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Gregson-
Williams |
Unstoppable: (Harry Gregson-Williams) Although
technically based upon true events that transpired in Ohio in 2001, Tony
Scott's train thriller
Unstoppable bloats the dramatic aspects of
the event to unrealistic proportions for the purposes of cinematic
suspense. The incident in both cases involves a powered locomotive
(pulling tank cars with hazardous chemicals) that is accidentally
abandoned by its engineer while he attempts to disembark and change a
switch at low speeds. The runaway train picks up velocity and barrels
through the industrial belt of America while thwarting many attempts to
bring it under control. Intentionally derailing it and shooting it to
cut off the fuel supply were both considered and/or attempted and
depicted in
Unstoppable, though the film also shows the necessary
scenes of destruction resulting from failed countermeasures. All the
cheap, expected Hollywood plot elements are inserted as well, including
a trailer stuck on the tracks, children on an oncoming passenger train,
a prime antagonist at the corporate level of the railroad, and a couple
of troubled engineers who redeem themselves by heroically saving the
day. The preparation for the production of
Unstoppable wasn't
entirely smooth, with directors and lead stars coming and going before
director Tony Scott and actor Denzel Washington went along with Fox's
diminished budget for the picture (the latter having to be enticed back
once with a better compensation package). The final involvement of Scott
at the helm practically assured the continuation of his collaboration
with composer Harry Gregson-Williams as well, setting up a situation
similar to
The Taking of Pelham 123. Stylistically, the genre is
extremely predictable for enthusiasts of Gregson-Williams' music,
soliciting the usual variety of electronically-propulsive loops and
occasional string ensemble accompaniment for character development. The
fact that the composer follows this formula so thoroughly for
Unstoppable has to be considered a disappointment given his
talent for creatively and impressively employing larger ensemble sounds.
The fact that there is absolutely nothing new to hear in this score is
also unfortunate because of all the potential, both rhythmically and in
the sampling of sounds, that a story about a runaway train can provide.
The strings in
Unstoppable are supplemented by their synthetic
variants, piano, electric guitar, and Gregson-Williams' familiar (and
arguably tired) library of slapping, metallic looped sounds.
The vast collection of sampled sounds in the score for
Unstoppable is sometimes changed in pitch to produce groaning
effects and other expected variants, and the composer does alter
rhythms, of course, to match the pace of each scene. But where is the
application of situation-appropriate samples and score-wide maintenance
of propulsive acceleration? Certainly, Gregson-Williams could have
employed the sounds of trains amongst his normal supply of samples, and
their absence is surprising and unacceptable. Also, while the narrative
of the score is decently summarized by the application of its two
themes, it doesn't generate its rhythmic movement in such a way as to
suggest a gradual ratcheting up of tension or speed. The tapping,
banging, and groaning loops at the start of the score move at the same
pace as those at its climax, another curious and unacceptable choice
given the potential this plot had for progressively intense music. One
can't help but long for the days when Jerry Goldsmith would have used
this occasion to carefully develop his palatable, but effective rhythms
(and a full orchestra) with clear acceleration over an hour to mirror
the film's title. That said,
Unstoppable is basically sufficient
is a less intellectually stimulating manner and thus won't really offend
anybody on its album. That product doesn't actively impress, either,
with its highlights ironically being the token moments of bare-bones
character development. The two themes for the pair of heroes in the
story are sufficiently warm but not particularly memorable outside of
their capacity for reminding you of famous songs. They receive about
equal treatment on album, both summarized in the easily digestible
concluding cue, "Who Do I Kiss First?" The idea for Washington's
character contains two parts, first presented in nimble seven-note
phrases on strings and then yielding to a more melancholy interlude on
piano. The two parts are typically presented together, rotating in
"Frank Barnes," "Are You In or Are You Out?," and for the latter
majority of "Who Do I Kiss First?," though the piano portion is heard
alone at the end of "Realign the Switch." The other theme is a bit more
nebulous, perhaps representing the film as a whole (its absence in
"Will's Story" suggests that it may not be for Washington's co-star,
Chris Pine). This theme's distinctive three-note phrases open "Stanton,
PA" and "Who Do I Kiss First?" and gain traction as the score progresses
(as in "Will Guides 1206"). All of these ideas are generic, and as
softly pleasant as the ten minutes of thematic material can be on album,
the half of hour of dissatisfying, boring suspense and action music in
Unstoppable is, in fact, quite stoppable.
** @Amazon.com: CD or
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| Bias Check: |
For Harry Gregson-Williams reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3
(in 40 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 2.98
(in 55,208 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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The insert includes a short synopsis of the film, but no extra information
about the score or film.
