{"id":39634,"date":"2006-02-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-02-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/munich\/"},"modified":"2006-02-08T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-02-08T00:00:00","slug":"munich","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/munich\/","title":{"rendered":"Munich"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Soundtrack reviews can be tricky. You’re often taking
\nan ambient element from a film and making a case for its worth as a
\nstand-alone work. This often fails because the music usually wasn’t
\ncreated with the intention of bearing repeated listening outside
\nthe framework of the film.<\/p>\n

Some soundtracks reply on singles and works of
\nvarious artists, so they are essentially compilations. Take the
\nPulp Fiction<\/i> soundtrack, for example. It was a huge success
\nnot because of the hype surrounding the film, but because it’s a
\nhighly eclectic collection of great songs.<\/p>\n

A true cinematic score is a different proposition.
\nThey are generally symphonic in nature, and therefore lose a huge
\naudience because symphonic music doesn’t appeal to a lot of
\nmainstream listeners. Looking at sales figures, many of the more
\nsuccessful soundtracks — Williams’ Star Wars<\/i> soundtracks,
\nor Howard Shore’s scores for the Lord Of The Rings<\/i> films,
\nfor example — are popular because of the pop-culture frenzy that
\nfollows something as iconic as thoser franchises, not necessarily
\nbecause they’re great albums.<\/p>\n

The film Munich<\/i> tells the story of the aftermath of the
\nterrorist attack on Israeli athletes at the Olympic village in
\n1972. The film is a somber, brooding and often tense affair, and
\nWilliams’ score reflects that perfectly. The tracks are melancholy
\nand often impart a sense of grief. At other times, they invoke the
\ngripping suspense of the intrigue and drama of the film’s story, as
\non the skittering and urgent “Letter Bomb,” for example. You don’t
\nhave to see the scene to know that this is a white-knuckle moment
\nin the film.<\/p>\n

The use of ethnic musical themes and styles from the
\nMiddle East adds levels of depth to the score. Besides adding an
\nappropriate cultural texture, the haunting voice of Lisbeth Scott
\nchanting in Arabic on the opening theme “Munich, 1972” and
\n“Remembrance” echo the dramatic and mournful nature of the film.
\nUnlike much of Williams’ work, Munich lacks the thunderous and
\nbombastic nature of, for instance, his Star Wars<\/i> scores.
\nThis doesn’t take any of the power from the music. The rich depth
\nof feeling in these mostly quiet and somber pieces imparts their
\nown strong feelings and emotions.<\/p>\n

It’s sometimes difficult to listen to, however, if
\nonly for the bizarre nature of film score music. On “Bearing The
\nBurden” for example, the quiet theme is broken by shattering
\ncrescendos that match the dramatic nuances of the scene it was
\nwritten for. They only make sense within the framework of the
\nscene. On its own, it’s an uneven listen<\/p>\n

The compositions are, of course, flawless. This is
\nJohn Williams were talking about, after all. Thick, swelling
\nstrings and evocative percussion are two of Williams’ hallmarks and
\nhe uses them generously here. Some of the tracks stand out as very
\nlistenable, while others are so obviously just incidental scene
\nmusic they seem flat outside of their place in the film. This isn’t
\nsomething I would pop in the CD player for a Sunday drive, but it’s
\ngood albeit somewhat somber background music.<\/p>\n

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