Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... on the song compilation album if you seek all of the powerful music you heard in the film, for this is a rare case in which the original score by Howard Shore stood no chance of competing with the song placements for the emotional heart of the picture. Avoid it... on the score album if you expect Shore's contribution to provide anything more than safely conservative orchestral atmosphere of a surprisingly fluffy nature for this otherwise gripping film. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Philadelphia: (Howard Shore) After blazing through the awards ceremonies with his classic Silence of the Lambs, director Jonathan Demme turned his attention to a topic that was sure to gain similar press: AIDS discrimination. There was much to be impressed by in the weighty 1993 drama Philadelphia, perhaps the most notorious film ever to tackle the subject during the disease's ascendancy. Despite its many strengths, the production didn't gain as much critical praise and award wins due its overwhelmingly heavy-handed approach, pounding the viewer over the head with cut and dry depictions of character and prejudice. Still, it remains a powerful story of a senior associate at a prestigious Philadelphia law firm who remains secretive about his homosexuality and, for as long as he can, about his AIDS as well. When the truth is revealed, the firm fires the promising lawyer, leading the man to spend the remainder of his days fighting a wrongful termination lawsuit against his former employer with help of an attorney against whom he had previously battled in court. This tandem of Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington was extremely effective, with Hanks earning his first Oscar win for a role that required him to physically waste away on screen. One of the most important assets in Philadelphia's incredible emotional appeal is Demme's use of music in the film. He renewed his collaboration with composer Howard Shore for the project, though the score is easily overshadowed in the finished product by the application of heartbreaking songs directly to the narrative. Even veteran film score collectors have to recognize the superiority and dominance of the song placements in Philadelphia when compared to Shore's work. Demme hired Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young to write original songs to deliver a punch at the start and end of the film and used the Hanks' character's love of opera to convey an important (and arguably creepy) scene of despair. The aria is the only piece with which the actors directly interact on screen, though its presence is swallowed up by the incredibly potent application of the Springsteen and Young songs. The former artist ended up taking home an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy for "Streets of Philadelphia," though fans of the film have argued with some merit that Young's "Philadelphia" (also nominated for an Oscar) is a more pivotal representation of intense sadness at the conclusion of the picture. Either way, Shore's conservatively pretty score is something of an afterthought, especially with its unassuming stature fading away into the sound mix throughout Philadelphia. For those familiar with the film, the score for Philadelphia is surprisingly airy and carefree. The atmosphere is maintained by bubbly string and woodwind performances, occasionally accented by acoustic guitar, lightly struck percussion, contemporary keyboarded tones, and harp. The brass section is only employed in the more upbeat or redemptive sequences, led by a solo trumpet that struggles in its attempt to perform a unique identity for the score in "Senior Associate Andrew Beckett," "Birth," and "The Verdict." While appealing, the solo trumpet theme isn't enunciated clearly enough to compete with the songs' melodies. Shore does occasionally reference fragments of Young's "Philadelphia" progressions, especially in the latter half of "Senior Associate Andrew Beckett." Otherwise, the score meanders along without any crescendos of emotional significance, passing vague harmonic passages between the violins and various woodwinds for several non-descript cues. One notable exception is Shore's mild panic motif, which takes the form of a minor-key rhythm performed by a variety of light percussion (led by harp) in "Minor Catastrophe" and "The Missing Document." By the time fluttering woodwinds and quietly tense string rhythms join the harp's plucking, the atmosphere takes on a sense of urgency and consternation worthy of a Bernard Herrmann score. Another exception is a small dose of flair in the keyboard and tambourine contributions to the score's most positive cue, "Birth." On the whole, however, Shore's music is merely average in every respect, careful not to step on the toes of the noteworthy performances on screen. When you watch Philadelphia, don't be surprised if you cannot recall any of the score during or after the experience. The shots of the city during the opening credits and Springsteen's song are a beautiful snapshot of early 1990's life, and the sorrowful, sparse performance by Young over the montage of the Hanks character's childhood movies to close the film will bring tears to your eyes. These two songs, as well as the aria "La Momma Morta" (performed by Maria Callas), were included on Sony's primary song compilation album for Philadelphia. That product includes a decent compilation of performances and a short suite of music from Shore's score (including the subtle references to Young's melody) and is ironically a better recommendation as a representation of the film than the label's follow-up score album released a few weeks later in January of 1994. The latter presentation adds additional opera selections but has difficulty maintaining interest due to the conservative nature of the score. In this rare case, go with the song album. Even after a generation has passed since the debut of Philadelphia, its pair of original songs is as effectively gripping as the day it dominated the airwaves.
Music as Heard on the Score Album: *** Overall: **** Track Listings (1994 Sony Song Album):
Total Time: 41:02
Track Listings (1994 Sony Score Album):
Total Time: 57:10
All artwork and sound clips from Philadelphia are Copyright © 1994, 1994, Sony/Epic Soundtrax (Songs), Sony/Epic Soundtrax (Score). 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 5/25/10, updated 5/25/10. Review Version 4.1 - PHP (Filmtracks Publications). Copyright © 2010-2013, Christian Clemmensen. All rights reserved. |
1994 Sony (Songs)