 |
|
| Ottman |
|
|
Incognito: (John Ottman) This is one of those
examples of a movie concept that should achieve cult status, but instead
failed so miserably at the box office and thereafter that you have to
sit and contemplate where it all went wrong. The concept of
Incognito involves Jason Patric as one of the world's foremost
forgers of classic paintings. When he decides to paint one last
Rembrandt and pass it off as real (so that he can retire on the
earnings), he gets caught up in the murder mystery surrounding the
potential buyer of the painting. He has to prove his innocence by
painting a Rembrandt in court, leading to one of the more interesting
court scenes ever put on film. There's also a fair amount of chasing in
the film as well. The task of scoring the project for rising talent John
Ottman was one of infinite possibilities, and he took advantage of every
last drop of creative energy in his system to write one of the most
truly original scores in the digital era. The 1990's were known as the
era of Ottman's most original works, with many of his scores like
Incognito existing as hidden gems for fans only familiar with his
superhero scores of the 2000's. Many collectors of the composer's works
still, after ten years since
Incognito debuted, consider the
score to be Ottman's best achievement. It's difficult to argue with that
assessment, for
Incognito defines Ottman's early success with its
wicked, deviant sense of style... a style that many film music
collectors wish Ottman would rediscover.
Incognito is a score
that proves that less can indeed be more, for Ottman's ensemble
consisted of only a modest 60 Seattle players. But the incorporation of
a wild array of specialty instruments, the use of an old church as a
recording location, as well as a controversial recording mix all give
the score a sound unique to itself. In an era when film scores all begin
to sound alike, and references can be drawn with ease between the new
and old, Ottman's
Incognito is a breed of animal unlike most
others.
In no other score of the digital era has a composer so
perfectly merged the classical and modern styles, from the baroque to
the contemporary, with such fluid precision. Waltz rhythms lead a tandem
of themes that join the painter on on his journey to becoming Rembrandt,
using each section of the musical ensemble like another color on the
palette. The instrumentation of
Incognito is truly astounding,
and the mix of the elements together places each performance at equal
gains. Solo performances from the traditional ensemble are often
highlighted by woodwinds, while the string section is in perpetual
conflict with itself. The strings chop through staccato rhythms with
several layers of activity, some plucked, and they alone create the
whirlwind of atmospheric whimsy that prevails in the attitude of
Incognito. The brass section is less obvious, often restrained to
solo performance by bold mid-ranges, muted trumpets, or the snazzy
saxophone. That latter two are crucial in conveying the more modern noir
side of the film's chases, and the sax alone gives the score a
significant injection of style. The percussion and cleverly utilized
electronics are the superstars of
Incognito, however. For the
straight classical feel, Ottman employs a harpsichord (which whips with
the kind of fury that you rarely hear from the instrument these days),
piano, triangles, chimes, and bells, each given significant solo roles
on top of the ensemble during various moments of rhythmic frenzy. The
piano's meanderings in several cues will remind of similar tip-toeing in
The Usual Suspects. Because the film is linked inevitably to
Spain in its conclusion, Ottman doesn't fail to let loose with the Latin
flavor, and it is this distinct influence that makes
Incognito a
fiendish delight. An acoustic guitar is joined by woodblocks, rattles,
tambourines, castanets, and maracas that become more prevelant in the
score's remarkable concluding tracks. Any classically structured score
with these Latin instruments is just asking for trouble, but Ottman
miraculously pulls it off.
Ottman also uses two neutral elements with great
effect; first, his trademark choral sound was likely synthetic at this
time in his career, but its usual deep tones only add to the mystique of
the score's aura. Secondly, he conjured the sound of a whip, likely
electronically, and this whipping sound is expertly included as an equal
member of the ensemble. His themes are equally strong. Catchy in their
movements, they are elegantly harmonic and flow with grace and
distinction. They expand on the Gothic nature of the title theme from
The Usual Suspects and give it some rambunctious rhythms to
follow. The two "Creation" cues will feature the primary theme as best
remembered from the film, but the two opening and two closing cues are
even more ingenious in their presentations of Ottman's themes. It is a
dense score, with so much activity at every moment that it can easily
tire the listener. Slower moments in the score are equally creative in
instrumentation, still demanding your attention. The only detractions
come late on the album, with the "A Murder?" and "Bad Deal" cues
offering the few moments of shrieking dissonance. One of the more
controversial aspects of
Incognito has been its album mix. On its
50-minute album, the music was given a very treble-heavy presentation,
allowing the specialty instruments --especially the metallic ones-- to
shine with great clarity. While this does add to the unique sound of the
score (and the listener can amplify the bass to counter the album's
presentation), it causes some elements to lose their natural tones (and
sound tinny). The sax, for instance, can sometimes be confused with the
sound of a harmonica. Ottman was not satisfied with this presentation,
despite the clarity of the recording otherwise being nothing less than
stunning, and when he discovered the original masters for the score
within a few years, he allowed them to be used for three cues on the
Cruel Intentions compilation album of his works three years
later. There has been an indication that he would someday like to
provide a more balanced mix of
Incognito's entirety on album, and
his fans would certainly welcome it. In the meantime, the original album
for this score is still nothing less than a marvelous display of
creativity.
***** Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download
| Bias Check: | For John Ottman reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating
is 3.22 (in 32 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.03
(in 17,523 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
|
The insert includes a note by the film's director about the score.
