Robin Hood, Columbus, Wyatt Earp, volcanoes, meteors, animated insects, every
year now it seems Hollywood is contractually obliged to deliver twined
potential-blockbusters. For 2000 we are being offered two separated-at-birth
journeys to our nearest planetary neighbour, and as usual half the fun is
in speculating before-hand about the relative chances of each movie. The
remaining half too-often comes from being wise-after-the-event, and from
comparing tales of enduring the latest celluloid atrocity.
Mission to Mars is first off the launch pad - Red Planet doesn't clear
mission control until the Autumn - and both concern the first manned (peopled?)
voyages to the titular globe. The story involves the attempts of the crew
of the second peopled spaceship to Mars to rescue the sole survivor of the
first. Apparently there are mysterious discoveries to be made, and a finale
which is being compared to the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Calling
the shots is Brian De Palma, the most frustrating of the really interesting
Hollywood directors, here in mainstream audience friendly mode. De Palma's
films are always shot with wonderful style and lavishly imaginative visuals
- Carrie, Scarface, Mission: Impossible, Carlito's Way - and
he has far more awareness of the value of music than virtually any other
Hollywood director currently working - from hiring Bernard Herrmann for
Sisters and Obsession, through John Williams for The Fury,
Patrick Doyle for Carlito's Way and Ennio Morricone for The
Untouchables, Casualties of War, and now Mission to Mars. De Palma
films almost always have first-rate scores from some of the finest composers
in the buisness. Additionally, it may be that only Spielberg, Cameron and
Woo can craft a set-piece with the enthralling power of De Palma at his best,
so if he can over-come his recent tendency to give his films terrible endings,
Mission to Mars could be the best science fiction film in a long time.
Morricone's score is most promising, both because it makes for an engrossing
listen in its own right, and because it promises something different from
the usual idiotic explosion-a-minute approach to science fiction currently
beloved of Hollywood. What we appear to have is a romantic thriller in
space-suits. The first thing to note about the score is that, as realised
on CD, the music plays in unusually lengthy sequences. There are just 11
pieces in over an hour. Whether this means that cues have been combined,
or that the film features several extensive scenes requiring such accompaniment
can not be determined from the promo packaging, but the latter is to be hoped
for.
Morricone throws everything into the mix - orchestra, choir, synthesisers
- including an arpeggiated harpsichord-like figure very reminiscent of
Wolf, solo trumpet, electric guitar, and block organ chords which
inevitably bring to mind the brooding power of Herrmann's writing for
Obsession. There are none of the big action showpieces typically expected
of the SF genre today, but rather more romantic melody echoing Once Upon
A Time in America, and dark brooding suspense - particularly in 'Sacrifice
of a Hero' - which evokes the composer's work on The Thing. Interspersed
are several moments of triumphal uplift, so we can expect the day to be
dramatically saved. The arrangements are most imaginative, with fine Morricone
string writing, a pulsating heartbeat introducing 'A Heart Beats in Space',
the opening track which blends trumpet and electric guitar to good effect.
'A Martian' evokes a very old fashioned Hollywood romanticism, while elsewhere
idiosyncratic, though only occasionally overblown effects abound. This is
both the best Morricone CD, and the most enjoyable soundtrack from a De Palma
I have heard in some time. Whatever the end result, this album bodes well.
Oh, and yes, there is a moment which appear to be a homage to, in quick
succession, Richard Strauss and Gyorgy Ligeti.
Reviewer
Gary S. Dalkin
Ian Lace is even more enthusiatic:-
Yes, the influence of Ligeti (as in 2001- A Space Odyssey) is very
evident. There is also a subtle influence of John Williams in Close Encounters
mode (in fact at one point one can almost hear that famous Close Encounter's
5-note alien theme and the associated tuba figure is similar too). All of
which leads one to hope that at long last we have another intelligent and
sympathetic mayhem monster-free space film, (not forgetting Contact, of course
- and isn't it interesting how the best science fiction films attract the
best scores?).
The inclusion of fewer but longer cues was an intelligent decision because
it allows the music to breathe and blossom. One cue 'Sacrifice of a Hero',
is over 12 minutes long and as such almost assumes the proportions of a symphonic
poem. The music is multi-textured and harmonically rich. Its orchestrations
are very imaginative and the synths, for once, really feel a natural part
of the music. As Gary has pointed out, there is a typical Morricone warm-hearted
even nostalgic Romantic melody. It imbues the score with a heart-warming
optimism. We hear it in the opening cue 'A Heart Beats in Space' another
extended 7+ minute cue that contains a wealth of ideas and material including
electric guitar, most imaginatively employed, distant women's voices and
synth effects to produce an atmosphere of awe and wonder and the vastness
and beauty of space. This atmosphere is heightened in 'A Martian' that also
introduces a Handelian trumpet to add to its air of mysticism. 'A world which
searches' is redolent of old Hollywood sentimental yearnings building up
to a passionate climax. Then in 'And afterwards' we meet with some mysterious
entities suggested by the Ligetti type choral murmurings and wailings and
synth material that sounds something like a low cold wind or the curving
flight of a swarm of insects; frightening stuff that is alleviated by rather
endearing little dancing staccato electronic poppings. Much of this material
is interspersed with martial and mournful heroic material in 'Sacrifice of
a Hero.' I hope these few additional comments to Gary's full review above
will give you some idea of the scope and quality of this extraordinary and
beautiful score. It has been in and out of my CD tray numerous times in the
few days since I acquired my review copy. Believe me, there are very few
albums that do that
Reviewer
Ian Lace
OST
