

A Gift a Thistle is breathtaking. The scene is simply beautiful. Young Wallace watches his father’s burial with a tearless determined stare and a piercing glint is seen in his eyes. Shot in semi slow motion, young Murron (Wallace's future wife) bends down and picks a thistle and slowly draws close to Wallace. The moment Murran picks the thistle the Love Theme is witnessed. The song begins playing the theme with a flute and then clearly presents the cue with a bagpipe and harp accompaniment. Murron looks into his eyes and presents him with the thistle, thus sowing the seeds of love and laying the groundwork for the rest of the film. Interestingly, only half of the love theme is played here. The theme simply shows the love that will grow, but not the grief that will accompany it. Scotland is displayed in the background, and the flower is so touching and meaningful it shatters Wallace’s stony disposition, allowing him to weep over his father’s death. The cue drove the emotion of the film so poignantly and strikingly, leaving me in tears by the beauty of only ten minutes of film.

The film transitions to Wallace, now in the prime of his life, planning to marry and begin the life of a farmer uninvolved with political turmoil. Wallace Courts Murron concentrates on the love theme that was presented in A Gift Of a Thistle. Wallace pursues a relationship with his childhood, thistle giving, admirer Murron riding together around the Scottish countryside. As their love grows, the pleasant cue transitions from emphasization of bagpipes, to flute, and finally to a full orchestra in which Wallace proposes to Murron. 

In The Secret Wedding Horner expands on Wallace and Murron’s theme and adds a whole dimension to it. The main theme is repeated again with a stuttering flute and then, from 1m 40s through 2m 30s, in the same style, the latter half of what will be the love theme from Braveheart is presented. To protect Murron, Wallace marries her in secret; holding a rather earthy ceremony in the woods. The flute gorgeously displays the theme in a light compassionate manner while the strings, gradually intensifying, emphasize the brooding sadness. Horner magnificently sets the stage for this film. The cue effective emotionally connects the viewer with Wallace’s love for Murron and his passion, strength, and desire to be excluded from political turmoil. The theme is repeated in For the Love of a Princess with very similar movements to The Secret Wedding, but halfway through the theme grows more mournful, and then lastly more confidently displays the fullest of Braveheart’s Love Theme at 3m.

Accompanying the murder of Wallace’s wife, Attack on Murron presents the first tense piece of music of the score. A brooding horn is witnessed followed by a steady drum beat leading unto a harsher, more steady, version of the main love theme. Revenge follows as Wallace and local peasants overthrow the local English garrison. Increasing repetition of heavy drums, synthesizers, and ethnic instruments violently emphasize Wallace’s passionate anger and fearless resolve to overthrow, capture, and bring to death the slayer of his beloved. While both songs aren't memorable highlights of the score, the cues do their job to propel a rather traumatic portion of the film.

Grief overwhelms Wallace as Murron’s Burial commences. The main love theme is heard again as Wallace mourns the death of his beloved wife. Drawing near to Murron’s father, Wallace without uttering words requests forgiveness for her death as he reverently kneels before him in submission. Murron’s father holds a stark cold stare as the strings intensify the theme, and in increasing volume sustain it as Murron’s father tentatively reaches forward and lays his hand on Wallace's head. The touch, signifying his forgiveness, immediately releases the passionate sustain of the theme on the strings; the song then mellowing out.

What makes Horner’s work here so different is his ability to intensify and expand themes. Not only is the love theme heart wrenching and at the same time gorgeously passionate, Horner expands it throughout the film. The brief moment of sustain in Murron’s Burial, while simple, is a perfect example of change in a given cue. As stories unravel and progress so should themes. Bottom line: Expansion or strengthening of a theme emotionally connects the viewer with a given climax or subclimax of a film.

Beginning with a somewhat similar ominence found in Revenge, Making Plans, Gathering the Clans then transitions at 1m into a bagpipe swifty fluttering a variation of the main theme as the neighboring clans gather to form Wallace’s rebel army. The Legend Spreads is very similar only with a more powerful string accompaniment. Both are effective and unique cues.

Sons of Scotland features the first piece of inspiring music audible in the film. Beginning with a drum beat, it climaxes in the middle with the introduction of the Freedom Theme. “Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!” yells Williams Wallace with passion, conviction and unmatched courage to his outnumbered troops before the Battle of Stirling. The strings play a short yet dramatic cue related to other cues of the score but with a sharp distinctive difference. Hope.

Braveheart is saturated with tragedy from the very beginning to the very end. What’s incredible is it’s ability to inspire in face of it. The idea that freedom is worth dying for inspires us. In the face of death, his wife’s death, and his country's brutal captivity Wallace has hope and it’s ground shaking. The theme perfectly complements the mournful portions of the film and presents needed contrast and inspiration.

Following Wallace's speech the Battle of Stirling commences. The first 3.5m is a mixture of tensious drum beats, bag pipes, and strings audited during the battle. The battle comes to a close, and as the Scots realize their victory a single horn plays the main theme and transitions triumphantly into the Freedom Theme, this time played longer, with more passion, vigor, and hope than previously heard in Sons of Scotland. The unexplainable awe emoted from this portion of the film and the respect it presents for the values of freedom, honor, and courage is truly impressive. Horner’s score is an unchangeable factor in the viewer accurately feeling the impact of the core elements of this epic.

Falkirk is a rather frenetic piece played before the battle of Falkirk. None of the main themes are displayed. Money’s Dream resembles the last half of Falkirk. Both are effective cues in their context but don’t hold only memorable moments.

Betrayal and Desolation opens with a slow drum beat with a heart wrenching string movement that follows throughout most of the the song as Wallace's allies abandon him leaving the battle for the English to take with a swift hand. The movements are very striking and encapsulate the grief the betrayal causes Wallace. A tense cue is heard from 2:30m-3:30m as the Scots are routed, but my personal favorite moment follows as Wallace discovers Robert the Bruce’s betrayal. Falling to the ground, Wallace is pierced; the Love Theme now audible in an even slower more mournful demonstration then heard in The Secret Wedding. Little is said between them, but the cue powerfully displays Wallace's grief and more importantly Robert’s remorse. A riveting piece of orchestration.

Accompanied with a soft harp, The Princess Pleads for Wallace's Life is a short melodic track demonstrating a variation of the Main Theme through a stuttering flute. A peaceful song illustrating the princess's love for Wallace and her attempt to save his life.

I can think of few songs in the vast field of film music displaying more awe, beauty, and determination than Braveheart’s conclusion cue Freedom, The Execution, Bannockburn. The setting leaves Wallace captured by the English and sentenced to a torturous death unless he submits to the King. As the process begins the scene (showing only his upper half hiding the details of his torture) focuses on Wallace’s fearless forward glare; emphasizing his determination and will. The song begins with a piercingly inspirational flute with a soft string movement flowing into a stronger build up with deep set drums repeating again and again a cue as Wallace holds in his anguish. For 1:50m Wallace gathers up strength to speak and as Wallace shouts, “FREEDOM” in a long determined bellow the cue climaxes into the Freedom Theme played for the third and last time. The theme is heard more passionately than before now driving the very heart of the scene and the climax of the film without compromise or blemish.

Wallace is dying and yet we are filled with awe and inspiration. This is the beauty of James Horner, who fills us with a deep respect for one who dies for fellow Scotsmen, his values, and his country. We respect his honor and just as the Freedom Theme plays as Wallace rallies his men with courage before and after Stirling so does it play ever more passionately as Wallace inspires valor in us as we witness him in the face of death triumph in his heart over the captors of his beloved Scotland. Horner could not have written a work that propelled the emotion of the epic more poignantly. 

From 2:40m-3:30m the Love Theme is heard for the last time as Wallace remembers Murron, imagining her in the crowd of onlookers. Wallace presents a final content smile as the executioner takes his life. 3:30m-4:30m presents a low drum roll and then transitions into the Main Theme; the cue building from 4:30m-6m. As Robert the Bruce relates, “In the year of our Lord 1314, patriots of Scotland, starving and outnumbered, charged the fields of Bannockburn. They fought like warrior poets. They fought like Scotsmen. And won their freedom” the cue climaxes into a magnificently triumphant display of Braveheart’s Main Theme, the strings, bagpipes, and drums in full swing as the Scots charge the fields and the film closes. This last presentation of the Main Theme is breathtaking and successfully ties the whole film together emoting a lasting compelling impression.

End Credits incorporates a number of the themes into a very pleasant ending suite for the credits. More importantly, it doesn't cut from any portion of the score. Horner writes a completely stand alone song displaying unique variations of the themes in an uplifting and inspiring manner.

"One of the most compelling pieces 

of orchestration for film"

Few scores written for film in my opinion capture the heart of a film as well as James Horner’s score for Braveheart. It’s an overwhelming 5 star score and ranks as one of my favorite scores of all time. It’s beauty, it’s sorrow, and it’s inspiration. One of the most compelling pieces of orchestration for film. Not only is Horner's work beautiful it changes and expands as the film progresses. The love theme is lightly heard first in A Gift of a Thistle and then expanded on in Wallace Courts Murron. But Horner didn’t stop there. The Secret Wedding adds a whole new aspect to the theme weaving the tragic aspect of Murron and Wallace’s marriage with the power of his courage. The theme is heard to it’s fullest in For the Love of a Princess and reprises in Freedom, The Execution, Bannockburn as Wallace comes to peace with his life; smiling as it is taken. The Freedom Theme is heard three times each time goring stronger climaxing as the film comes together magnificently as Wallace, in the act of ding, defies submission, cruelty, and oppression. James Horner creates themes successfully paralleling the story and then utilizes them to their fullest potential; each theme heard in it’s fullest and most compelling form.

"Every man dies, not every man really lives” - William Wallace

The Dark Knight Rises

If you're like me (a die hard Hans Zimmer fan) then you were definitely waiting quite awhile for this score’s release with eager anticipation. For me it was 2012’s most anticipated score. Yes, even more than The Hobbit. You probably accessed it the day it was published which I did; being one of the few scores I listened to before seeing the motion picture. After Batman Begins, and its groundbreaking sequel The Dark Knight, I must say, it had a lot to live up to. The question of whether or not it did remains a question. 

Zimmer established some of the core Dark Knight Trilogy cues right in the opening titles Vespertilio of the first installment of the trilogy. The rather repetitive, dark, and yet effective approach to batman distanced himself from Danny Elfman’s approach 20 years earlier. The main action theme, Molossus, carried the action of the movie so far forward that Elfman has been forgotten. The point is that Hans did something new with Batman Begins; a score that at least I can say I've never heard before. With The Dark Knight, he expanded on those themes making them clearer, darker, and more complete. The Joker theme, while eerie, effectively accompanied The Dark Knight’s nemesis through the second installment  Hans Zimmer did something creative and new. He didn't just write a sequel score, but a whole new work of art entirely. 

But of course, this isn't a Batman Begins or Dark Knight review so on to Hans Zimmer’s third installment The Dark Knight Rises. My feelings “off the bat”: I’m disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, this is a decent score. The score effectively moves this movie along, but I have come to expect more than just that from the best film music composer of the early 21st century (in my opinion). The score is muddied, too repetitive of previous cues, and lacks clarity. Most of all, it misses James Newton Howard sorely. 

James Newton and Hans worked together for the previous two installments. In a nutshell, Howard brought tenderness and emotion to the first two films through songs like Corynorhinus and Harvey Dent Two-Face. The soft solo piano theme surrounding Bruce’s past and his decisions are the key elements that propel the films into more than just normal super hero flicks. There are real emotions and real issues here, and Howard was key to helping the audience see that.

For the Dark Knight Rises, Howard leaves, and what we have left is a very Zimmer score. Howard’s theme is seen once in Nothing Out There, but that’s it. It’s never expanded on, changed, or used to the same impact. Here is where I was most disappointed. To me, what made the first two scores great was the integrated fast paced, electronic/orchestrated, minimalistic action-themed cues with strong and yet simple emotional themes interwoven with the sequences of the film.

Now on to the score itself. I won’t review every song, just the ones that stuck out to me.

Gotham’s Reckoning reveals Bane’s theme to its fullest extent. It features a chorus of chanting, which is steadily repeated over and over again. This is the main new theme that Zimmer created for this film. To one extent I liked it, but to another extent I didn't  To start off, it gave The Dark Knight Rises’ villain a sense of scale. Bane is the people rising up against the rich governing elite class and the dark chanting chorus successfully represents, in a sense, Bane’s plurality.  Bane is not the villain. His ideas are. War against law, order, and institutional justice. The chant communicates that it isn't just Bane who brings war, but the people as well. The problem is the theme never went anywhere. It’s repeated over and over again throughout the score, but it never changes. A true theme magnifies as characters change and stories unravel. It grows more clear and most importantly more bold. I would have been at least more satisfied hearing the same thing in a different way, but no. Overall the theme fulfills its purpose, but doesn't go beyond.

With the addition of the new female lead, Selina Kyle, a new theme is needed for Batman’s complex friend/foe.  Mind if I Cut In?’s light, high-pitched, fluttery piano perfectly matches the essence of the Catwoman. Cat burglars aren't supposed to be heard. Zimmer’s piano theme lightly jumps around thoroughly emphasizing Kyle’s sleekness. We hear the theme again in the latter part of Fear Will Find You, but just like Bane’s theme, we don’t see change, build up, or resolution. While I grant Bane never changes in the film, so his theme going unchanged is acceptable, I believe Zimmer really missed it with Kyle’s theme. Being one of the more interesting characters of the film, Kyle dramatically changes from the start to end; first believing that theft is justified because of social injustice and that the powerful rich class are the cause of misfortune, she changes later as she sees the cause and effect of her ideas played out. Because of this, I would liked to have seen her theme intensified and blown up, so we can more clearly see her transition.

Finally, Why Do We Fall?, which, simply put, is the best song of the score. Emotionally gripping, fast paced, and grand; bringing scale and pulse to the film. The song magnificently builds and builds in a clear and concise manner. One of Zimmer’s highlights for the trilogy.

Despair deserves a brief mention. Taking one of the main cues, it draws it out quite a bit in a loud brassy tone ending rather triumphantly. Epic song. I love the change.

While some will be horrified, the main action themes The Fire Rises, Imagine the Fire, No Stone Unturned, and Risen From Darkness all run together for me. I wasn't impressed one bit. If you listen, you’ll see that they’re rather muddied, unclear, and repetitive; a mish-mash. One theme would start developing and then it would cut short. I found the electronic throbbing noises irritating. The themes used were the same as previous films. When the Bane theme was heard it never changed in a way that’s appropriate for an effective action sequence.


At last, Rise. I must say, I was super psyched when I saw the title to this song. My hope was that Zimmer was going to knock it out of the park with just about the most epic conclusion song ever. It was epic, but not new. 1m - 1m 30sec is a direct cut from Barbastella, while the rest is a near cut from A Dark Knight besides being slowed up a bit. So while it is an epic song, we have nothing truly new. The End is simply a remixed version of Rise played in the credits.

"Fell short in many ways 
to effectively go beyond 
simply accompanying the film"

In the end, I grant this score 2.5 stars. A good score which did its purpose, had a couple memorable moments, but fell short in many ways to effectively go beyond simply accompanying the film. I do want to make one last note: I appreciated that Water-Tower Music released a much larger portion of the complete score than is usual for Zimmer scores. You’ll hear my rant about incomplete scores when I review The Prince of Egypt, Batman Begins, and The Village.