Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #606
Written 10/23/04, Revised 10/10/11
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Buy it... if you desire a faithful but relatively useless souvenir
of score and song tracks that attempt to mock the controversial
presidency of George W. Bush in full propaganda mode.
Avoid it... if you were either offended by Michael Moore's film or
have no interest in hearing its representative music outside of its
rhetorical context.
Fahrenheit 9/11: (Jeff Gibbs) Not much needs to be
said to introduce this highly controversial film and the determined
minds behind it. After his highly successful documentary Bowling for
Columbine a few years earlier, liberal filmmaker Michael Moore
sought to produce the ultimate anti-George W. Bush "documentary" as part
of his personal effort to harm Bush's re-election chances against 2004
challenger John Kerry. President Bush is made to look silly and
incompetent in the film, balancing between comedy and drama in its
pursuit of exposing the less refined aspects of Bush's activity from
2001 to 2003. No effort was ever made to mask Fahrenheit 9/11 as
a straight, non-partisan documentary; the purpose of the film was quite
clear to all at a time when half of America, along with the majority of
the world's onlookers, hoped for an end to Bush's controversial (and, as
some would say, illegitimate) presidency. The difference between
Fahrenheit 9/11 and most other propaganda films, however, is the
extraordinary reception that the film received from people all across
the political spectrum. Whether or not you like Moore or the film, its
impact was profound because of the overwhelming viewership and
consequent press that the film received. That said, Americans were dumb
enough to re-elect Bush anyway, so Moore ultimately failed at his task.
When you think about these Moore documentaries, you're not likely going
to recall the music, even if you're a soundtrack collector. But believe
it or not, these films do have scores that co-exist with the better
known outsourced songs. The composer for Bowling for Columbine
and Fahrenheit 9/11 is a high school buddy of Moore, Jeff Gibbs,
whose primary duties on the films were as a producer and co-director
over and beyond his involvement with the music. They first paired up for
directing duties during the prior film, but when Moore's previous
arrangements for a composer fell through, Gibbs used his musical talents
to step in and provide an emergency score. That solo piano work found an
audience and was released on a compilation of the composer's music
called "Reflections." When it came time for Fahrenheit 9/11,
Moore and Gibbs were once again co-producing the film, and Gibbs had
more time and assets with which to make a fuller-sounding score. The
only reason Gibbs' score for the 2004 movie came to the forefront is
because it was released along with several songs from the film on a
commercial CD that coincided with the strategically planned early
October release of Fahrenheit 9/11 on DVD.
Is there really a substantial amount of score for
Fahrenheit 9/11? In reality, no, there isn't much, but Gibbs did
provide extended versions of what you hear in snippets during the film
so that the listening experience on album is fuller. The other question
about the score is its political motive. Is it as liberal as the film?
One of the score cues does somewhat mock George W. Bush, and the irony
in the song selections is not to be missed, but there surprisingly are
not any quotes from film on the album. The score was never intended to
be fantastic, and its substance was likely rendered on a single
synthesizer. The last thing you can expect from a project such as this
is anything more than what major composers would produce as a mock-up
score. However, Gibbs' music was certainly sufficient (for both
documentaries, his only scores at the time) in serving its purpose.
Electric strings set a general tone of tragedy in the opening and
closing score cues, a solo piano draws out Bush's waiting sequence on
September 11th, 2001, and "Weapons of Deceit" is the mocking, playful
tune that is jolly in its insulting representation of leadership. There
is a vintage Philip Glass vibe that exists in the looped rhythms of
these cues, especially in the fuax strings of "All They Ask," and
"Weapons of Deceit" seems to owe some inspiration to Danny Elfman as
well. After a solemn Cliff Martinez-like "Deserter" cue with sparse
contemporary rhythms, the "Afghan Victory Dance" cue mocks Middle
Eastern musical trademarks and inserts some flair into a slow nightclub
atmosphere. These score cues collectively reach just under 20 minutes in
length and don't have any common theme, motif, or instrumental style.
They are clearly "filler" cues meant to bridge the situations that are
better suited by songs or silence in the film, typically fading out
without any solid resolution. The songs included on the album aren't
huge hits (soundtrack sales likely weren't as important to Moore as the
rhetorical impact of the selections), with R.E.M.'s insufferably happy
and shiny "Shiny Happy People" perhaps the best known of the lot for
average movie-goers. But even the songs are inconsistent in style and
genre, leaving this product as little more than a curious souvenir from
the film. It's interesting to wonder what the late Elmer Bernstein (who
had just passed away at the time) would think of the appearance of his
Magnificent Seven theme in the film and on this album. People who
loved Moore's endeavor will likely find the album be a somewhat cool
addition to their
Fahrenheit 9/11 experience, but if you haven't
seen the film or were offended by it, then it will serve you no purpose.
Looking back at it, maybe quotes from the film would have been the best
thing to spice up an album that already had an "explicit lyrics"
warning.
** @Amazon.com: CD or
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