: (Elliot Goldenthal) Writer and
director Neil Jordan reportedly held the story of
in such high regard that he worked on it for thirteen years, eventually
submitting it in the mid-1990's when he finally had the stature to make
the film with the kind of surrounding talent he deemed necessary to
ensure its success. The topic of the historic events of the formation of
Ireland, the birth of the IRA, and the ensuing civil war of 1922 caused
significant consternation at the time that Warner Brothers distributed
the picture, though
has always maintained a
strong response from critics who overlook the minor alterations of
historical fact and praise the outstanding performances by the cast. The
production also proved once again that young, classical crossover
composer Elliot Goldenthal was a genuine force to be reckoned with in
Hollywood, with
garnering him his second Academy
Award nomination. While Goldenthal would not win the award in the decade
(nor would he even be nominated again in the 1990's), the recognition
that came with this score and
. While Goldenthal had been
criticized by the older generations of film score collectors for what
may appear on the surface as a haphazard method of postmodern style in
his writing, the composer has always produced a small handful of scores
during all times in his career that stand apart as being among the best
of their respective years. Along with
is one such entry that is
strong enough, in fact, to finish in the top five scores of 1996 on many
lists. Strangely, though, when you hear Goldenthal fans banter about
their favorite scores by the composer,
is only
occasionally mentioned, and you have to wonder if the composer's
embracing of a more harmonic stance in the score, in the process of
opening it up to a wider general listening audience, disappointed
Goldenthal's hardcore followers.
The story of the Easter Rebellion and the Irish
struggles in the streets required a score that is far more lyrical than
Goldenthal's action and horror scores had been. Works such as
Batman
Forever and
Alien 3 utilized an often dissonant sound,
without harmony in key sequences and shrill in the brass section, and
the previous year's
Heat had used starkly effective, but chilly
instrumental combinations that would not suit a character story as
dramatic as this one. In
Michael Collins, little of Goldenthal's
obvious postmodern style is evident, and the somewhat mainstream sound
could be considered a precursor of the even more robust
Final
Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The balance between sweeping themes of
independence, delicate piano solos, and the incorporation of female
vocals is well handled in
Michael Collins, presenting a sense of
straightforward lyricism that was relatively rare for the composer at
the time. The scenes of fighting and raids are understandably
troublesome, as Goldenthal allows himself to slip into a few 2-minute
sequences of dissonant sound (led by the awful "Football Match") that
reside in his career's comfort zone. But the greater mass of this score
consists of harmonious statements of theme and pulsating underscore. It
is noble music in stature, leading to a grand anthem at the end. The
highlights of the score, however (just as in
Final Fantasy), are
the softer cues of melody performed by a solo trumpet or piano, such as
"Train Station Farewell" and "Boland Returns (Kitty's Waltz)," which are
nearly unrecognizable compared to Goldenthal's norm; in fact, the soft
piano work in the former cue almost resembles the warmth and simple
progressions of a typical Randy Edelman theme, which should come as
something of a shock to the ears of any veteran film music collector.
The score's two other thematic elements aren't as obvious, but they both
offer a much stronger dramatic punch. The first is the theme of conflict
and its inherent tragedy, presented beautifully and with resounding
resolve in "Easter Rebellion." The second is the propulsive action
rhythm heard first in the impressive "Fire and Arms." The first three
tracks on the album present all of these main ideas in succession and
are an undeniably powerful trio.
The "Funeral/Coda" cue at the end of the film and album
is a remarkably compelling string piece, offering the culmination of an
album that continues to build steam until its last moments. The ethnic,
operatic romance piece at the end of the album is no less enjoyable
(even with the dreaded accordion), providing one last reminder of the
locale of the story. Most importantly, Goldenthal accomplishes two
important things with
Michael Collins. First, he manages to
insert enough Irish influence into the score without beating the
listener over the head with it, as James Horner has been known to do.
The ethnic instrumentation is applied with a light touch, and the action
scenes largely include the full orchestra mixed in the forefront with
the addition of one or two soloists on the pipes or whistle at a
distance. Secondly, Goldenthal successfully incorporates very heavy
strings and a weighty bass without becoming distractingly brooding, as
Basil Poledouris does at times in the nearly concurrent
Les
Misérables. The sense of gravity and importance of the title
character and the burden of an entire people is handled well by
Goldenthal's bass region. The most likely reason this score was
nominated for an Oscar, though, was the obvious use of Sinead O'Connor
for the vocals in three pivotal scenes. The first two appearances by the
popular singer are mostly wordless accompaniment to the full orchestra,
but her final performance, in "She Moved Though the Fair," is a solemn
classical song, weaving in and out of Goldenthal's interludes of
underscore. While the mass of superior music on the
Michael
Collins album cannot be attributed to her, the contribution she
makes helped it become a mainstream attraction. The opening track,
"Easter Rebellion," is a masterful combination of all of the
aforementioned elements, along with an ethereal choir, to produce a
monumentally emotional and ominous introduction to the score. Overall,
Michael Collins remains one of Goldenthal's strongest
compositions to date, and it sustains itself for most of the duration of
its powerful album. There are a few singular cues of troubled, dissonant
noise, as to be expected from Goldenthal, but such moments are minimal
compared to the beauty of the score's major thematic statements. As
such,
Michael Collins is a good score with which to start a
Goldenthal collection.
**** @Amazon.com: CD or
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| Bias Check: |
For Elliot Goldenthal reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.13
(in 16 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.2
(in 17,800 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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