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FILMTRACKS.COM
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VIEW 
Review of Mank (Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... for the score's outstanding big band and foxtrot cues
littered throughout, the authenticity of their character in mono sound
truly admirable.
Avoid it... for most of the remainder of the score, the tepid emulations of Bernard Herrmann ineffective as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross struggle to engage your emotions over long sequences of dull, listless filler.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Mank: (Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross) Nothing excites
Hollywood insiders more than a movie showing juicy details about some
time in Hollywood's past. David Fincher's 2020 drama Mank is
exactly that type of film, and it was embraced warmly by the industry
and critics. The biographical story tells of screenwriter Herman J.
Mankiewicz's troubled life in the years up to and including the creation
of 1941's Citizen Kane with Orson Welles, jumping back in time to
cover various episodes in Mankiewicz's personal and professional
dealings that led up to that profound achievement. Not surprisingly, the
plot diverges from the man's alcoholism and physical injuries to explore
California politics of the era, with William Randolph Hearst involved
due to his use as inspiration for Citizen Kane. The production of
Mank accentuated the lavish costumes and cinematography necessary
to glorify the era, the film shot in 4:3-ratio black and white and
presented in mono sound. Such techniques wowed awards bodies, of course,
and that praise carried over to the original score by Trent Reznor and
Atticus Ross. To say that these two men were fish out of water for this
assignment is an understatement, but their successful collaboration with
Fincher allowed them the chance to completely ditch their synthesizers
and take a stab at Hollywood's golden age. Attributing the end result in
Mank is challenging, because they had the common sense to bring
on board their team a slew of highly talented arrangers to help them
flesh out their ideas for the picture. Their basic scenario was a bit
similar to the nightmare facing Clint Mansell for 2020's remake of
Rebecca. Just as Mansell watched the original 1940 version and
quickly recognized that he was outmatched by Franz Waxman, the same "oh,
shit!" realization must have hit Reznor and Ross when evaluating how to
channel Bernard Herrmann for this picture. Unlike Mansell, though, they
hired the extensive help they needed to realize a score that, as
intended, could have been written at the time for a film of the same
topic. Their whole production process was upended by the need to supply
authentic period music that could convey in mono the simpler spirit of
the late 1930's without a hint of the contemporary sound design that had
defined their film scoring careers.
From a strategic standpoint, Reznor and Ross had to decide what type of personality to give Mank's score, for there were opportunities for countless big band jazz cues but also the interpersonal drama and quasi-suspense that begged for a straight emulation of Herrmann. To their credit and detriment, they opted to try both techniques at once, peppering the score with an extraordinary number of genuinely impressive source-like big band and foxtrot pieces original to this score. In between them is a long series of restrained, dramatic cues, some very clearly trying to resurrect Herrmann, culminating in one sappy, lush romance cue at the end. While conceptually fine, it's impossible to know how much credit to give Reznor and Ross for this music. The cynical skeptics in the crowd will be quick to acknowledge that these men were nowhere near capable of generating this music without a fair amount of help. And so stepped in orchestrator extraordinaire (and very competent composer in his own right) Conrad Pope to arrange the Herrmanneque portions of the score, Dan Higgins and Tim Gill to arrange the big band and foxtrot cues, and an army of orchestration assistance including one contributor for "orchestration realization." Another issue facing this score was the effect of the pandemic on the recording process, each of the 40 musicians having to be recorded separately and meticulously edited together. The package as a whole is an interesting listening experience but not always an engaging one. Reznor and Ross recorded an insane amount of music for Mank, an extended version of the soundtrack runs over three and a half hours in 87 tracks. (Among some minor complaints about the picture included those claiming that the movie had too much music in it.) Even the regular album runs over an hour and a half. The quality of the score simply cannot support either length of time, but not because of the big band and foxtrot portions. Sprinkled extensively into the first two-thirds of the score and featuring the straight big band performances far more often, these passages are quite admirable in their variety and authenticity. If assembled into their own lengthy suite of cues, they'd be a compelling tribute to the style of the era. There is a huge drawback to these recordings, however, and it is simply the intentionally muted and mono quality of these tracks, some seemingly including artificial tape hiss. While their archival sound quality was the whole point of the film, these recordings would be a blast to hear in modern sound quality. Outside of the many ambitious big band and swooning foxtrot cues in Mank, Reznor and Ross tackle the straight underscore with reservation for much its length. There are thematic elements that carry over from the songs to the score, most notably the "All This Time" theme that is exercised through a whole range of emotions in the cues of that name from start to finish. The final "All This Time (Happily Ever After)" rendition is lovely on strings and piano, the score's most poignant and romantic moment by far. The ensemble for the score heavily emphasizes soloists, woodwinds and strings most prevalent. The somewhat somber and occasionally suspenseful tone of the score is established with Herrmann intrigue in "Welcome to Victorville," but do not expect the music to maintain the same depth in many of its other cues. With the romance and flair of the era addressed by the other arrangements, the score's less exuberant passages are generally restrained and sometimes barely audible. Reznor and Ross' more aggressive cues of dissonance often feature a 1930's version of their sound design: annoying percussive elements cobbled together to yield progressively more obnoxious tones in "Trapped!," "About Something," "Marion's Exit," and "Election Night-mare." Herrmann enthusiasts may either appreciate the clear, outright attempts at emulation or be despondent about them, this usage highlighted by an octave-bouncing woodwind figure over rattling percussion and sinister woodwinds previewed in "Trapped!" and maturing in "The Organ Grinder" and "The Organ Grinder's Monkey." The structure of the score's cues is not too accomplished, the theme from the "All This Time" cues opening "Clouds Gather," "An Idea Takes Hold," and "Marion's Exit" in nearly identical, tired fashion. Compared to the big band passages, these cues are often an extreme bore and occupy a significant amount of time due to the work's bloated length. The music may function well in the picture, but on album the experience is too variable and unengaging in the non-big band cues to sustain itself. The score's one original song, "(If Only You Could) Save Me," performed by Adryon de León, is a wonderful exception. For listeners curious about the expanded release provided to fans by Reznor and Ross for $25, the additional material contains unused cues and mostly demos of their ideas prior to orchestration. The additional cues don't contain outright necessities and, humorously, the sound of the synthetic demos is actually better than the final recordings. On the whole, Reznor and Ross acquit themselves with a lot of help from arrangers, but outside of the big band cues, the score lands with a monoaural thud. ***
TRACK LISTINGS:
Regular Album:
Total Time: 92:33
* performed by Adryon de León Promotional Album: Total Time: 211:49
* performed by Adryon de León
NOTES & QUOTES:
There exists no official packaging for either album. Both use the same cover art.
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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Mank are Copyright © 2020, The Null Corporation (All Albums) and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 2/24/21 (and not updated significantly since). |
