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Composed and Produced by:
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Clint Eastwood
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Orchestrated and Conducted by:
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Lennie Niehaus
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Additional Arrangements by:
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Gennady Loktionov
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Performed by:
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The Hollywood Studio Symphony
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Release Date:
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March 1st, 2005
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Availability:
Regular U.S. release.
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Awards:
Nominated for a Golden Globe.
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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... only if you were very closely touched by the film itself and
enjoy the respectful, low-key ambience of Eastwood's music.
Avoid it... if the technical and thematic simplicity of Eastwood's very
basic music leaves you hopelessly bored.
Filmtracks Editorial Review:
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Million Dollar Baby: (Clint Eastwood) Edging the Martin
Scorsese film The Aviator for the 'best picture' and 'best director'
honors at the 2005 Academy Awards, Million Dollar Baby earned Clint
Eastwood both of those Oscars, and well as acting awards for the film's
other two top stars. The 25th film for Eastwood as a director continues his
trend towards telling the gripping tales of inner demons and perseverence of
character, often with spectacular critical result. And while Eastwood has
excelled at portraying the raw, genuine emotions that his own acting
performances in his hit Westerns of decades ago typically lacked, his
award-caliber films also have a morbid sense of darkness about them that
often leads to the subjects of maiming and death. Million Dollar Baby
falls along all of these familiar patterns, providing the story of a young
female boxer and a hardened boxing trainer, both struggling with their own
failed family relationships. In the process of evolving the woman's boxing
talents to top form (begrudgingly for the trainer), the two serve to inspire
and frustrate each other to positive phychological ends. The tragedy that
occurs is as the story progresses is necessary to understand the original
score, although it should be noted that despite the general unhappiness that
prevails in the film, it was both a critical and popular success. So rarely
do critics unanymously praise a film that a project like Million Dollar
Baby --with just that type of rare reception-- merits, for soundtrack
collectors, a score album that would probably not exist otherwise. Marking
the fifth venture as a solo composer for one of his films, Million Dollar
Baby continues the same kind of very low-key scoring effort from
Eastwood. He has also been recognized by major awards for his compositions
for his recent films, including a Golden Globe nomination for Million
Dollar Baby (he filed paperwork too late to be eligible for a 'best
score' nomination at the Oscars, though). As usual, he takes solo credit for
his compositions while continuing to utilize the services of longtime
collaborators, such as Lennie Niehaus, to assist in adapting, orchestrating,
arranging, and conducting the score.
For those who have heard Eastwood's music for Mystic
River, then be aware that Million Dollar Baby is a step back from
the instrumental usage of that score. For this new project, Eastwood relies
on 25 musicians (23 string, one piano, and one acoustic guitar) to produce
the necessary soundscape. To say that the attitude of the music is grim
would be only partially true. If you were to describe this score as a
chamber orchestra piece meant only for live performance on the small stage,
then perhaps the work would be represent the season of autumn, longing for
something past but also respectful of its own colors and future darkness.
Eastwood's music is technically very simple --there are probably hundreds of
college graduate students studying film music at this very moment who could
write something more varied and complex-- but it seems to suffice to the
degree that Eastwood figures he needs music. Basically repeating the same
two common themes over and over for its entire length, the score for
Million Dollar Baby is mundane in style and nearly devoid of spirit.
Obviously, an early choice was made to avoid action material during fighting
scenes. Strings perform with slow strokes without counterpoint, and the
piano and guitar often contribute mostly in solo circumstances (the guitar,
for instance, does not join the piano or strings for a full ensemble
effect). That said, Eastwood accomplishes the basic respect that the music
needs to be functional on a minimal level. Could it have been done better?
Certainly, and the score does yearn for the more outward sensitivity that
someone like Jerry Goldsmith could have balanced well with the cloudiness of
the film had it existed ten years ago. It is uncertain whether Eastwood
continues to score his own films because he truly enjoys writing music or,
simply, to save money and time (though the former is likely the right
answer). How do you judge the underdeveloped and minimally functional music
of a man who is otherwise a fantastic producer, director, and actor? And to
what extent should Niehaus and others be given credit for that music?
Overall, Eastwood's talents writing underscore are sufficient, but
technically obvious in their novice origins. The 29 minutes of stark,
mundane score are overshadowed by two jazz/blues cuts written and performed
by Eastwood's son Kyle (a well known musician in the New York jazz
community) and his collaborator Michael Stevens. On album, the score is
likely only of interest to people who were very closely touched by the film
itself. **
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Viewer Ratings and Comments:
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• 1. Blue Morgan (0:40)
• 2. It's Nice Viewing (0:57)
• 3. Boxing Baby (2:25)
• 4. Boxing Montage (2:44)
• 5. Pick Up Money (0:57)
• 6. Nice Working With You (1:37)
• 7. Letters (1:20)
• 8. Blue Diner (3:35)
• 9. Deep in Thought (1:53)
• 10. Driving (1:38)
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• 11. Blue Bear (0:43)
• 12. Frankie Horrified (1:07)
• 13. They're Amateurs (1:16)
• 14. May Have to Lose It (1:08)
• 15. Maggie's Plea (2:56)
• 16. Frankie's Dilemma (1:09)
• 17. Frankie's Decision (1:09)
• 18. Lethal Dose (1:57)
• 19. Frankie's Office (1:05)
• 20. End Credits (4:29)
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The insert includes a list of performers, but no extra information about the score or film.
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