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Review of Slumdog Millionaire (A.R. Rahman)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... for its extremely engaging, genre-bending songs, of which
"Jai Ho" is one of the most dynamic and memorable on film in quite a
while.
Avoid it... if you expect A.R. Rahman's wildly frenetic and often obnoxious hip-hop underscore to be deserving of the awards recognition it received in the flurry of initial popularity surrounding the film.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Slumdog Millionaire: (Allah Rakha Rahman) You know
that your small arthouse film has hit the jackpot when not only 10
Academy Award nominations drop on your lap but you're also protested by
a wide variety of diverse interest groups. The road to success taken by
Slumdog Millionaire is as improbable as any you could imagine,
with the British and Indian production left for dead on a straight to
DVD release in 2008 because of its original studio's demise.
Fortunately, Fox Searchlight decided to distribute the unknown indie
project and, due to its endearing script and creative direction,
critical and popular praise was showered upon it. Though Slumdog
Millionaire contains some truly discouraging imagery of Mumbai and
has few positive representations of its police force (an irony given the
terrorist attacks that soon followed in its upscale neighborhoods), it
is a story of love and stubborn will, showing the human spirit at its
best in the most awkward and oppressive of circumstances. Despite the
$15 million production's immense appeal, protests over the film's
depictions have come from Hindu religious groups, automaker
Mercedes-Benz, and even those who live in the slum shown in the picture.
Seemingly immune to all of these disgruntled parties, Slumdog
Millionaire owes much of its popularity to the placement of
Bollywood composer Allah Rakha Rahman's music in the film. From the two
original songs prominently heard at the beginning and end of the picture
to the uniquely contemporary underscore material in between, A.R.
Rahman's contributions to the film have earned him the long overdue
international spotlight. His Golden Globe win and three Oscar
nominations for Slumdog Millionaire are all records for an
Indian, thrilling a loyal fan base in a native country that has termed
the 43-year-old "The Mozart of Madras." Writing for venues ranging from
television to the concert hall, Rahman has worked his way up through the
Hindi film music industry during the 1990's and 2000's, occasionally
touching upon international recognition with projects like Elizabeth:
The Golden Age, which he co-wrote with Craig Armstrong (also a
Golden Globe winner). In response to news of his three Oscar
nominations, Rahman said, "I did not think it will get there. God has
been really kind. And I have to really thank the prayers of all the
people and their good wishes." In support of the film, he continued,
"There is a kind of optimism in the film and so much positive vibe as
you leave the movie hall."
Of course, there comes the inevitable time when a soundtrack like that of Slumdog Millionaire clashes with the Western establishment, and this review approaches it from that perspective. It is a shame that a score and collection of songs like this has to be compared to the structural mechanisms and expectations of a Western audience, because there exists really no common foundation on which to weight Rahman's work for this film against its American and European competition for major awards. It has become popular for the Academy in particular to award foreign competition because of the expediency in meeting politically correct standards of operation in Hollywood. That's how two extremely substandard scores by Gustavo Santaolalla won the Oscar over Americans tormented by years of losses (Thomas Newman, James Newton Howard, and even, to a lesser extent, John Williams). On one hand, it's pleasing to see Rahman receive a nomination for Slumdog Millionaire, because it affirms acceptance in a career that has yielded the sale of 100 million albums worldwide (placing him in the top 25 of all artists in the history of the planet), but on the other hand, it's a shame to see this score nominated simply because the film is the flashiest fad of the moment. And that's what has really happened here. Rahman's work for Slumdog Millionaire is competent in its fusion of standard Bollywood tones with kinetic hip-hop pizzazz, but it is music in which veteran film music collectors of the West will find little enjoyment even if they appreciate its role in the film. The soundtrack was advertised as concentrating on the propulsive modern grit of the story, with Rahman adding "We wanted it edgy, upfront. Danny [Boyle, the director] wanted it loud." And it is indeed that. It only takes a few tracks before you're treated to the rhythmic sounds of realistic gunshots. Synthetic from start to finish, the hip-hop loops extend into the realm of traditional Indian ethnicity at times while tearing the sonic spectrum apart with grating electronic repetition; when together, as in "Mausam & Escape," the score material is exhilarating, exhausting, and smothering all at once. By the insertion of a Gothic style of chanting and whimsically exotic solo female vocals late in that cue, it's easy to be overwhelmed by both the magnificent scope and frightening genre-defying incoherency of each cue. Much of the score material functions like fragmented songs, with "Ringa Ringa" and "Liquid Dance" both featuring prominent vocals over heavily mutilated orchestral tones, crazy edits, and nearly intolerable sound effects. The dizzying pace of the soundtrack's movement from one track to another is no doubt appropriate for the frenzied chasing seen in the film, but on album, unless you're looking for a souvenir from Slumdog Millionaire or one of the book-ending songs, don't expect any semblance of a traditionally flowing listening experience. The only theme that Western ears will be able to latch onto will be "Lakita's Theme," a truly lovely, if not somewhat simplistic progression that becomes the basis for the song "Dreams on Fire." Likewise, "Millionaire" allows its driving rhythms and abrasive, treble-dominated electronic motif to develop over a minute (which seems like an eternity on this soundtrack). On the whole, the score material, if you can really term it as such, lacks any conventional sense of cohesion to give it a distinct and memorable personality outside of its extremely diverse instrumentation. A basic sense of propulsion, however obnoxious it might be for some listeners, prevails. Highlighting the album, and the reason Rahman is receiving so much attention for Slumdog Millionaire, are the pair of opening and closing songs. The collaboration between Rahman and Mathangi Arulpragasam (M.I.A.) for "O... Saya" is far less intriguing than the conclusive "Jai Ho," which is clearly the single reason for celebration involving Rahman's achievement. Shifting through practically every genre of music in a single five-minute piece, the intelligently layered, multi-lingual, and harmonically dynamic "Jai Ho" literally encourages audiences to sing at the upbeat end of the film. "The energy of the film takes you through a roller coaster," Rahman states when reflecting upon this song, "and that's one of the main inspirations for the whole music." Of the three songs nominated for an Oscar in 2008, "Jai Ho" is easily the best (sorry, Tom Newman), and for Western listeners seeking only the most palatable portions of Slumdog Millionaire, a combination of the two final tracks on the product, including the far softer "Dreams on Fire," is your best bet. While Rahman should take home Oscar gold for the finale's song, his actual underscore is unaccomplished compared to its competition. This is another circumstance in which the songs are so overwhelmingly effective in the picture that the recognition due to Rahman for that achievement undeservedly carried over into the score category. With any luck, Rahman's other works, which includes some impressive symphonic material, will be more easily marketed in the West following Slumdog Millionaire, a positive side effect regardless of overinflated, bandwagon-induced opinions about this score.
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 51:23
NOTES & QUOTES:
The insert includes no extra information about the score or film.
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