: (Deborah Lurie/Danny Elfman) Based upon an
award-winning 2005 short animated film, the 2009 feature-length
expansion for
presented an equally unique story concept. In an
alternate Europe of the 1930's, a fascist government has created war
machines with artificial intelligence that, to nobody's surprise, turns
on and destroys humanity. The scientist who creates these abominations
is among the last humans to survive, and he creates nine rag dolls he
calls Stitchpunks and infuses parts of his own soul into them, the last
of the dolls' birthing process ultimately killing the man. Each
Stitchpunk has its birth order number as its name, and 9 becomes the
main protagonist trying to investigate and find a solution for the
killer machines and life on the planet. With each Stitchpunk having an
idiosyncratic personality that represents the facets of the scientist,
their collaboration runs into predictable trouble. The visual aesthetic
of
is dark and overwhelmed by shades of charcoal, with few
moments of positive or comedic relief during the somber affair. Critics
and audiences both had difficulty warming to the movie, likely because
it was too bizarrely morbid to carry the animated genre, but it remains
a highly distinctive effort. Because the film was championed by producer
Tim Burton, composer Danny Elfman was originally attached to write the
score. His busy schedule forced him to pass most of the assignment to
his primary assistant at the time, Deborah Lurie, who handled the bulk
of the score after Elfman supplied some thematic ideas, the extent of
which unknown. Elfman has tended to lean on one main ghostwriter for his
works through the years, allowing that assistant top co-compositional
credit when their contribution becomes greater than his own. Along this
range of collaborators, from Jonathan Sheffer in the early 1990's to
Chris P. Bacon in the 2020's, Lurie occupied much of that space during
the 2000's. She became a secondary writer for Elfman in 2004 and had
collaborated with him eight times when
Like many secondary composers for major Hollywood artists,
Lurie never really established her own musical voice in the mainstream,
neither in musical style or in the prominence of her solo work. She
never did parlay her years with Elfman into a truly successful
mainstream career of her own, eventually ending it abruptly due to
concerns over COVID-19 vaccine mandates. For Elfman collectors, the most
interesting outcome from
9 is just how little the score sounds
like his own trademark style. There are progressions and orchestrations
here and there that have an Elfman flavor, but Lurie interestingly
previews a sound that is more disparate than one might expect. Casual
listeners may hear some later Pinar Toprak mannerisms, incidentally, and
the concentration of the work's best cues in the payoff at the end may
specifically recall 2022's
Slumberland, albeit with a far less
engrossing thematic punch. On that note, the themes of
9 don't
have much resemblance to Elfman norms, either. Generally, only at the
majestic and heartfelt culmination in "Release" do listeners hear true
Elfman stylistic influence at work. The score is still quite competent,
however, even if not particularly spectacular in most of its length. The
orchestra is very well balanced, including notable low woodwinds. The
machines receive slamming percussion and minimal electronic layering, as
highlighted in "Return of the Machines," and Lurie emphasizes their evil
nature via excessive slashing of metallic percussion especially. The
production had the budget to afford a choir for a few select cues, from
the chanting of "Slaying the Beast" to cooing in "Release." The demeanor
of the work alternates between conservative fantasy and stock adventure,
most of it in darker shades. The only upbeat, animated cheeriness comes
with guardrails early in "Twins" for the likeable duo of twin
investigator Stitchpunks. (Expect no typical animated comedic prancing
anywhere in this work.) Elfman and Lurie faithfully interpolate four
distinct themes into
9, three of them a bit muted and the final
one containing a slight dose of much-needed magic.
The main theme for the 9 Stitchpunk himself contains
five-note phrases in call and answer form, and this identity is perhaps
the most memorable one in its frequency despite utilizing rather
anonymous structures. It opens "Finding Answers," is forced into action
at 0:40 and several times thereafter into "Winged Beast," and retracts
on relieved piano at the outset of "Reunion" and clarinet later. The
idea offers somber resolve at 0:33 into "Out There," passing the melody
around the ensemble. It's elongated for a moment of playful relief in
the first half of "Twins," twisted downward for suspense at the
beginning of "Slaying the Beast," compelling at 0:21 on exotic flute in
"Burial" for lovely sadness, and brief at 1:29 on oboe in "The
Aftermath." The main theme prevails on dramatic brass over moderate
anxiety at 1:59 into "The Purpose" and shifts to dainty flute for an
interlude from the action at 3:52, consolidating with large resolve.
From the start of "Release," the theme rotates between strings and
woodwinds for much of the vital cue. Among the secondary themes in
9, the identity for the human inventor and his talisman resembles
a James Horner construct, its main four-note phrase increasingly
coherent as the tale progresses to coincide with 9's knowledge of his
creator. It builds throughout "Introduction" and is soft at 1:09 into
"Finding Answers" and 0:50 into "Reunion" on harp, guitar, and flute.
The idea struggles to retain cohesion in the middle of "Return of the
Machines," returns to its "Introduction" form at the start of
"Reawakening," guides the rising structures under the chanting of "The
Aftermath," and is truncated at the outset of "Confrontation." The
inventor's theme is slight on music box at 0:50 into "Return to the
Workshop" and stews in the first minute of "The Purpose" before a big
performance at 2:50 yields relief at the end of the cue. This theme is
supplied on woodwinds at 1:37 into "Release" and brass briefly at 3:20.
The evil machines are cleverly represented by a menacing, shorter,
three-note inversion of the inventor theme. It's faint at 0:53 into
"Finding Answers" and quietly steams in the bass at 0:26 into
"Sanctuary" but finally unleashes itself on full brass at 0:32 into
"Winged Beast." It is provided some newsreel-appropriate musical
backstory in a longer, related military progression in "The
Machines."
In its original form, the machines' theme opens "Out
There" with quiet, sinister tones, threatens in the last minute of
"Reawakening," achieves its most abrasive form in "The Seamstress," and
protests at 1:19 into "The Purpose" on brass and slamming percussion
before dying on brass at the cue's end. The highlight of
9 is its
ascension and destiny theme, which embodies the soul of the picture and
the inventor. Hinted slightly at the end of "Introduction," this theme
lends a soothing choral and celeste performance at 1:25 into "Sanctuary"
and mumbles in the background of the second minute of action in "Winged
Beast," interjecting with brief heroism on prominent brass. It is
ominous against worried tones in "Searching for Two," resolved at 1:40
into "Out There" on brass with percussion to denote the mission at hand,
and shines some minimal hope on woodwinds in the latter half of "Twins."
The destiny theme turns outright threatening early in "Return of the
Machines" but aspires to a better goal at the cue's end over a chime
toll. It's creepy and militaristic in the middle of "Reawakening,"
pushed into action determination mode in the middle of "The Seamstress,"
and very tentative early in "Return to the Workshop." At the story's
climax, this theme stirs optimism at the start of "The Purpose" with
light choir and highlights the whole work at 2:34 into "Release" on
flute and then strings prior to a full ensemble resolution. Despite the
ample development of these four themes, Lurie never quite affords them
the kind of memorable performance inflection to keep them in your
memory. Instead, the instrumental tone manages that task fairly well
instead. The narrative's best portion is its final one, the last three
cues in the score from "Return to the Workshop" through "The Purpose"
and "Release" supplying the themes in their most powerful renditions and
with intelligent overlaps. For those only seeking ten or so minutes of
highlights, these final cues are where you will find them. Sadly, the
album for
9 concludes with the abrasive alternative rock song
"Welcome Home" by Coheed and Cambria from the film's trailers that has
absolutely no stylistic relation to the score and is insufferable. None
of the film's source songs, including "Over the Rainbow," is included on
the product. At 43 minutes, Lurie's score will pass without many
memorable moments, but it is competent in all corners and builds to a
heartbreaking final 90 seconds that exudes the Elfman magic that
listeners were hoping to hear all along.
@Amazon.com: CD or
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- Music as Written for the Film: ****
- Music as Heard on Album: ***
- Overall: ***
