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Orchestrated and Conducted by:
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Nick Glennie-Smith
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Release Date:
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August 15th, 1995
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Availability:
Regular U.S. release.
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Filmtracks Editorial Review:
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| | Zimmer | |
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Beyond Rangoon: (Hans Zimmer) Director John Boorman is
no stranger to the action genre set in exotic locations, and Beyond
Rangoon would be a thrilling tale of every American tourist's worst
nightmare come true. The story places an American doctor and her sister on a
vacation in Burma, but the main character's passport is stolen and she
becomes separated from her tour group. While waiting for a replacement, she
witnesses a government crime that she was not supposed to see, and she ends
up on the run for her life. The edgy atmosphere in Beyond Rangoon, or
any Boorman film for that matter, is balanced by an almost serene visual
beauty. The film's breathtaking cinematography of Burma is a blatant
contrast to the horror of the story, so the job of composer Hans Zimmer was
to write a score that would root its disturbed nature in an atmosphere of
beauty. Zimmer composed Beyond Rangoon at roughly the same time as
The Lion King, marking an enormously busy period for the composer
even before his Academy Award win. As he would do several times in the
mid-1990's, Zimmer brought his vast array of synthesizer technology to the
table, and supplemented it with a small handful of traditional instruments
and soloists to mask the harsh sound of the electronics. Zimmer was
initially somewhat nervous about scoring Beyond Rangoon because of
his enormous respect for John Boorman, as well as the director's keen
knowledge about musical styles and construction. At the same time, the
prospect of working with Boorman was equally inspiring, because Boorman's
films, as mentioned above, always seem to offer composers a spectacular
visual to accompany with the music. While the scores for Boorman thrillers
haven't always been the melodic types, Zimmer would approach the project
with a very melodic result in mind.
The success of Beyond Rangoon for Zimmer began with
his choice of instrumentation. The electronics, despite their inherent
weaknesses, are used primarily as bass-driving devices, providing a steady
beat and occasional sharp hit for moments of fright. This is how Zimmer
creates the horror; the score is extremely heavy in the bass, not only in
the mixing of the recording, but also by design. This way, Zimmer avoids the
stereotypical crashing of the upper range electronics (except, perhaps, in
the seventh cue) that would tarnish Media Ventures scores like The
Rock. With the synthesizers contained to a supporting role, the truly
wonderful instruments of the score can shine. The ethnic flute/pipe
performed by Richard Harvey is the central voice of the score, offering a
feel for the culture of Burma while also soothing the listener. Upper and
lower range pipes alternate in performances opposite a single female voice.
The ethereal wordless vocals offer an additional sense of beauty to the
location, and drive the spirit of the female characters in the film. Often
in the background behind these performances are ethnic bells and chimes that
cause a significantly watery effect on the score. These four elements all
together are a strikingly cohesive ensemble, performing often with awesome
beauty. Their roles wouldn't be as impressive if not for Zimmer's nearly
constant thematic presentation. With very slow tempi from the outset, the
themes are elegant, though simple, and their deliberate pace allows the
beauty of the performances to sink in even further. The repetitive, though
fluid construct of these rhythms is similar to parts of Toys,
especially with the very heavy bass electronics. Overall, the recording
quality is extremely clear, and it is mixed with a wet sound that suggests
an almost dreamy state in which the plot is taking place. The final suite on
the album is a stunning piece, and compensates for occasionally overbearing
cues earlier on the album. A hidden Zimmer gem. ****
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Viewer Ratings and Comments:
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• 1. Waters of Irrawaddy (3:46)
• 2. Memories of the Dead (1:43)
• 3. I Dreamt I Woke Up (8:41)
• 4. Freedom From Fear (1:06)
• 5. Brother Morphine (1:03)
• 6. Our Ways Will Part (7:11)
• 7. Village Under Siege (4:07)
• 8. Beyond Rangoon (10:09)
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Insert includes notes about both the score and film. Some track times are mislabelled on album (1. 3:48, 5. 1:44, 7. 4:11).
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