Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you believe that Rachel Portman can do no wrong with her predictably harmonic writing for piano and strings. Avoid it... if you prefer her less troubled, solemn, and morbidly contemplative music for romantic comedies that feature extroverted thematic identities. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
The Human Stain: (Rachel Portman) Based upon the acclaimed 2000 novel of the same title by Philip Roth, the story of The Human Stain concluded a trilogy of dramas by the author and was translated to the big screen by Miramax in 2002. The release of the picture was pushed through several dates in the following year, finally settling upon Halloween as the time at which to woo Academy members. The film's cast was similarly built for Oscar consideration, placing several winners of the award in leading roles. Anthony Hopkins portrays a respected, but tarnished New England classics professor who battles with a torrid sexual affair (with Nicole Kidman), her extremely unstable husband (Ed Harris), and various other issues, including race and religion. As a series of revelations continues to unfold for the audience, the film advertises itself as a top entry in heavy character dramas. Between the awkward, fleshy sex scenes between Hopkins and Kidman and the extremely depressing conclusion of the story, though, The Human Stain wasn't a romantic crowd pleaser at any level. While it was originally to be strictly an arthouse release, Miramax pushed the film to widespread distribution. This was good news for composer Rachel Portman (another member of the production with an Academy Award win), who had spent the previous two years branching off into unfamiliar genre territory. Portman was considered the foremost composer in the genre of romantic dramas and comedies, gaining a loyal following of hopelessly romantic listeners who enjoy her simple, but loving orchestral touch. The films which she had scored in those two years flew below the radar, with 2000's Chocolat being her previous major success on album. It was likely that her work for The Human Stain would also cater to her loyal audience, but whether it could muster the same support as The Cider House Rules and Chocolat depended likewise on how well received the movie was at awards time. In and of itself, Portman's score for The Human Stain isn't dynamic or flashy enough to stretch its legs much beyond the success of the film. In fact, it's so tethered to the production that the script's haphazard shifts in time and place are the biggest factor in hindering Portman's usual operational flow. This film is intensely personal, and so is the music, refraining from making too broad of a statement in theme and concentrating instead on the perils and achievements of singular characters. The awkward pacing of the film (and its disjointed changes of scene) didn't allow the composer to develop clear consistency in her structures throughout the work. If you're expecting one of Portman's upbeat, grand themes, read no further, because The Human Stain has no such thing. Instead, Portman tones back her scope, as well as the size of her orchestral ensemble. The performing group is heavy on the strings, and leaves most of the woodwinds, brass, and percussion behind. The personality of the score is placed solely on the shoulders of the piano, Portman's most familiar instrument. It is almost a cliche to use a piano in smaller, character-driven films such as this. As Elmer Bernstein mentioned when he composed his awards-contender Far From Heaven, the piano is the kind of instrument you find in homes both rich and poor, acting as a symbol of the trials and successes of both small and great people. Portman follows that line of thinking in every cue, making the soft tones of the piano the omnipresent element in the score. But despite the obvious use of the instrument in these situations, Portman continues to handle its sparse sound (not personally; while she composes on a piano, others perform the instrument for her recordings, and in this case, it is John Lenehan) with class and grace. The meandering piano theme at the heart of the score, sometimes offered in pieces as smaller motifs, is performed at nearly every moment in The Human Stain, maintaining a basic level of consistency that translates into a very easy listening experience on album (and venturing closely to Mark Snow's occasional style of writing). Strings offer dramatic backing in every cue as well, presenting the usual lush sound that Portman fans have come to expect. The rearrangement of the end titles features the only octave-bouncing strings that are another trademark of her career. The score succeeds in its intentions at every turn, but it is very introverted and subdued, matching the extremely solemn and morbid environment on screen. Its mix in the film, as need be mentioned, is quite poor. Collectors of her comedy work should be aware that The Human Stain is an extremely restrained, yet equally harmonic work, a basically pleasant, but undoubtedly troubled and contemplative score. *** Track Listings:
Total Time: 35:09
All artwork and sound clips from The Human Stain are Copyright © 2003, Lakeshore Records. The reviews and notes contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Filmtracks Publications. Audio clips can be heard using RealPlayer but cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 10/5/03, updated 3/13/09. Review Version 4.1 - PHP (Filmtracks Publications). Copyright © 2003-2013, Christian Clemmensen. All rights reserved. |
