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Quantum of Solace: (David Arnold) Despite concerns
over the restart of the franchise with 2006's
Casino Royale, the
debut performance of Daniel Craig in the role of 007, as well as most of
the other elements of the production, was a grand success. The second
entry in the Craig era of the franchise is a rare direct sequel,
carrying over more characters and linear concepts than any pair of Bond
films before and beginning its story immediately after the events of the
previous film. The British agent, still blinded by the vengeance that
drives him after the dramatic death of Vesper Lynd in
Casino
Royale, methodically pursues another resident badguy (Dominic
Greene) of the SPECTRE-like crime organization that, while killing
Vesper, barely made the extent of its existence known in that plot. The
purpose of
Quantum of Solace is not to provide Bond the entirety
of the solace he seeks for Vesper's demise (though some of that is
obtained), but to begin fleshing out the Quantum organization itself,
obviously setting the stage for future development in subsequent films.
Although containing all the prerequisite chases, interference from MI6
and the British government in Bond's semi-personal business, new Ford
vehicles as per studio contract, and the usual collection of women
available to him,
Quantum of Solace is largely an introverted
story of revenge, containing significant, lengthy scenes of
contemplation and conversation. This different equation presented a new
challenge for composer David Arnold, for whom
Quantum of Solace
is his fifth consecutive Bond score. Arnold has confessed that he
approached the music for this score with the intent of creating far less
density in the majority of cues and instead opting for thematic
integration on an subtle scale not heard before in any of the previous
21 Bond ventures. Rather than belt out a couple of prominent new themes
to coincide with Monty Norman's classic tune, he takes two themes from
the previous film and integrates them with four distinct and new major
ideas for
Quantum of Solace. Because the second half of the film
is set solely in Bolivia, Arnold also takes the opportunity to expand
the scope of his orchestral ensemble by adding a touch of organic,
cultural flavor, a relative rarity in the franchise.
The balance of these elements, the orchestra, and Arnold's
standard electronics, is once again an important factor. All of the
composer's Bond scores to date have yielded fan responses based largely
on the mixing of the orchestra and electronics, with the former the
dominant force in
Tomorrow Never Dies and the latter taking the
helm in
Die Another Day. Arnold found the right balance in
Casino Royale, a score that paired roaring action sequences and
soaring romance while utilizing just enough of the drum pads and
synthetic rhythms to satisfy 007's existence in a more technologically
vivid era. It could be argued that the music for
Quantum of
Solace suffers from something of a hangover due to the strength of
Casino Royale and the necessary continuation of material. While
the film litters its six major action sequences well enough to
consistently exhilarate audiences in the theatres (despite frantic
editing that has been faulted by many critics), the score alone exposes
the fact that
Quantum of Solace has far more melodrama than
gunfire, especially when considering that the action cues are relatively
short when taking into account their inclusion of material from before
and after the actual chases. The most intriguing such sequence in the
film, involving the meeting of Quantum members at the opera, contains
source material and therefore no extension of Arnold's action statements
of the Quantum theme. So when you step back and look at the music for
Quantum of Solace, what you discover is a score that interests
you because of its character development rather than its raw, propulsive
energy, and that definitely makes for a rare day in the Bond franchise.
Film score collectors will find merits in Arnold's smart subtleties,
though there will certainly be listeners who prefer the more
traditional, Bond-like musical elements that Arnold always integrated
into his previous scores for the series. Such nods still exist, of
course. There are the necessary wailing horns, tapping cymbals, and
plucked electric guitars, but their quantity is notably restricted. The
famous Bond theme itself, though now earned by Craig's 007, is only
sparsely incorporated, hinted in its full form only twice before the
gunbarrel sequence at the end of the film. Still, Arnold keenly uses its
fragments in enough circumstances to suffice for franchise
purposes.
Another measure of success for any Bond film is its title
song and its melodic influences on the score. Arnold has always
preferred to have a hand in the writing of the songs for these films, as
it obviously allows him to better integrate the identity of those songs
within his scores. Easily the least satisfying of his Bond scores to
date is
Die Another Day, for which Madonna provided a song
without any assistance from Arnold, and the result was not only the most
laughable song in the history of the franchise, but a score that had no
central identity to base on that performance. While
Tomorrow Never
Dies technically belongs to the same group (though the vast
superiority of Arnold and k.d. lang's song over the end credits was a
redemption of sorts),
Quantum of Solace joins
Die Another
Day as featuring a song without Arnold's contribution. Unlike the
Madonna situation, however, Arnold has actually stated that he enjoyed
the writing of Jack White for "Another Way to Die" and thought its hard,
hip-hop edge was a good direction in which to take this film. Fans were
less forgiving of "Another Way to Die," however, with the performances
by White and Alicia Keys drawing scorn and criticism for its obvious
mismatch with the historical rock ballad format of the opening titles.
It probably didn't help that the title sequence's visuals, complete with
a dorky font and poorly edited abstract photography (by comparison to
its peers), didn't help to distract anybody from the wretched music. The
problem with "Another Way to Die," as discussed in length by the
majority of film score critics, is that it defies the most primary rule
(and really the only important one) of the history of Bond songs: the
need for a memorable melody. Other than the simplistic belting of the
minor third shifts in the bass, the repeating piano strikes, and a few
other motifs within the song's instrumental backing, there exists
nothing of significance for Arnold to adapt into his score. The actual
vocal performances, by their nature, are largely devoid of distinct
progression, making the song all style and no substance. For Arnold and
some fans, this use of attitude over process fits the film well. But it
also serves the score very poorly and, not to be overlooked, the quality
of the song itself, even in its own genre, is suspect.
So the song for
Quantum of Solace ultimately has to
be chalked up as a loss, a major disappointment to many loyal Bond fans.
For some, no quantity of ridicule can appropriately be applied to White
and Keys' contributions to a film that could have otherwise used a
bitterly tragic ballad. It is unfortunate that Chris Cornell's "You Know
My Name" didn't make the
Casino Royale album for licensing
reasons while the obnoxious "Another Way to Die" disgraces the
Quantum of Solace album with its presence (albeit at the end).
While Arnold does pick and choose motifs from the song to integrate into
his score, don't expect to hear any of the same harsh volume of defiant
attitude or overbearing electric guitar rips in the bass to match. The
composer does seem to give nods to the song in his more frequent use of
minor third shifts in the bass region, as well as the more obvious use
of the repeating piano strikes. But if you seek to match any of Arnold's
new themes for
Quantum of Solace with the barely distinguishable
progressions of "Another Way to Die," you'll be frustrated. Complicating
matters is the fact that Arnold's thematic material doesn't really reach
out and grab you with obvious structure or flamboyant performances. Some
of his material is so nebulous, in fact, that it would be difficult to
nail down without knowing the explicit intent that Arnold had when
framing the score. Thus, some of the attributions you are about to read
are open to debate. Outside of the basic references to motifs in the
song, there exist four new themes. The first is a revenge motif that
some have claimed to be the primary identity of the score, heard in
seven major cues. It's an ascending figure with a single descending note
at the end, sometimes five notes in length, sometimes six. Its inherent
sense of malice and determination is often coupled with the Quantum
theme later in the film. That ominous theme for Quantum is professional
and dwells usually in the lower registers of brass, working its way into
at least nine cues. A theme for Camille, the Bolivian agent and Bond's
partner, is performed mostly by pan pipes and, amongst its four major
performances, those at the end of the film are most prominent (as the
audience learns more about her).
The final new theme of
Quantum of Solace is
arguably its most harmonically romantic and in synch with Arnold's
previous title themes for the franchise. It's employed in seven cues,
often multiple times, and its placement reveals it to be the primary
identity of the score. Its elegant six-note progression (followed in its
secondary phrase by a related eight-note phrase) is faintly reminiscent
of Arnold's 6-note main theme phrase for
Tomorrow Never Dies, and
he often uses it to punctuate important transitional scenes (a key
indicator of its importance). Unfortunately, it has far less in common
with the title song than the aforementioned revenge theme, which uses
many ambitious minor third accents in the bass to connect it better with
White's material. It's hard to call the single piano strokes a theme,
thought they are offered at obvious points in five cues, further
integrating hints of the song into the score. Three themes previously
existing in the franchise make a return in
Quantum of Solace. The
Norman staple is heard extensively (on its own) in a small handful of
cues, including the gunbarrel sequence at the end. More interesting is
Arnold's significant loyalty to Vesper's bittersweet piano theme,
haunting four contemplative cues in the latter half of the score. The
presence of her material is made memorable by the fact that the phrases
of her theme are usually performed by piano at moments when there is no
other layer of sound in the film, exposing Bond's mourning process and
festering thoughts of revenge. Finally, Arnold surprises audiences with
one fleeting and masked performance of the title theme from
Casino
Royale in a transition scene upon Bond's return to Italy. The use of
these latter two themes from the previous score cause it to hover over
the comparably less flashy and romantic
Quantum of Solace
material on first listen. There are also minor "Arnoldisms" that remain
true throughout the franchise, including a wailing brass motif that is
used in the first four of the five scored chase scenes. Arnold should
also be commended for his overlapping of as many as three themes nearly
at once, which occurs in four cues. Given the duplicitous nature of the
complicated character structure, this intermingling and smart
counterpoint is both very intelligent and a pleasure to hear.
Because of the complexity of the nuances of the many
themes in
Quantum of Solace, a short description of each cue's
incorporation of those ideas is merited, and be warned that plot
spoilers will inevitably result from the forthcoming analysis. The score
opens with a surprisingly low key, but resolute bass rhythm in "Time to
Get Out" that accompanies the logos and helicopter-shot approach to the
initial chase. That spectacular scene is, like the opening cue in
The
World is Not Enough, afforded some of the best action material in
the score, with electronics enhancing (rather than overshadowing)
muscular orchestral rhythms and standard brass action motifs from
Arnold. As Bond shakes his pursuers and pulls into the city, we hear the
first prominent use of the title theme (at 2:55) and piano motif (3:00)
without any interference from sound effects, as well as an ethnic hint
of the Bond theme. The subsequent chase cue through "The Palio" is
another powerhouse with interludes of heavy string drama to represent
the surprising twist of betrayal. Wildly tapping cymbals accompany the
title theme at 2:05 (featuring the full two phrases this time), with a
more subtle performance of the theme at 2:55. In between, Arnold
introduces a chopping string ostinato that he uses quite attractively in
several action cues in
Quantum of Solace. The crisp recording of
the score causes the ensemble strikes later in "The Palio" to resound
with very satisfying clarity. The cue appropriately ends abruptly to
allow the final gunshot its due glory. The short "Inside Man" cue
introduces the revenge theme and minor third connections to the title
song during its entire duration. A cool electric guitar is joined by
plucked bass and snazzy brass chirps to exude a sense of confidence. The
"Bond in Haiti" transitional cue offers faint fragments of the Bond
theme, but primarily uses Arnold's varied percussion to produce a
source-like environment. The "Somebody Wants to Kill You" scene
continues the revenge theme on acoustic guitar at 0:20 and introduces
the Quantum theme in an extremely masked Latin band-like performance at
0:30 and on guitar thereafter. After another string ostinato, Arnold
presents one strong fragment of the title theme at the 2-minute
mark.
In "Greene & Camille," we are treated to one of the
instances in which Arnold rolls at least three themes into one
convoluted package. Camille's theme is formally introduced at 0:35 on
the pan pipes that would largely represent her throughout the score. As
the conversation between the two nearly minted adversaries turns sour
for the heroine, Greene's slimy associations are given the first full
performance of the Quantum theme on the low brass (at 1:20) that would
most often present the theme in the score. The piano motif quickly
follows at 1:40 and leads to a fragment of the title theme at 2:00 as
Bond watches the proceedings from afar. The chase cue "Pursuit at Port
Au Prince" starts slowly, with an immediate repetition of phrases from
the revenge theme representing the opportunity for which Camille has
waited her lifetime. Once things start cooking on the water, Arnold
employs five major themes prominently throughout the rest of the cue.
The extremely harsh performance of the Quantum theme on brass at 2:00 is
one of the score's most bold placements of the idea, confirming the
organization's plan successfully in motion. The explosion of the actual
chase at 2:55 exhibits not only the string ostinato, but also some
ripping electric guitar and rock percussion that functions well even at
its headache-inducing volume because the noisy sound effects of the
passing water and boat engines required it. The ballsy action motif on
brass is highlighted at 4:15. The title theme is given a romantic
rendition at 4:35 before yielding to the usual staccato Arnold action
crescendo (present in most of this Bond scores). The last forty seconds
of "Pursuit at Port Au Prince," heard while Bond pulls his stolen boat
into a resort harbor, is a gorgeous merging of several themes. At 5:10,
the solitary piano motif immediately precedes a reprise of the revenge
theme on guitar while the full title theme flows wistfully on strings at
5:20 (a distant reminder of better times Bond has had on a boat in a
tourist harbor?). The Bond theme receives a business-like performance on
strings (one of the few to feature most of the theme) to conclude the
cue. The conversational "No Interest in Dominic Greene" makes extensive
use of the single piano strokes at the start before an overlapping of
the revenge and Quantum themes at 0:45. The latter theme's complete form
dominates the second half of the cue (once again with the revenge theme
fluttering on harp in the background).
The "Night at the Opera" cue isn't what many casual buyers
of the album are hoping for. Indeed, none of the actual opera that plays
during the espionage and subsequent chase to the exits contains original
score, and the actual operatic source piece is not included on the
album. This cue on album is instead the fascinating prelude to the start
of the opera, and features the most ominous and consistent renditions of
the Quantum theme. Given that the organization is using the event for a
techno-savvy meeting, the extensive use of this theme in "Night at the
Opera," especially as it gets a propulsive boost from a snare drum later
in the cue, is an important development for Arnold to likely build upon
in his next score for the franchise. Despite the cue's inherent tension,
Arnold uses John Barry-like tonality to keep it very listenable. When
MI6 punishes Bond for his impulsive behavior, Arnold keeps the tone low
key in the deadly serious "Restrict Bond's Movements," only barely
inserting fragments of thematic material. In "Talamone," as Bond travels
to Italy to meet up with Mathis, one of the few friends he can trust
(and a pivotal character from the previous film), Arnold treats the
lovely transitional shot of Bond's approaching boat with perhaps the
best twenty seconds of music in the entire score. Once again, Arnold
overlaps several themes, this time representing multiple films. High
strings perform a barely masked version of the elegant title theme to
Casino Royale (once again, boat rides in this region had recently
seen better days for Bond), using the Bond theme in its underlying
progressions. Most notably, Arnold then passes the title theme for
Quantum of Solace between four different sections of woodwinds
and brass in extremely attractive fashion. As Bond and Mathis head by
plane to Bolivia, 007 drinks (copiously) to his memory of Vesper, and
Arnold provides the first full renditions of Vesper's theme in the film.
In the relative quiet of the environment, the lonely piano fragments of
the theme are very effective. The underlying strings shift between the
major and minor key dramatically, strongly suggesting the battle of duty
versus vengeance in Bond. The "Bolivian Taxi Ride" is another ethnic
source-like cue of varied percussion, this time with a masked
performance of the Bond theme underneath the bed of drums and
guitar.
The cute "Field Trip" is the only truly retro Bond cue in
the score, treating MI6's collection girl Strawberry Fields' innocence
to a 1960's-era performance of the Bond theme, complete with flute and
cymbal tapping. It's fun, but inconsequential. The surprising death
scene for Mathis (and the character's last words to Bond) in "Forgive
Yourself" is, after the initial burst of action for the fatal shots,
scored with the most complete performance of Vesper's theme in
Quantum of Solace, transferring from ultra-sensitive strings (at
0:55) to the more familiar piano. The sense of resolute determination on
the part of Bond at the end of the cue is apparent in the thumping
electronic rhythm that starkly interrupts Vesper's material. A tapping
timpani that becomes important later in the score simmers early in "DC3"
before Bond's piloting of the plane in the last moments of the cue offer
one of the more enjoyable bursts of rhythmic energy for electronics and
brass (a burst that is, in this case, actually a coy variation on the
Quantum theme, which makes sense given that the former owner of the
plane is selling out Bond to Quantum as he takes off). The subsequent
plane battle in "Target Terminated" isn't a particularly strong chase
cue, especially compared to the three previous ones, but it does
indicate Quantum's involvement on brass at 0:10 and 2:15. The string
ostinato also returns, though in a more frantic form. The comparatively
tame "Camille's Story" cue is a largely inconsequential conversational
piece, though it's very soothing to the ears and offers important
development to the theme for Camille only heard in short order
previously. As Bond and Camille talk about their respective yearning for
revenge, Vesper's theme makes an understandable cameo. But Camille's
theme on pan pipes is fleshed out in melodramatic fashion at the end of
the cue, with a lovely bed of harp rhythms accompanying acoustic guitar.
It appears that for Arnold, Bond's psyche connects the plight of Camille
with his own loss of Vesper, which is why Camille's theme in this cue
cannot escape the piano representing Bond's lost love. In "Oil Fields"
(a smile-inducing track title from Arnold indeed), the Bond theme
battles minor-third shifts from the song in spurts that follow 007's
escape from his own fellow agents.
One element of Arnold's merging of electronics and
orchestra in
Quantum of Solace that fascinates is how the
composer handles the ratio of the two depending on Bond's anger level.
When he's pissed off and determined to promptly exact revenge on the
enemy, such as in the scene during the "Oil Fields" cue, Arnold elevates
the presence of electronics. While in previous scores, this has proven
to be somewhat obnoxious, the latter half of "Oil Fields" (starting at
1:15) is one of the guilty pleasure moments from this score, especially
as Bond exits the hotel to the sound of his own theme with a supreme
sense of confidence. The pan pipes for Camille's full theme at the start
of "Have You Ever Killed Someone?" yield to the revenge theme on
woodwinds before, at 0:25 into the cue, Arnold lets rip with a barrage
of timpani that can only mean one thing: preparation for battle. As the
two agents ready themselves to storm the desert hotel and kill those
within, Arnold unleashes a percussive explosion that reminds, in the
most basic sense of the announcement, of the arrival of Mulay Achmed
Mohammed el-Raisuli the Magnificent in Jerry Goldsmith's
The Wind and
the Lion. As Greene arrives at the hotel, Arnold once again closes
out the cue with an overlapping of the Quantum theme with the rising
revenge figure. That revenge theme faintly accents the start of "Perla
de las Dunas," as do the pan pipes for Camille's approach. The massive
explosions later in that scene mostly obscure the score in the film,
though one last strong performance of the Quantum theme exists at 2:55
into the cue. In the lengthy aftermath of the escape from the burning
hotel and the final pursuit of Greene, Arnold holds a single bass note
on deep strings to augment the gravity of the victory. Camille's theme
echoes on pipes at the 5:20 mark as her task is done, and Arnold offers
the doomed Greene one last, lonely trumpet solo of the Quantum theme to
remind him (as Bond does) that his fate is sealed. Once again, the
angry, electronically-enhanced rendition of the Bond theme's underlying
rhythm ends the cue to mirror the agent's disgust (and yet dirty
satisfaction) with the situation. Despite the extended length of the
desert hotel fight scene in the film, Arnold's action material in the
middle section of "Perla de las Dunas" is surprisingly short and, as
with "Target Terminated," somewhat disappointing.
The final two cues in the film provide some sense of
closure, though they are inevitably bittersweet for Bond. Camille,
however, exits stage in "The Dead Don't Care About Vengeance" with a
snazzy electric guitar performance of the revenge theme that reprises
the attitude (and much of the contents) of "Inside Man." Arnold
accompanies the closing conversation between Bond and 'M' with another
merging of multiple themes and motifs. The title theme, absent since
"Talamone," starts "I Never Left" with an overdue sense of ease. The
short cue then superimposes Vesper's theme over the Bond theme as 007
drops Vesper's necklace into the snow for the film's final shot. In the
waning moments of the cue, Arnold provides one last reminder of the
piano motif to connect the score's conclusion back to the song. The most
noteworthy omission from the commercial album for
Quantum of
Solace are the two instrumental recordings that make up the end
credits. The gunbarrel sequence immediately following the film receives
the standard performance of the classic Monty Norman theme in much the
same loyal format that Arnold provided for the final scene in
Casino
Royale. While it is redundant, this piece would have been nice to
hear on album. More in demand is the suite of themes from the film that
succeeds the Bond theme. Composed by Arnold, the piece "Crawl, End
Crawl" features the electronic performance of Kieran Hebden (otherwise
known as Four Tet). Arnold dwells on the rhythmic material from the
score and only allows organic-sounding intrusions of the revenge and
Quantum themes near the end of the cue. This kind of electronica
influence is a favorite of Arnold's, but it's somewhat cheap in tone
when compared to a preceding score that stands as more of an
intellectual effort that most, of not all of the others in the
franchise. The lack of inclusion of this piece on the album is
particularly curious, and demand from fans of the film has been rumored
to haved caused Sony, the owner of the music, to consider a
download-only release of that track. For those listeners interested
primarily in Arnold's orchestral material, "Crawl, End Crawl" will be a
disappointment, even if anything connected to the score is better than
the title song or another unrelated recording.
Overall,
Quantum of Solace is a mixed bag. It
takes time to warm up to. The many nuances and plethora of often
overlapping themes is more difficult to appreciate during casual
listening experiences, but they match the film's contemplative nature
very well. The balance between electronics and orchestra, as well as the
presence of specialty soloists, is very well handled in
Quantum of
Solace, as it had been in
Casino Royale. The continuation of
themes from the previous film is masterful. There are just enough blasts
of flamboyant brass motifs to root it in the Bond franchise without
selling out to straight John Barry emulation. Disrupting dissonance is
rare. The film benefits greatly from the music in about half its scenes,
and the score suffices in the remainder. The album presents almost all
of the major cues in film order (without any of the source material). On
its own, this score deserves upwards of four stars. Unfortunately, the
issue of the atrocious title song and the absence of any clear
connection between that song's nearly non-existent melody and the
score's themes is a significant hurdle to jump. Arnold collectors should
be thankful that the song is placed at the end of the album,
conveniently nestled where it doesn't intrude. The duration of the score
seems short due to the extensive use of source material in the film (the
opera piece is joined by almost a dozen others). The duo of "Time to Get
Out" and "The Palio," as well as parts of "Pursuit at Port Au Prince,"
are dynamically appealing, but they little new to the general formula
originally created by Arnold for
Tomorrow Never Dies. The
remaining action material is too anonymous to compensate for the lengthy
lulls in volume. Those simmering cues' consistency in quality is an
asset, but the score as a whole doesn't feature the awesome highlights
of
Casino Royale or
Tomorrow Never Dies. It's on par with
the complete score to
The World is Not Enough and is certainly
more balanced and engaging than
Die Another Day. The recording is
very well mixed, with a fairly generous amount of reverb provided. In
the end, though, the song is too important a factor in any Bond film to
dismiss, and "Another Way to Die" is so annoying and unrelated to the
score that
Quantum of Solace is reduced to the average realm of
interesting, but unremarkable.
Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download
Score as Written for Film: ****
Song as Written for Film: *
Overall: ***
| Bias Check: | For David Arnold reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating
is 3.33 (in 15 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.33
(in 42,389 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
|
The insert unfolds into a poster, but it includes no extra information about the
score or film.
