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Composed and Conducted by:
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Lalo Schifrin
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Produced by:
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Lukas Kendall
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Release Date:
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March, 2003
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Availability:
The 2003 Film Score Monthly album is a Silver Age Classics product (FSMCD Vol. 6, No. 4) limited to 3,000 pressings and available through the FSM site or online soundtrack specialty outlets.
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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you want to hear a fascinating, though difficult score for
a cult favorite on a collectible album that become out of print.
Avoid it... if the album isn't worth what amounts to a potentially
disjointed and depressing listening experience.
Filmtracks Editorial Review:
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| | Schifrin | |
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THX 1138: (Lalo Schifrin) Known if only for the fact
that it was director George Lucas' first large scale film, the 1971 sci-fi
thriller THX 1138 is a reasonably interesting film about future
oppression in 25th Century human culture. It is a film often hailed as being
from the future rather than about the future, because of Lucas' use of stark
dialogue and sets, as well as the juxtaposed elements of emotional and
mechanical operation. The film was received with a mixed greeting by viewers
and critics (perhaps due in part to an anti-drug message that flew in the
face of popular norms at the time), but was elevated to cult status
immediately upon the popularity of Star Wars in 1977. As sci-fi fans
will be quick to point out, there are several aspects of THX 1138,
ranging from costumes and sound effects to the humanization of machines,
that would be addressed to a much greater extent in Star Wars. Thus,
THX 1138 has become a film to study rather than enjoy, and the same
could be said of Lalo Schifrin's music for the project, too. Schifrin had
been known mostly at the time (and still is) for his well received jazz
scores, but the late 1960's and early 1970's had become a time of musical
experimentation for the composer. In fact, he had been labeled as one of
those "weird" composers who could provide any bizarre music that a film
may require. George Lucas was looking for exactly that "weird" variety of
score, combining sound effects with minimalistic and alienating underscore.
Schifrin also had the capability to write music that was affectionately
known as "be happy" music, which would be necessary to accentuate that
confusing difference between reality and government-sponsored, religious
mind control. In the end, Schifrin would produce a highly effective score
for the film.
Utilizing in parts an orchestral string section, a few
woodwinds, harp, vibraphone, and several percussive elements, Schifrin
produced the bulk of the score's horrific underscore with primitive
synthesizers. The concept of alienation is well served by these droning,
themeless performances. The fascist government is scored with liturgical,
Baroque music, sometimes breaking out into Gregorian chants when big brother
is striking fear in the THX drone. A love theme, very lightly performed by
three instruments (highlighted by alto flute), laments the doomed love
between THX and LUH. Finally, the Avant-Garde elements of the score provide
the true, worldly fascinating music for the score, incorporating rhythms and
percussion instruments from Africa and East Asia. The unpleasant result is a
highly effective, but emotionally disturbing score. Schifrin's work was
finally pressed onto album by Film Score Monthly as part of their 5-year-old
Silver Age Classics series. The album contains absolutely everything you
would and wouldn't hear in the film, from strong master tapes, including
several source cues and other material that did not make the final cut of
the film. The "Be Happy Again" jingle offers a frightening contrast to the
terrifying sound effects of the prison torture sequence, which also serves
in contrast to the use of "St. Matthew Passion" over the end titles. THX
1138 is easily a score to study as a film music historian and
enthusiast, but is hardly palatable for casual listeners. On album, the
variety of elements in Schifrin's work are too diverse and troubling to
provide for a good listening experience, and to that end, perhaps the film
itself would be a better recommendation for most score fans. The hardcore
collectors, however, will likely find THX 1138 to be a very enticing
entry for study in the Silver Age Classics series from FSM, and with a
handful of those collectible albums now sold out, don't be surprised if
THX 1138 disappears from stock as well. **
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Viewer Ratings and Comments:
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• 1. Logo (0:08)
• 2. Main Title/What's Wrong? (3:13)
• 3. Room Tone/Primitive Dance (1:45)
• 4. Be Happy/LUH/Society Montage (5:05)
• 5. Be Happy Again (Jingle of the Future) (0:56)
• 6. Source #1 (5:17)
• 7. Loneliness Sequence (1:27)
• 8. SEN/Monks/LUH Reprise (2:43)
• 9. You Have Nowhere to Go (1:10)
• 10. Torture Sequence/Prison Talk Sequence (3:41)
• 11. Love Dream/The Awakening (1:46)
• 12. First Escape (3:01)
• 13. Source #3 (3:33)
• 14. Second Escape (1:14)
• 15. Source #4/Third Escape/Morgue Sequence/The Temple/Disruption/LUH's Death (8:29)
• 16. Source #2 (3:16)
• 17. The Hologram (0:54)
• 18. First Chase/Foot Chase/St. Matthew Passion (End Credits) (7:40)
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The album contains the usual excellent quality of pictorial and textual information established in other albums of FSM's series, with extremely detailed notes about the film and score.
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