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Posted: |
Aug 2, 2008 - 7:47 AM
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By: |
Kimmijan
(Member)
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I actually went to the midnight showing of Dark Knight yesterday (or today?), I've been trying to let it sink in. I think the movie is definitely more than the sum of its parts. During the movie there were a few places where I thought the pacing wasn't great, the end resolution felt a bit rushed. But the impression it leaves on you afterwards is a big one. Performances are uniformly wonderful, and the praise heaped on Heath Ledger is not just because of his untimely death. He truly becomes the role, though I also can't say enough about Aaron Eckhart's job in a much more subtle but just as difficult role. As for the score, I was both impressed and pissed. Zimmer's Joker music works extraordinarily well, so much so that I have no problem with his 2-note, pitch bend of a theme. It does work in a very similar way to Lux Aeterna from 2001, obviously not as musically complex, but just as effective. JNH's Two-Face music is not the most complex stuff he's ever written, nor the most memorable, but it is certainly effective in context, and gives us a nice upper-register break from all the low-tones of the action music. Brings me to my huge, HUGE problem with the music. No Batman Theme. And it is here where I actually got pissed upon thinking about the movie. A great theme, a great score, could have elevated The Dark Knight into Godfather status. It really could have. But it has nothing. It has droning, propulsive action music which somehow was actually more annoying in this movie than in the last one, possibly because this one was so much more ambitious, whereas the music was just retreads of Begins. JNH and Zimmer say a "theme" would have been saying untrue things about Batman's character. You know what? I defended them on the interview, and I still think it's ridiculous to attack someone from an interview. But I've heard the score, I've seen the movie, and guess what? IT NEEDED A GODDAMN THEME! Even if it was just the stupid Crimson Tide Molossus phoned in Zimmer theme, it needed SOMETHING to hang onto. There is absolutely a character of Batman that could have been captured, or at least enhanced, by a freaking melody of some kind. But Nolan apparently has a deaf ear to music, and Howard and Zimmer aren't ambitious enough in this project to think of a theme that is as complex and challenging as the character itself. So overall, very, very good movie, bordering on great (it might become great over time for me, as well, because I like it more with each passing second as I think about it). Zimmer's music for the Joker is inspired, the rest is more banal than Begins. And it really, really pisses me off. Because as I said, with an above-average score, this movie would've risen to a level out of the stratosphere, instead of having to be so good that it can carry a score that does give false information about the movie. The score lies about the character in telling us that he is simple, lies about the movie in making us think it's a generic action movie. I defend Zimmer a lot, and I really think the man's talented. But this is just disgusting. This is greatness wasted on a crap score. I actually disagree with this comment. I think there is a Batman score, and it's as subtle as the Batman's score. I actually think there are two different themes for Batman, although I don't know if they were Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard's or Christopher Nolan's intention. The first one is at the very beginning in the opening credits of both Begins and The Dark Knight. It's the Percussive Thumping that gradually adds the ticking subdivision. As silly it may sound, I really do think that is a theme. We hear it when Bale makes his first appearance as Batman, and again several times after when you realize Batman is in on the scene. The second theme is made up of two notes that create a minor third. The notes are played by the low strings and the horns. I really thought I understood that this was (remember that it may have been unintentional) a theme when I saw the trailer for the Dark Knight. In fact, it is heard at the end of nearly all the Dark Knight teasers and trailers. Those two notes mark a familiarity from the first movie. Most themes from sequels do. Anyway, from those two notes, the music may start building and evolving around it. Even the two notes themselves tend to fluctuate, depending upon the situation of a scene from the film. Listen to the track "Like a Dog Chasing Cars" from The Dark Knight. You can hear the two notes under all the intense, percussive music. Anyway, that's just my personal opinion.
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I almost thought in some ways the score might actually be a bit better; however, this may have to do with having watched Begins over the course of 2.5 years. The last confrontation scene with Gordon, I thought, was well-scored. I'll need to see the movie again. I will definitely agree that these films have some seriously untapped potential in the realm of film scoring.
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Also saw Hancock, not that great of a movie, but Powell's score was much better than Dark Knight! We also saw Mummy 3, the film could have been better, but the score was a lot better than I expected!!! Powell's Hancock for me is the best comic book score of the summer, hands down. It has various themes, develops those themes and builds to a climax and resolution using said themes. This is the blueprint of every successful score, especially in the comic book genre. I also think it's super that Powell gets to play with so many genres and styles within this work. Fantastic music. Mind you, I think the film is not that bad. Yeah, the third act falls apart but I admire what the filmmakers were trying to go for here. That said, The Dark knight is epic poetry comparatively. It's layered, dense viewing with more than a few points to make about society's perception of good and bad, crime and punishment, and more importantly, the establishment that is in of itself corrupt at its core. The music by Zimmer and Howard does achieve some success in parts of the score to my mind and is better than the original Batman Begins in many ways. I actually like this score and can listen to almost the whole thing although I wish Zimmer would lay off the goddamned pounding drums once in a while. They really distract. It's like ending every sentence with an exclamation point!!!!! Get the idea?
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There are many comic book films that are made lately. I haven't seen some of them (Electra, Catwoman), but I have seen most of them, I think. Anyway two of the most successful are Spiderman 3 and the Dark Knight. Those 2 are for me 2 of the worst films I have seen in a long time. Really! At least Spiderman 3 had a solid score by Young. The zimmer, howard score is awful. I wish that james newton Howard could just write the whole score. Maybe we would have a nice score then. As I was watching the film I was totally disappointed by the score. Compare that score to the original score by Elfman. The first is just plain awful and the other is undoubtelly a masterpiece. As far for the film, it had no Batman and the rhythm was ... well there was no rhythm in this film. And I know that I am not going to give this film a second chance. No way. Spiderman 3? Maybe. But not Dark Knight. As far as the reviews. I don't trust critics. They are not objective at all. They see masterpieces where there is just carbage. And I also hate when they say that a film is bad and 20 years later the same critics say that the film is a masterpiece. You are proffesionals remember you just can't change your opinion that much. It's unacceptable!
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