From the first frame, it sets your teeth on edge, the mountains, still, flooded with the atonal drone of Johnny Greenwood’s score. Something is deeply wrong, and it’s down to the rocks, suffused in the earth itself. Eventually, it must out, bursting from the Earth in a destructive flood. This is the greatest synchronicity of tone and intent between composer and filmmaker I can think of – in one shot, accompanied by one melodic line, the central thematic of the film is introduced and impressed indelibly. From there, both film and score build into an ever larger and more sophisticated structure, a referendum on the American, or perhaps human, endeavor in its most essential facets, ranging from deep below the crust of the Earth to its most lofty mansions. The rot of ambition and avarice is like a cancer throughout, unnoticed beneath the surface except for the omnipresent, unnerving evocation of Greenwood’s work, forging an unbreakable tension in its unerring portrayal of the vicissitudes of existence and survival.
We saw Empire Strikes Back already. It represents the series better than any other. Jaws is great and Williams is great, but that score is not upper tier Williams. GBU I’m on board with.
She’s right, all of them were. In fact, one of the most enjoyable dvd extras is on disc 2 of the DVD (though not on the blu-ray), where every scene from the early films which the songs came is played in full. It’s almost like a history of 30’s musicals, if a bit out of sequence.
Wasn’t there a problem with the Academy not nominating this score because it had elements from previously published material Greenwood had written? I really don’t know the technicalities, nor do I care (this is a great score and a great choice for #5), but what with the technicalities of the list and all…
I would be shocked if the next four we see aren’t ‘Star Wars’ ‘Psycho’ ‘Jaws’ and ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly’
We saw Empire Strikes Back already. It represents the series better than any other. Jaws is great and Williams is great, but that score is not upper tier Williams. GBU I’m on board with.
I’ll be pretty shocked if Singin’ in the Rain isn’t in the top 4.
The songs for Singin’ in the Rain were all from previous films though, so I think it would be ineligible by BP’s rules
She’s right, all of them were. In fact, one of the most enjoyable dvd extras is on disc 2 of the DVD (though not on the blu-ray), where every scene from the early films which the songs came is played in full. It’s almost like a history of 30’s musicals, if a bit out of sequence.
Whoa this is high!
Wasn’t there a problem with the Academy not nominating this score because it had elements from previously published material Greenwood had written? I really don’t know the technicalities, nor do I care (this is a great score and a great choice for #5), but what with the technicalities of the list and all…
Maybe they discuss it in the episode.