| Black Hawk Down |
| Composed by Hans Zimmer |
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Orchestrated by Bruce Fowler, Suzette Moriarty, Walt Fowler, and Elizabeth Finch Additional Music by Michael Brook, Craig Eastman, Heitor Pereira, and Martin Tillman Produced by Hans Zimmer, Bob Badami, and Pietro Scalia Release Date: 2002 |
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Even though I felt Pearl Harbor was a solid score, there were those Zimmer fans who felt let down. Given the fact that Pearl Harbor was supposed to be a war movie, but instead turned out to be more of a love story, along with the fact that the score release presented more of the quieter underscore than the action cues, it is understandable how some people's expectations could be dashed. Many felt that Black Hawk Down, being another "war" film from more recent events and helmed by a well-established director (and one with whom Zimmer has produced some fine scores), should be more eagerly anticipated. Well, it's finally here, and once again, prepare for all expectations to be completely shattered. Essentially, Zimmer decided to take this opportunity to experiment with supporting the underlying context of the story with his music. While Zimmer does makes use of the orchestral, the vast majority of the music is provided by The BHD Band, a move that is similar to his approach in scoring Mission: Impossible 2. Taking it a step further, Zimmer placed the construction of this score on a tight schedule and, in an effort to simulate the feelings of the soldiers themselves, put the musicians under extreme pressure. The desired effect was to have each performer playing as fast and as loud as possible, and after giving this CD a listen, you'll have to agree that he succeeded. The two sides in the conflict of Black Hawk Down are termed as "tribes" by Zimmer. There is the Somali "tribe" and the American "tribe." The Somalians are represented ethnically with primitive sounding percussion elements and wailing solo voices reminiscent of those from Gladiator (even Lisa Gerrard makes a comeback here). The Americans are portrayed the techno style that the Media Ventures group has put their mark on. Where things really get hairy is when the two styles collide. While some may be quite put off by the result, I found it to be really interesting. Out of all the tracks on the soundtrack release, only Leave No Man Behind comes close to being considering "conventional", and it is a great track. This is definitely a heavier electronic score than Pearl Harbor, or even most other Media Ventures scores. Certain cues even feature electronic counterparts to helicopter whines and gunfire. While electronic elements have always been a major part of the music in the past, the orchestra is really pushed into the background here, though it is utilized effectively when it finally does appear. As stated before, Zimmer represents the Somalians with ethnic cues that make extensive use of solo vocalists. These are really well done, and while they do contain shades of his ethnic chorus writing for Gladiator they stand apart quite well, and generally don't come off just sounding like revamped unused material from that score. While I pretty much like the style that Gerrard brings to her performances, I am glad that she only appears for one cue, as her voice is starting to get a tad clichéd in Zimmer's scores. The liner notes state the the soundtrack released is made up of a conglomeration of material: from composed pieces to sections of improvisation. Since I have yet to see the movie, I have no idea how well this CD represents the music as heard in the film, yet it is well produced for isolated listening (as much as a score of this type can be), and the length is quite satisfactory. I'm sure the music will work very well in the film, but as was the case with Pearl Harbor, the soundtrack release will be greeted with mixed feelings. Those who like to be on the cutting edge of film scoring techniques will probably find this to be quite interesting, while those expecting something more akin to Gladiator or The Peacemaker will be disappointed. ***1/2 |
| Track Listing - Total Running Time: 67:01 | |
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