This past November a new filmed interpretation of Beowulf ravaged screens nationwide. Not only did it take a hold of the local cineplex, but it also swaggered into swanky IMAX 3-D theaters intent on taking hold of those outlets as well. The movie plays out on a magnificently epic scale. It is not content to merely be a filmed telling of the classic poem (which was originally untitled), rather it had somewhat loftier goals. It set out to tell a new interpretation of the story, punched up for the cinematic experience through its use of visual flourishes as well as a bombastic piece of testosterone driven orchestral score. Did it ever deliver. The film was unlike anything the big screen has ever seen before, and while it may not be the ideal telling of the story that we all had been hoping for, it delivered in spades for the action fan. Part of its success can be laid at the feet of Alan Silvestri for his score, perfectly matching the over the top action of the screen.Beowulf is a film based on the epic Anglo-Saxon poem about a warrior who comes to help a Danish king rid himself of a troublesome monster who keeps busting down the door to the mead hall and killing his warriors. The title character arrives with a small band of his own, intent on helping the king achieve his goals. Little does he know what this task will entail and what personal affect it will have on him.
Robert Zemeckis helmed the film and succeeded at delivering a film that may throw literature lovers into a tizzy. However, if you are looking more for a chest thumping romp that has more in common with 300 than Shakespeare, this is for you. Personally, I can see it both ways and came out on the end of loving what it accomplished, in particular in the realm of 3D and motion capture. While neither technology has been perfected, it is great to see a filmmaker willing to put it all out there to help push it forward.
One of the strongest elements that helped pull this project together is the excellent score composed by Alan Silvestri. Silvestri is a frequent collaborator of Zemeckis'. The two have worked on projects ranging from Back to the Future, to Forrest Gump, to Contact, to Zemeckis' last foray into motion capture, The Polar Express. Each time out he produces a fine score that delivers just what he sets out to.
His work for Beowulf follows an arc that is similar to the one that Beowulf, himself, follows. The soundtrack begins with the appropriately titled "Beowulf Main Title," a track filled with bombast, electric guitar, and even some chanting male voices to draw us into this world and prepare us for what is to come. The scale only increases with tracks such as "What We Need is a Hero" and "I Did Not Win the Race."
The middle of the album tones down the bombast and introduces a more reflective and melancholy tone. The testosterone driven sound is not completely eradicated, but it appears in a drastically different form. This idea is best shown in the tracks "I Am Beowulf" and "He Has a Story to Tell."
The bombast returns in the final third of the album, best exemplified by "Beowulf Slays the Beast." However, it is not the entire story, as the film, and the score, closes on a note of a more dramatic nature than an exultation of action.
The album's flow is momentarily interrupted by a couple of ballads sung by Robin Wright Penn that appeared in the film. The songs are "Gently as She Goes" and "A Hero Comes Home." They are light and fluffy and perfectly what you would expect to hear in a drinking hall in those days long ago.
The Beowulf soundtrack closes with a power ballad take on "A Hero Comes Home," sung by Idina Menzel (recently seen in Enchanted and on Broadway in Wicked). It steps away from the bigger orchestrations and works perfectly as the getaway song to what is essentially a pop-film rather than high art.
Bottomline. This is a very good score that does not hide its emotions. Much like the title character, the music leaves little to the imagination and works on a big superficial level. It is highly enjoyable and well worth recommending to fans of film scores.
Recommended.
Track Listing:
1 Beowulf Main Title
2 First Grendel Attack
3 Gently As She Goes (performed by Robin Wright-Penn)
4 What We Need Is A Hero
5 I'm Here To Kill Your Monster
6 I Did Not Win The Race
7 A Hero Comes Home (performed by Robin Wright-Penn)
8 Second Grendel Attack
9 I Am Beowulf
10 King Beowulf
11 He Has A Story To Tell
12 Full Of Fine Promises
13 Beowulf Slays The Beast
14 He Was The Best Of Us
15 The Final Seduction
16 A Hero Comes Home (End Credit Version)(performed by Idina Menzel)
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