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PRINTER-FRIENDLY VIEW 
Review of Bridge of Spies (Thomas Newman)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... if you are patient enough to appreciate an introspective
and intelligent treatment of a film about suspenseful anticipation,
Thomas Newman replacing John Williams with more than capable results.
Avoid it... if you await extroversion in more than just a few highlights of this score, a work defined by its ability to set a conservative pace rather than outwardly influence the core emotions of the story.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Bridge of Spies: (Thomas Newman) Director and
producer Steven Spielberg is among the few movie-makers who can still
manage to turn a sizable profit on an intellectual, character-driven
World War II espionage film lacking much physical excitement. The story
of 2015's Bridge of Spies falls into the "hurry up and wait"
category of inertia, detailing a cat and mouse game between the
American, Soviet, and East German governments in the early 1960's as
they ultimately succeed in arranging a famed three-man prisoner swap at
the Glienicke Bridge in Berlin. The negotiator on behalf of America's
CIA was unassuming attorney James Donovan, an insurance settlement
specialist who became involved in the story due to his unexpected but
spirited representation of the Soviet spy captured in the late 1950's
and eventually used as collateral in the Berlin exchange. That swap is
best known for its return of American pilot Francis Gary Powers after
his U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. The plot of
Bridge of Spies follows Donovan's experiences throughout his
involvement with these spies, the character portrayed with dignity by
Tom Hanks. The pacing of the film requires involvement in the political
and human processes of the back and forth between cultures and
ideologies, and what few critical complaints existed about the film
typically pointed to this slow movement. With the help of the
Spielberg/Hanks name power, however, Bridge of Spies was a fiscal
success and marginal awards bait. For film music enthusiasts, the
project originally marked the continuation of the director's
collaboration with composer John Williams, though the maestro's
deteriorating heart condition required installation of a pacemaker that,
in conjunction with his busy schedule writing and recording three hours
of immense music for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, precluded his
involvement with this picture. This despite the very minimal spotting of
music in the film. Spielberg then turned to Thomas Newman to write the
short score for Bridge of Spies, a logical choice given Newman's
lineage, reputation, and connections to Williams. Questions then arose
about how Newman would handle the project, and, more specifically,
whether Spielberg would allow him to write a quintessential "Tom Newman"
score rather than simply emulate Williams. In the end, while there are
stylistic similarities in some techniques between Williams' past efforts
(namely JFK) and Newman's music, perhaps due to specific
instructions from Spielberg that remain consistent regardless of
composer, the resulting score is almost pure Newman.
For listeners that had not witnessed a Spielberg film without a Williams score since The Color Purple, Newman's achievement should be considered a relief at the very least. There are definitely strong connections between Newman's approach to Bridge of Spies and his more subdued portions of Road to Perdition, How to Make An American Quilt, and Saving Mr. Banks, but he accomplishes this extension of style without simply regurgitating past music, as he did disappointingly earlier in 2015 with The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Still, although this work is certain to please enthusiasts of Newman's Americana mode of operation, be forewarned that there are still plenty of influences from his dissonant and disillusioned side utilizing unconventional instrumentation, from glassy and metallic ensemble effects to outright manipulation of voice and other sounds for suspense. It's perhaps unnecessary to mention that Newman joins his orchestral ensemble with a dulcimer and balalaikas for this environment, the former a staple of his style, but it is intriguing to hear the openly straightforward use of choir in this work. His insertion of deep male chorus for the Soviet interests in several cues is a little obvious but handled in the same stutter-step format that defines much of the rest of the score. The pacing of the music is key, emulating the film's "stop and go" anxiousness with Newman's normal, prickly string rhythms, the emphasis on chopping determining the level of angst in any given scene. His patience motif is introduced in "Rain" and extends to two later cues (including the opening of the end titles), eventually building to the string pulsations after an effective, precise, and nervous piano sequence. The Russian motif is more stereotypically static in its applications, solidifying into an extended performance only in the end titles as well. The heart of the score is Newman's sympathetic, nostalgic string theme for Donovan, heard first in the middle of "Sunlit Silence" and employing increasingly redemptive layers until its natural conclusion in "Homecoming." There requires significant patience and survival of the challenging ambience of "Lt. Francis Gary Powers" before the narrative payoff in the final two cues prior to the end titles, a lengthy pair highlighted by the moment of prideful success with militaristic flair late in "Glienicke Bridge." Casual listeners may be best served sampling the "Bridge of Spies (End Title)" track rather than the entire score for a sense of its three major motifs and the somewhat lurching pacing that the whole exudes. Depending on your mood for this type of introspective thriller music with a wholesome bent, Bridge of Spies could be a three-star or four-star effort, though given its smart match for the film, the latter rating is fairer for the patient listener. ****
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 48:25
NOTES & QUOTES:
The insert includes a list of performers but no extra information about
the score or film.
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