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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you are curious about an intelligent, lyrical suspense score that served as John Ottman's mainstream debut. Avoid it... if Ottman's knack for complicated, troubled thriller scores makes you shiver, and only one elegant title theme isn't enough to hold your interest. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
With the film on a strict budget, Ottman couldn't afford to record the performing sections of the ensemble all at once. Thus, the strings, woodwinds, brass, harp, and other percussion all had to be recorded separately in a room that could barely fit the 38 string players by themselves. The room had no screen with which to coordinate the performance with the scenes, either. Then, Ottman had the Herculean task of putting all of these elements in sync, verifying that their tempi met the requirements of the film. And to everyone's relief and amazement, it worked. In the process of performing this task, however, Ottman became accustomed to using the method of multiple-passing editing that masks the small size of an ensemble by simply overlapping the same performance over itself multiple times. Other composers in Ottman's position (including Mark McKenzie) have successfully used this technique brilliantly for years, especially for situations with inadequate string sections. The resulting effect gives the score a more fleshed out sound, indeed, but it also adds to the harmonic nature of the score's romantic appeal. The use of instrumentation and editing in The Usual Suspects, and particularly in its creative implementation for the thriller genre, is not as mature as it is by 1998's Incognito. And yet, Ottman still managed to pull off a highly lyrical score in part, matching the waltz-like movements of the plot itself and presenting a film noir angle on the film. The suspense in the score isn't entirely riveting, but it works in an unconventional sense by twisting themes, construing strings in unusual performances, and offering percussive elements in seemingly illogical places. Some passages translate better to album than others, and yet, analyzing The Usual Suspects is difficult to do without characterizing the success of its individual elements into a cohesive whole. For fans of Ottman's matured work, the two performances of the piano-inclined title theme at the beginning and end of the score offer a delightfully wicked and elegant theme (which has been performed in live concert). A secondary motif is used a few times in the middle of the score for moments of grand revelation, and this crescendo of orchestral power represents the memorable cues you likely heard in the film. The two highlight cues, "The Killing of a Rat" and "The Greatest Trick" accompany vital scenes in the film with a dark spirit of vigor. The album finishes with a solo piano performance of the Claude Debussy piece "Sounds and Perfumes Whirl in the Evening Wind." Overall, it's a remarkable package even if you don't stop to consider the adversity that Ottman faced to produce this music in the first place. The Usual Suspects would have a long-lasting effect on Ottman, who would continue to utilize unconventional recording techniques thereafter, often with impressive success. No Ottman fan should overlook this fascinating mainstream debut for the composer. ****
* Composed by Claude Debussy/Performed by Jon Kull on piano
Insert includes a note about the score from director Bryan Singer. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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