When I think of adventure and excitement, my mind often wanders back a
few hundred years to the days of pirates and elegant, triple-masted
sailing ships. In no other type of film does the color blue so dominate
the screen. Canons, swords, uncharted land, skulls & crossbones, killer
whales, muskets, and sunken treasure inspire raw beauty and danger in
motion pictures.
These tales of heroism have also given birth to great swashbuckling
scores for films of the 1990's. Tribute must be given to the great
scores of the Errol Flynn era when black/white and early color classics
reigned (The Sea Hawk, Captain Blood, Captain Horatio
Hornblower, etc...), but with the existence of these scores engraved
on the memories of longtime film music fans, some people overlook the
fact that there are many great modern swashbuckling scores as well.
For the April, 1998, Theme of the Month, we'll take a look at the best
scores of the 1990's for films that take place long ago on the open seas.
All of the scores that appear below are three to five stars in quality
(*** to *****)
and include a review at Filmtracks. Some of these are brand new
reviews... others are old favorites. Interestingly, there haven't been
any very poor recent scores for films involving swashbuckling and the
open seas. John Williams, Patrick Doyle, John Debney, Vangelis, and Cliff
Eidelman are among those who have written the best brass and choral
themes for the seas. Perhaps there is something about this adventurous
genre that brings out the very best in composers!
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An ABSOLUTE classic! No doubt about it. I haven't heard a single film
music fan speak an ill word about this score to date. Interestingly, this
scoring assignment was originally set for David Arnold, who was fresh off
his enormously successful score for Stargate. Director Renny
Harlin replaced Arnold late in production with another young composer,
John Debney. Perhaps the most curious aspect of this score, then, is the
fact that it sounds very much like David Arnold music. There are
parts of the score that are swashbuckling versions of complete cues heard
in Stargate and Independence Day. The similarities are
unmistakable.
Regardless of Arnold's contributions towards the film, Debney completes an
incredible action score. It is militaristic in style, with a bold and
generous array of brass and percussion. The complexity of the numerous
themes is unparalleled in modern scores. Every section of the orchestra
is working on a different theme at the same time, and together the
product is magnificent. The first ten minutes of CutThroat Island
are so fast paced and loud that you'll be blown out of your seat. The
sheer amount of noise coming from the London Symphony Orchestra and The
London Voices is unbelievable. The chorus is not used to a great degree,
but it makes several key appearances... adding just another level of
complexity to the score.
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Doyle's second score is very much a contrast to his first, Henry
V. To begin with a serious, heroic Shakespearian score and move
directly to a short, lightweight Disney children's film is quite
extraordinary. Compared to Henry V, this score is fluffy and
thematically childish. However, it captures the Disney essence very well,
and sounds remarkably like a typical Alan Menken score.
The main theme for Shipwrecked is perfect for the occasion. It
ties the score together without any doubt. But unfortunately, Doyle
emphasizes the main theme too strongly, and it is repeated over, and
over, and over, and over again... to almost an irritatingly endless
repetition. It might not have been so noticable if he had conjured up a
secondary theme and let the two mingle. But this isn't the case. If the
theme from Henry V was too subtle throughout its score, then the
theme for Shipwrecked hits you over the head so hard that I
guarantee it will be rattling around in your head long after you leave it
behind.
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Fresh off his success with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,
Eidelman was asked to create a powerful score for Christopher
Columbus that would play a major role in the film. After much effort,
he produced by far the longest score of his career, and the perhaps the
most diverse.
This score is rich with theme and texture. It's main theme is seaworthy,
with mixed brass and heavy strings. Although the theme is good, the sound
of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra seems to restrain him somewhat. I would
have loved to hear this score performed by the London Symphony
Orchestra... if it had, it might have been as stirring as Debney's
CutThroat Island. The chorus that Eidelman employs is an
invaluable aspect of the score, but it sounded a little hokey due to poor
mixing. Overall, the effect of the orchestra and chorus together is still
enjoyable. Track #11, when the new world is discovered, is the highlight
of the score. The choral fanfare, accompanyed by the full orchestra, is
momenotus.
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Newcomer Mark Snow is
making quite a name for himself in the television music genre. He has six
Emmy nominations as of 1997 and is best known for his theme to the cult
hits X-Files and Millennium. 20,000 Leagues Under the
Sea was an original ABC Miniseries starring Michael Caine as Captain
Nemo. The production values of this film were spectacular, and the music
was an essential part of the elaborate technical wonders. The series
wasn't great regarding plot --all the main characters are killed and the
Nautilus explodes, which is different than Jules Verne's original story--
but the soundtrack was far better than I expected.
The score is massive in scope and sound. Pipe organs, chorus, and a rich
orchestra are brought together very well. Mark Snow's style is unique;
his music doesn't "remind" me of any one composer, yet he takes the best
bits and pieces from numerous composers and assembles them into his own
style. What results is a symphonic score perfect for the sea, with the
swishing noises of water and bubbling of air at the great depths. The
strings sway as if lost at sea, and the choral accompanyment adds a
majestic touch of beauty and awe. Brass cues accentuate the darker,
urgent moments of peril when the Nautilus is attacked by giant monsters
of the deep sea.
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Call me Gordon. For a television movie, this score is marvelous. It is
one of the best aspects in the film, however very few TV sets could do
this score justice. I remember watching the film and feeling that the
sound quality of the score left much to be desired. On CD, however, this
41-track score is rich with full, orchestral surround-sound majesty.
The main theme figures prominently in the film. It is placed well in the
film --especially in between scenes (when commercials breaks suddenly
appear...). It is a flowing, multi-layered brass theme that reminds me
of the open sea epics and swashbucklers of decades long past. Considering
the time period of the story, it is uniquely appropriate. Some of the
most enjoyable scenes in the film are those in which the Pequod sails
under full masts while the theme is dominant. The beginning and end of
both parts (the film was divided into two parts for maximum
commercialization) feature very powerful performances of the theme.
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I first heard this score on
the overhead stereo at Tower Records in Mountain View, California, and
immediately fell in love with it. The second track of the CD, which
houses the main theme, is stunning. In fact, the only drawback of the
score is the fact that this theme doesn't occur much throughout the rest
of the score (a few times only near the end). The last three tracks are
excellent to listen to while doing chores or homework. This Vangelis
score is much more thematic in nature than his earlier efforts
(especially Bladerunner). The choral sections, synthesized or not,
are worth the price of this CD.
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These two CDs were released at the same time as a pair, although you can
purchase them seperately. They contain much of the same genre of music,
however a slight distinction is made between them; The Mark of
Zorro is dedicated to "swordsman," so it contains a wealth of the
Robin Hood variety. The Crimson Pirate, on the other hand,
is dedicated to "swashbucklers" and is therefore more oriented towards
music involving battles on the high seas. Even with these distinctions,
though, the music sounds much alike.
The Crimson Pirate contains a louder and more robust collection of
overtures and prologues. Many of these swashbuckling themes are infamous
--the same themes you'll remember hearing at the "Pirates of the
Caribbean" ride at Disneyland. Generally, the performances by The City of
Prague Philharmonic are excellent, however there are some blaring
mistakes that sneak through now and again. Captain Blood and
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad are great tracks, with rousing themes.
Bernstein's The Buccaneer is also very enjoyable. Of the recently
composed tracks, Cutthroat Island is far more true to the original
than Hook. I've never been too fond of the concert version of
Hook, though, because it breaks up the incredible prologue track
from the OST. Otherwise, this release is a good, solid listen when in the
mood for ambitous swashbuckling themes.
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Perhaps one of William's best scores of the
90's, this score reflects the best parts of Far and Away, Home
Alone, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It was the last
of Williams' classic children's scores, and it is a monumental score both
in length and scale. It has huge orchestral themes from the likes of
Jurassic Park and the soft, human touch from E.T.. The
choral sections are haunting, especially in track 14. The last ten-minute
track encompasses all four major themes from the film into one
magnificent suite. The cost of the entire CD would be worth tracks 14 and
17. The two songs are somewhat irritating, although the one near the end
(which was nominated for an Academy Award) is well written. The only
major flaw of this soundtrack is its very poor packaging. The only
location of the track names are on the CD (which is just silly!) and
nowhere are track lengths to be seen. In fact, there are no credits for
the album beyond John Williams. Curious, and annoying. But overall, the
great music more than makes up for this flaw.
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