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City Hall: (Jerry Goldsmith) A political thriller
penned in part by Nicholas Pileggi, a New York investigative reporter,
City Hall tells the rather gloomy tale of how one side of the law
helps the other, and does it without anybody knowing it. The tough workings
of an inner city, and all of the unsavory handshakes that exist without the
public's knowledge, are the setting for a clash between two characters'
ideals. The city here is New York, and the primary characters are the mayor,
deputy mayor, and a handful of cops, mafia sorts, and attorneys. Directed by
Harold Becker,
City Hall exposes the dealings of an administration at
its best and worst, with intriguing concepts that the film delivers in one
of its many fascinating scenes. But the plotline also sinks the film in the
end, between the inclusion of unnecessary story threads and the equally
needless addition of a chipper ending on an otherwise darkly realistic
picture. Even the strong cast could not salvage
City Hall from the
depths of box office despair in the early winter months of 1996, although
the film would mark the start of a very strong year for composer Jerry
Goldsmith. Having awakened from the slumber of light dramas and ridiculous
comedies in the early 1990's, Goldsmith began returning to the action and
fantasy genres in 1995, and 1996 would prove to be one of the composer's
finest years of production. Of his five projects that year,
City Hall
is likely the more scarcely remembered entry, although it is better than at
least two of his better known, later scores of that year. Suspense and
political mayhem is not a foreign idea for Goldsmith; he had scored Becker's
Malice several years earlier and would be widely recognized for his
work on
L.A. Confidential, the score that most closely resembles
City Hall among Goldsmith's other modern works. To distinguish this
score from others in the genre, Goldsmith takes two creative routes to
achieve a distinct result: a bluesy twist to his themes and an unusual
choice for a dominating primary instrument.
While Goldsmith would employ the timpani again in
L.A.
Confidential, nothing in the composer's career compares to its total and
complete dominance in
City Hall. Goldsmith seems to use the
instrument as the driving heartbeat of the big city and to establish the
importance and weight of the office in which the film exists. In several
action-oriented cues, the timpanis are allowed to roam freely with other
percussion, placing all other sections of the orchestra at a disadvantage.
Even in the lighter character and contemplation cues, the timpani accents
each measure or bar of music to remind the listener of its presence. In "The
King Maker," Goldsmith utilizes a light jazz ensemble of piano and bass to
much of the same degree as in other works, but once again, the timpani
rumbles in the background. The highlight of its performance is the
monumentally robust "The Meet" cue, in which the drum quite literally
challenges the other sections of the orchestra to battle, prevailing in the
end. It's accompanied by tapping cymbals, rambling piano, and ripping snare,
with staccato strings and solo trumpet alternating over the top. The other
element of note in
City Hall is the bluesy spirit of many of the
score's thematic interpretations. Goldsmith has rolled big city jazz and
reduced it down to a level of sleaze that only subtle blues effects and
twists of theme can convey. Imagine all the spirit of the
Love Field
theme sucked out and constricted to its most minimal form. The final two
cues, with a sense of resolution only hinted at in the opening minute of the
score, throbs with crescendos that end on a twist of blues, and even in its
dying moments, the score reminds you of its depth by allowing the timpani to
be mirrored by a piano in low octaves. Electronics exist as per usual, and a
ringing bell (electronic or otherwise) lends a sense of urgency to "The
Cabin." Overall,
City Hall functions well as cohesive whole, though
the softer character theme moments are so strongly overshadowed by the
timpani-rolling action pieces that the score becomes a "three cue wonder."
If you enjoyed
L.A. Confidential, then you will definitely be
impressed by
City Hall. Becoming difficult to find, the album is
recommended for Goldsmith collectors and/or fans of robust percussion.
***
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The insert includes no extra information about the score or film.
