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10 Movies to See Instead of "The Artist" -
On DVD: "Myth of the American Sleepover" -
The Problem with "Hugo" (SPOILERS) -
Review: "Act of Valor" -
Review: "The Forgiveness of Blood"
Interview: Joshua Marston
100 Years of "Titanic" Exploitations
Review: "Pina"
Review: "Titanic" 3D Preview
Review: "The Raid"
Review: "Sound of My Voice"
Review: "The Hunter"On the Music of "Super 8": How Important Is Score Subtlety?
As I highlighted in my review yesterday I really don't like Michael Giacchino’s score for “Super 8.” It did, however, get me thinking. Giacchino is a very talented composer, as he made perfectly obvious with his beautifully whimsical work on “Up,” for which he won an Oscar. I’m also a big fan of his other Pixar work and the bang-up job he did on “Star Trek.” Moreover, I’m not even sure that my problem with the “Super 8” score is completely musical. It’s actually quite impressively written, and there are a few genuinely remarkable moments. I simply have a problem with the role of the soundtrack in the film as a whole, which I suspect has much more to do with J.J. Abrams and his sense of nostalgia than Giacchino himself.
The score of “Super 8” is deeply influenced by those of Steven Spielberg’s classics, fitting into the overall nostalgia of the film. And the hallmark of those sci-fi flicks of the 1970s and ‘80s is anything but musical subtlety. As I explained yesterday, John Williams' work on “E.T,” “Jaws” and other movies is the sort of music that almost verbally tells you what to feel. Giacchino has created the same sweeping canvass in “Super 8,” filling the soundtrack with aching violins and sad piano that makes sure there’s absolutely no way you can miss out on the intended emotion of a scene. It just gets grating and obnoxious.
So how did Williams get away with it forty years ago? Simply put, the now-legendary composer wrote more impressive music. The score of “E.T” is iconic because it’s catchy and memorable, the kind of thing that could be (and has been) performed on its own. If you’re going to make a film with a score that avoids subtlety altogether the music itself needs to rise to another level. Giacchino’s score has the same utilitarian purpose as Williams’ work: to boldly inform the audience what to feel. Yet it isn’t the sort of thing that you’ll be humming on your way out of the theater, and does not sufficiently impress on its own merits to legitimate its unabashed conspicuousness.
But then what’s the alternative? Last year I attended a speaking engagement of Toni Morrison’s at the New York Public Library. At one point she mentioned how she loved “No Country for Old Men” because of its almost complete lack of music. There was no score telling you how to feel, your emotions came from the story itself. I was struck because Morrison is of course primarily a novelist, a gifted storyteller in a form that uses imagination as its primary tool. Her work is proof that you don't need flashy extras to get emotional potency, which got me thinking about what the ideal purpose of a film score might be. I don’t necessarily agree with her 100%, and it’s worth noting that there is some brilliantly minimalist work by Carter Burwell in the Coen’s masterwork. But it's a fair point that it can be refreshing to watch a film with such an inconspicuous soundtrack.
On the other hand, the vast majority of films made today include much more musical accompaniment than “No Country”. That’s not at all a bad thing. A great example is Giacchino’s much-lauded work in the opening sequence of “Up.” With no dialogue, the music almost replaces verbal expression as we watch the early life and romance of our aging hero. The animation combines perfectly with the florid piano score, which is not only the sort of bravura composition that will stay with you long after the film has ended, but an extremely dynamic accomplishment as well. Giacchino uses melody to create a sort of musical story, which becomes an equal part of the visual narrative instead of simply supporting it. It may seem like a very minute distinction to make, but it’s crucial.
Now, I acknowledge that this is hardly the sort of thing about which one can really make grandiose categorical statements. And I wouldn’t say that a score must fundamentally be subtle in order to be effective or worthy or praise. However, it really is important to remember that the musical score of a film should do more than just subserviently articulate and drive home the emotional content of a scene. I’m reminded of the Oscar-winning scores to “Brokeback Mountain” and “Atonement,” which used creative instrumentation to build up the atmosphere of their films. “Super 8” on the other hand has the kind of generic instrumentation and uninteresting structure that just seems uninspired in comparison. Giacchino can do better. In fact, I’ll let him make my point for me: here’s the “Carl and Ellie” clip from “Up.”
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13 Comments
Mark Sewell | February 2, 2012 10:05 AM
"Giacchino has created the same sweeping canvass in âSuper 8,â filling the soundtrack with aching violins and sad piano that makes sure thereâs absolutely no way you can miss out on the intended emotion of a scene. It just gets grating and obnoxious."
Fair point. But listen to the clip of 'Up' you posted to show how talented a composer Giacchino is (which I don't doubt, because I personally loved the music to Super 8). If that clip can be described without using the phrases 'aching violins' and 'sad piano' then I'll eat my hat.
whatyoutalkinboutwillis | November 23, 2011 12:43 PM
theme music- listen to the cure song, from kiss me kiss me kiss me- just one more time- sound familiar? maybe he could come up with something without ripping off robert smith!
Louis H | October 22, 2011 12:12 PM
Just saw Super 8 - I didn't like the soundtrackt and was googling for an article or a forum where I could share my opinion. I am surprised how many actually liked it. The soundtrack was far from John Williams or Goldsmith calibre, it was rather weak. I felt he was referencing J Williams all the long but without the talent or genius.
It was very close being good - so close that it was irritating, almost got it but not quite.
Didn't like the overuse of flare (Sorry Andrew Kramer) - and the fake anamorphic effects on rack focus - rather distrurbing and distracting.
Unfortunately this fim was too gimmicky - the child actors were great though - shouldve relied on their talent intstead of sugarcoating with unoriginal color correction and a mediocre soundtrack.
Salome | August 18, 2011 9:44 AM
Saw Super 8 tonight. The Score was the thing that made it feel like a Steven Spielberg movie and immediately made me think of ET. If not for the score , nobody probably would be comparing it to ET at all. Michael Giacchino does great work and I absolutely love his score for the latest Star Trek. I prefer score music to songs any day.
robin smith | August 5, 2011 9:18 AM
i agree to a point that many films do have to much music and can be off putting,i am thinking about alot of your american hollywood style movies which has relentless music throughout a film,scores for instant like many john williams scores which although he has his place in film music history and has written memorable themes i have to admit am not his greatest fan,however the approach of many european composers tend to be more subtle and not as invasive,however can write music that is not off putting but still manages to capture the ear of the audience,i think of the great ennio morricone a true legend think of once upon time in america/west.the mission,days of heaven,this is not just great film music ,it is wonderful music which will be listened too for many years to come
Matt | July 1, 2011 5:22 AM
Really? I saw Super 8 two weeks ago, and I could still recite most of that score to you, I haven't seen it since, and the soundtrack isn't even out yet. I will agree that Giacchino has done better, and I will agree that E.T. has a way better score. But what you're doing is comparing quite possibly the very best score of all time to one of Giacchino's first mainstream works. But you act like every composer is going to have a hit score every time. I can name you plenty of John Williams scores that have done less than their job. Giacchino will continue to write better and better scores, not every one will be a masterpiece but I can guarantee to you that Giacchino is this generation's John Williams.
DanielF23 | June 26, 2011 1:31 AM
I saw SUPER 8 four hours ago and still have Giacchino's main theme from the film stuck in my head; I've been whistling it nonstop. So... yeah.
Andrew G. | June 25, 2011 6:16 AM
In addendum to my last comment:
Where I indicated my an annoyance at his musical textures, I meant to conclude that the ones used in the movie were far more blended, and much more developed in Super 8 than in movies and television shows past.
Andrew G. | June 25, 2011 6:14 AM
I completely disagree with you. You cite "Up" as one of his better soundtracks, but it's more invasive by far than his soundtrack to Super 8. There is very little variance from the main theme, additionally.
I'm not saying that "Up" wasn't brilliant. I'm saying that Super 8 is his best score to date. The way he constructs the texture of his soundtracks has long been annoyance to me. There is very bass to his soundtrack to say, Lost. It's all unisons and ostinatos. That's way more attention-grabbing than Super-8.
Anyone who writes about how amazing "No Country For Old Men" was for its lack of music is foolish.
The notable lack of music in a scene probably means that it needed music more often. That movie was treated as if a sparse score was a novel concept.
I only realized how thin the score to "Saving Private Ryan" was when I went to purchase the soundtrack. Now, that's more expert. Writing very little music to a movie, and people failing to notice.
Additionally, you can't compare almost anyone to John Williams. He didn't "get away" with a more active score. His score is supposed to be noticed in every single one of his movies. If someone else had written the score for E.T., we'd have forgotten about the movie by now, or it would have a cult following at best. His scorings were expensive, purposeful, bold additions to a soundtrack. Well, excepting Saving Private Ryan.
My other musician friends I've spoken to about it agree - it's a fine soundtrack. I, a professional musician and avid aficionado of movie music, for one think his score to Super 8 was the best score I've heard this year, and perhaps better than any I heard last year.
Mikey M | June 11, 2011 7:01 AM
Loved the score. Thank god we got a score and not 12 hits from the 70's. Again.
indy42 | June 11, 2011 6:28 AM
Let me just say, Giacchino is a god. Not only was his music in Up legendary, but so was his six-season musical masterpiece, LOST - brilliant stuff.
The Super 8 soundtrack was a perfect combo of John Williams and Michael Giacchino - it was very nostalgic and felt a lot like the movies of the 70s and 80s - which is what they were going for.
Your primary conceit - that it fails because its themes are essentially not catchy enough - is really up to the individual person. For example, one my favorite movie themes - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind - isn't exactly grandiose or catchy, but it works within the movie and by itself. Personally, I think the music themes of Super 8 worked fantastically within the movie.
Also, lastly, I'd like to agree with Jim M. up above - to complain about the soundtrack to Super 8 and then wax poetic about the minimalistic soundtracks of No Country for Old Men, Atonement, and Brokeback Mountain really does reek of film snobbery, like when a critic balks at a well-made Hollywood movie in order to praise an obscure foreign film. It makes the whole piece feel contrived and pretentious.
Jim M. | June 10, 2011 11:17 AM
I can't stand people who complain about film music because it tries to "make you feel" or "manipulates your emotions". That's what countless artists in every medium try to do: create art that connects with our emotions. toni morrison's comment on how much she liked "No Country" because of its lack of music is the height of ignorant snobbishness. People who balk at strong emotional music in movies across the board just don't get it and never will. They cloak their discomfort with emotional directness with feigned intellectual superiority. Rubbish.
Aaron Fricke | June 10, 2011 8:28 AM
I usually have one main criteria (criterion?) by which I judge a film score: Was it effective w/o being intrusive? In one scene toward the beginning of Super 8 - I think it might have been as the camera surveys the train wreck in daylight - there is a piece of music more intrusive and distracting that perhaps anything I've seen in a recent movie. All of a sudden, I became acutely aware of the score because of this bouncy melody. And I had not become consciously aware of the score up to that point, which made me think that the composer and the director had deliberately chosen this conk on the head for some reason. And considering that the rest of the movie seemed in harmony w/ the musical soundtrack, I have no major beefs w/ it. The fact that it has someone talking about it tells me it's something special.