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| Debney |
The Passion of the Christ: (John Debney) Not much
more needs to be said about the offensively graphic 2004 fantasy
spectacle,
The Passion of the Christ. It is a project that, when
combined with his bigoted, drunken rants during a traffic arrest not
long after, would forever overshadow actor-turned-director Mel Gibson's
career and turn away many potential industry collaborators. The graphic
depiction of Jesus Christ's last twelve hours of life was as
controversial as any film had been in a decade, and questions of merit
were raised about whether the polarizing effect of the film was really
necessary. The violence of the interpretation is so grotesquely
realistic that members of theatrical audiences were reported to have
vomited in the isles and staggered out of the cinema in disgust.
Christian organizations were predictably pushing advertising for
The
Passion of the Christ alongside the studio's $25 million of a
marketing budget aimed at stimulating religious groups into flooding
America with talk of the project. Whether you are a born-again Christian
or a die-hard atheist,
The Passion of the Christ is at the very
least a lengthy topic for debate over the supper table, and with the
musical score for the film so closely tied to the efforts of the film,
its evolution is worthy of equal debate. Gibson's production suffered
from a serious case of indecision when it came to its music; with Gibson
attempting for an ultra-accurate, original-language portrayal of Jesus'
death, the first reported idea was to have no musical score at all. Then
he turned to Canadian composer Jack Lenz to assemble and apply only
worldly instruments heard at the time in basic structures. While a small
portion of Lenz' source-like material did eventually make the final cut
of the film, Gibson realized that the story's emotional impact was
simply not sufficient without at least some kind of traditional
orchestral score, though he fought the idea through most of the
post-production of the project. Looking for answers, Gibson's waffling
led to rumors that James Horner was interested in the project. Then,
talk involved romantic female composers such as Lisa Gerrard and Rachel
Portman, who, in hindsight, would have had no chance to compose what
Gibson would eventually decide upon for his film's musical identity.
Portman did indeed have the job until her pregnancy caused her to bow
out gracefully.
The assignment of salvaging the music for
The Passion
of the Christ eventually went to Hollywood utility man John Debney,
a "fix-it" composer fresh off of
Bruce Almighty and
Elf,
two scores that were quite typical in his comedy-dominated scoring
career. Another devout Christian himself, Debney has attributed prayer
for receiving some of the inspiration for this score. Much light-hearted
discussion resulted when Debney admitted that he blamed technical
difficulties during the recording and editing of this score on the
forces of Satan, even claiming to run out into the parking lot to
confront his demons in these regards. Any number of references to
End
of Days could work here. Speculation about whether or not the
composer has become ostracized from some corners of the largely secular
industry has ensued since. No matter your opinion about Debney's sanity
or religious beliefs due to these silly revelations, at least it
conveyed a sense of the composer's own passion for the project. The
important and relevant element of Debney's career has been his
versatility, especially on short notice, and he is well respected by
studios for providing serviceable, quick music for any kind of topic.
Debney also seems well adjusted to the idea of stepping in and producing
the exact sound requested by his employers without bickering over the
approach demanded from him. In this case particularly, Debney was an
excellent (although still surprising) choice for the project;
The
Passion of the Christ is easily the most intriguing and widely known
of his scoring assignments to date. While film music collectors will
always favor
Cutthroat Island from a technical and enjoyment
standpoint,
The Passion of the Christ earned the composer his
only Oscar nomination (and it's hard to imagine that he lost the award
by a wide margin) and has remained his most commonly referenced work.
Debney received the job in October, 2003 after Portman's departure, and
he was so thrilled by the prospect of being involved with the project
that wrote some sample material for Gibson that was ultimately used in a
trailer for the film. In fact, it was the pounding, militaristic, and
ascending "resurrection theme" in that early trailer, repeated in
similar form for the film's subsequent advertisements, that indeed got
him hired despite some hesitation by Gibson. Despite the director's
acceptance of this music for the trailers, though, he was still
skeptical about the use of full-scale orchestral and choral music in the
actual film.
Debney was not certain that he could avoid being fired in
his early days of emphasizing a more balanced approach to the music of
The Passion of the Christ. Thus, he maintained an open mind. "I
had no pre-conceived notions about what the score should be," Debney
states. "I did know that the filmmakers liked an eclectic approach to
the music, not wanting to make the score too literal or conventional.
The result, I believe, is a nice blend between some very powerful, more
traditional music, as well as some very interesting ethnic and
contemporary textures." More than in any case in recent memory, the
soundtrack for
The Passion of the Christ cannot easily be
separated from the film, for the popularly accepted version of the story
of Christ, despite its countless flaws in historical accuracy, is so
very well known. So even if a person were to attempt to evaluate
Debney's
The Passion of the Christ as a piece of standalone
music, without any regard for the film it accompanies, then that
evaluation would sorely miss the intent and context it embodies. Many
film music fans argue that this is the case for nearly any film, but
with
The Passion of the Christ, it is a clear reality. Part of
this necessity to consider film and score together is caused by Debney's
uncanny ability to do his job well, and he has certainly succeeded here.
He accomplished his task so well for the intended, adoring audience that
the score's best sections have become a popular concert piece for
Debney. In fact, he led a 2010 performance of the score with a
500-member choir and a full orchestra in Saint Peter's Square at the
Vatican, a monumental occasion for any composer. Most people who recall
this score do so because of its grandiose portions, highlighted by the
resurrection theme's several driving variations. But listeners often
forget that this score, on the whole, is actually quite unpredictably
rendered and minimally constructed for most of its length. The majority
of the finished project contains an ambient blend of vague worldly tones
contributed by Lisbeth Scott, Pedro Eustache, L. Shankar and Gingger
Shankar, and a host of other specialty performers of vocals and ancient
wind and string instruments. Most of the length of the work is absent
any lyricism whatsoever, with the spirit of the surviving Lenz material
expressed with simply some beefier string backing or other slightly
emphasized background power as the score meanders through its many
conversational sequences. The harmonious, thematic payoff in the latter
stages of the score is a reward for what is mostly a challenging
listening experience for the first hour.
The highlights of the score for
The Passion of the
Christ, those full ensemble portions that took Gibson some time to
appreciate and approve, are hugely orchestral, with layered choirs,
flighty flutes and female vocals, authentic instruments from the era,
and an array of electronic elements to provide accents and rumbling bass
to the soundscape. It is largely conceived music for the ultimate in
pious fantasy, worthy of a lord or god indeed, and the intense passages
of rhythm and lyrical statements of harmony carry with them the weight
of a heavily burdened topic. The original album arrangements of the
score are less contemplative and favor the renditions of the action
material, interestingly, with strongly propulsive sequences extending
throughout the presentation and featuring choral statements over broad
orchestral sweeps, very bass-heavy synthesizers, and relentless drums.
There are parts of
The Passion of the Christ that sound like they
were inspired by
The Prince of Egypt in instrumentation, although
the pounding action cues seem better compared to Hans Zimmer's
Gladiator, which also defined Romans as the evil-doers. When awe
is necessary, Debney's score is immense, even during dialogue-respecting
underscore that often features a distant, powerfully beating drum and a
rumbling cymbal to accentuate each pivotal statement by Jesus himself.
Sequences of lyrical beauty may be few and far between, but they are
outstanding when allowed; a notable but brief show of lyrical love
exists in the flute work at the center portions of "Crucifixion," a
welcome break from the score's constant pressures despite its strangely
Irish tone. One has to make the inevitable comparison to another
Christ-related score that was, ironically, be released to theatres at
the same time as
The Passion of the Christ. Even though it
debuted during the previous year, Jeff Danna's
The Gospel of John
provides a similar glimpse into the life of Jesus, but with an entirely
different intent and focus. The score for
The Gospel of John is
eloquent and romantic, beautiful and loving in its operatic
interpretations of Jesus' life. Debney's
The Passion of the
Christ has all of the exact same kind of instrumental and choral
ensembles, but with a completely different approach in its tone. This is
where talk about context in Gibson's film becomes necessary; you can
listen to
The Gospel of John for hours and not associate it
necessarily with any overtly religious idea. This is not so with
The
Passion of the Christ. Debney has said that "restraint was key to
this film, so when the music really gets big and emotional, we've earned
it," and yet, the work is saturated with troubling and agonizing
passages reflective of the grisly events portrayed on screen.
For listeners seeking the same general treatment from
Debney but without the overbearing element of brutality, there remains
some solace to be taken in his music for
The Stoning of Soraya M.
several years later. In
The Passion of the Christ, perhaps the
most defining aspect of Debney's score is its lengthy sequences of
downright nasty, mean, and oppressive material. There is very little
love and tenderness heard in the composition or performances of
The
Passion of the Christ, which is understandable given the horrible
events concentrated on by the film. Supporters of this score will point
to the pivotal "May Goes to Jesus" as a loving respite, and this cue is
indeed a pretty, lyrical break (though owing a bit, perhaps, to Peter
Gabriel's
The Last Temptation of Christ and Georges Delerue's
Anges of God). But when you add the intended mass of the
generally oppressive sound of even these sequences to the already
troubled waters of the composition's tone, you get a final result that
sounds like Armageddon is upon the world in this film, with an abrasive
spirit that could indeed have better existed as part of Debney's dark
music for
End of Days. The scope of his music becomes larger than
life ("I can't imagine a more dramatic story to compose music to," he
says), relentlessly pounding its message home at the end, and while
musically there are many outstanding and impressive aspects of this
score, you can't help but be worn down by its inflated attitude. There
are some interesting techniques employed by Debney that lead to a few
cues that qualify as downright horror music, especially with frantic
strings and woodwinds exploding in every direction at once for poignant
moments of betrayal in the story. Aside from the resurrection theme,
there is a disappointing lack of consistent melodic development in this
work, the most poignant secondary idea existing for Jesus' mother, Mary
("I believe that Mary had a hand in giving me her theme," Debney
continues). Otherwise, there are no overwhelming, central thematic
identities in the film. This leads us back to only the resurrection
theme as the memorable calling card. This glorified crescendo of
surprisingly militaristic rhythmic force, aside from the trailer usage,
is hinted several times in the work, most notably in "Peter Denies
Jesus" but explodes finally at the one minute mark into "Resurrection."
The majority of the harmonic statements in the score are appropriately
rooted in the minor key as to maximize their dramatic effect, even
during interludes of contemplation, but they explicitly shift to the
major key to denote the ultimate "victory" that Debney and Gibson speak
of reaching at the end. That final, huge statement of powerful action
sheds some of the sense of dread that prevails in much of the rest of
the score.
While many listeners will simply accept this score's
progression towards salvation, several curious decisions are made by
Debney for the music in
The Passion of the Christ, especially
when you compare his spoken intentions with the finished product. He
claims to have tried so hard to avoid the pitfalls of common perceptions
of religious music, striving for the kind of authenticity that Jeff and
Mychael Danna had already achieved with admirable success. But,
ultimately, the music for
The Passion of the Christ is the king
of religious cliche, utilizing the exact bloated sound that even Gibson
had originally attempted to avoid. Massively harmonious orchestral and
choral music of almost liturgical power was too easy to generate for
this context. It's truly disappointing, therefore, to hear so little
truly intelligent or challenging thought expressed in this score. The
lengthy, difficult ambience that comes before the "payoff" is not as
smartly engaging as one would expect, nor is it as complex as the
subject matter would suggest it needed to be. This review has always
included an editor's note about his wife's initial reaction to this
score while it was being reviewed for this site in February of 2004. She
was reading in the Filmtracks office during the original writing of this
review, but she suddenly exploded with anger at Debney's music when the
"Resurrection" cue arrived. As a keen student of Christian religion,
obtaining her Master's degree in theology from a Christian seminary and
working in subsequent years with Christian organizations and delivering
guest sermons, her reaction was intriguing. Before leaving the office in
disgust, she accompanied a summary dismissal of the film's controversial
portrayal by stating, "It's gruesome music that's meant to make you feel
guilty, just like the film. It could make someone clinically depressed
or suicidal if they care about the good things that Jesus did." More
than a decade later, with this review being revised in 2015, she refuses
to be even within listening distance of this score, so overwhelmingly
thorough her disdain for the film and Debney's approach to it. It's
important to remember that
The Passion of the Christ is a score
written by a devoted Christian for a devoted Christian film aimed at a
devoted Christian audience. If you believe that the film is a propaganda
tool and nothing more, then this music could really irritate you. Once
again, it's hard to enjoy this score for the grand beauty of its payoff
without thinking about the film's application as an offensive conversion
tool. Gibson seems to have been obsessed with films about martyrdom from
the start, including his top titles like
Mad Max and
Braveheart, and with
The Passion of the Christ he has the
ultimate martyr's score for the ultimate martyr's film.
As heard on album, had Debney written this music for a
Stargate sequel, this would be a completely different review. As
it stands, however, it is a score impressive in some of its execution
and yet difficult to enjoy even in those highlights. Everything about it
seems aimed at goals parallel to those of the rest of the offensive
production, and Debney's score could equally push your buttons with its
bloated sense of self-importance. The original 2004 album was pressed by
Christian music label Integrity Music in partnership with Sony Music for
distribution. The cues are out of order so that the listener is struck
with the momentous "Bearing the Cross" music early in the presentation.
Despite the film's great length, that album is only 54 minutes in
length, and La-La Land Records finally pressed a full, 2-CD album for
The Passion of the Christ in 2014. That set is welcome for study,
because it finally reveals the true extent of the supplemental
contributions by the various performers in a compositional role. The
first CD's extended material is heavy on the rumbling, sometimes barely
audible generation of ambient importance, with no really interesting new
lyricism to be appreciated. The jarring disconnects between Debny's
music and that of Lenz becomes more apparent. But the second CD in the
set is fantastic, with the previously unreleased "End Credits" and
several alternate takes of the other album's best unique recordings by
Debney joined by four additional renditions of "Resurrection," most of
which for the trailers. For enthusiasts of the score, this set will be
challenging to survive on its first CD but will be all the more
rewarding in that payoff. Overall, depending on where you stand on the
scale of secularity,
The Passion of the Christ is a solid score
about which you may wish you didn't know the context of its film. There
is nothing loving about this music for Jesus. It is built to impress and
oppress with its sheer weight. Sometimes, the result is harsh and
abrasive, and rarely is it relaxing or lyrical. For Debney, it is a film
that he must surely wish had been released not early in the year, but
rather just prior to the deadline for the previous year's Academy Awards
voting, because it represented his best chance at the award during his
long and illustrious career. He still received the nomination, but it
came a full year after the hype, and liberal Academy voters likely did
what they could to exclude the film from receiving any Oscars. In
entertainment value and compositional structure, this music will never
prevail over his crown jewel,
Cutthroat Island, for affection
from film music collectors, but it may come close in parts.
Melodramatic, controversial, and explosive, this music's fate rests on
the fortunes of the film's reputation and fortunes.
**** @Amazon.com: CD or
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| Bias Check: |
For John Debney reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.33
(in 56 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.09
(in 49,878 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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