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“The score here
isn't dreadful. Like the film, it is formulaic, but isn't offensive
enough to force you into pushing the "stop" button after one or two
tracks. ”
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Mannak Depression
Review by Christopher Coleman
 Seeing
the name "EMMERICH" tied to a film generally brings me some measure of
dread. With the exception of THE PATRIOT this dread usually turns out to
be pretty well founded and the trailers for his most recent project 10,000
B.C. evoked no different response from me. It came as little surprise to
see the name of HARALD KLOSER tied to the film ... given their
relatively successful pairing for THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. So now, with 10,000
B.C., Roland Emmerich and crew turn from the topic of civilization's end
to its beginnings.
With a bit of an uneasy grin, I have to say that 10,000 B.C. wasn't as dreadful as
I had given it room to be, but it was still far from anything people will
be talking about nine months from now...or even nine weeks. As it has been
described elsewhere - 10,000 B.C. is an odd mashup of APOCLYPTO
and ICE AGE, only nowhere as intense or intentionally humorous as either
of those two films. The film has even managed to drum up some racial
controversies and perhaps that is what will keep anyone discussing the
film for those nine
weeks. The simplified story of a persecuted people, a prophesied
savior, and a destined-love form the backbone of a story which
goes on to incorporate shades of so many other previous films that no one
review could recount them all. Originally, the marketing of 10,000 B.C.
left some to wonder if there was any dialogue at all in the film a la the
classic, QUEST FOR FIRE. Unfortunately, indeed there was dialogue and it
sadly matched the overall flatness of the film. As disappointing as the
the movie may have been, there is always a possible silver-lining for the film
music community, which is the film's score. The question
is, "Are Harald Kloser and Thomas Wander able to rescue 10,000 B.C. from
the lethal fangs of poor writing, acting and inconsistent CGI?"
The score for 10,000 B.C. can be broken down fairly succinctly. The lowest
common denominator are the percussive elements. Since we are set in such a
"primitive" age where tribes of men walk among the pre-historic beasties
such as mammoths (or "mannaks" in the film), sabre-toothed cats and Terror
birds (yes...that's their name and they were once real, just not in the
year 10000 B.C.) of course it is to be expected that countless percussive
instruments would undergird the score. They are most evident in the
action/suspense cues such as "Mannak Hunt" (5), "Night of the Tiger" (8),
and "He Was My Father" (15). The longest track, at 3:22, and the most
engaging of all the action pieces is "Terror Birds" (10), where KLOSER and
WANDER seem to finally let all of their musical-beasties out of their
cages. Not exclusive to this track, but accompanying the ever
present and varied percussive elements, the duo utilize bold,
brass accents, strings and woodwinds with varying degrees of
effectiveness. The end result is, with the exception of track 10, a
body of action music that is average at best.
In terms of thematic development, KLOSER and WANDER do
deliver a small-handful of memorable themes. While these themes successfully
convey the intended emotions, they also bring to mind the source of their
inspiration - KING ARTHUR by HANS ZIMMER. D'Leh's, the hero's, theme is a
confident and determined piece that is meant to inspire and bring hope and
as the prophesied-deliverer of his tribe, what else would you ask for?
This theme is introduced in track 3, "Speech" and is rationed
out for use in
some of the film's high points. 10,000 B.C.'s love theme is also inspired
by KING ARTHUR. The "Tell Me Now" theme from Zimmer's overly-berated,
sorely-underappreciated score from the 2004 film, serves as skeleton for
the love theme here. Just as they do in KING ARTHUR, the heroic and love
themes are easily woven together and play nicely as a master-theme for the
film. Like "Terror Birds," credit must be given to the composers for
delivering at least one noteworthy and original theme. For the film's love
interest and damsel-in-distress, Evolet, the composers deliver a very
serene, but likeable theme lead on flute and backed by strings (see
tracks 4, 20). Kloser and Wander's themes do work well enough in the
film, but it's always going to count against the composer if, while
whistling their themes, you seamlessly transition into the theme from another
project by a different composer altogether.
So what can one say about 10,000 B.C.? It has been torn to pieces by the
critics, but, as bad as it was, it could have been much worse. I had prepared
myself for a full frontal attack on both the film and score, but, in all
honesty, I cannot sink my sabre-toothed-keyboard into either...at least
not as deeply as I thought I would.
Does HARALD KLOSER and THOMAS WANDER's score provide something for
score-hounds to hang their headphones on? For some, the answer will be
"yes." The score here isn't dreadful. Like the film, it is formulaic, but
isn't offensive enough to force you into pushing the "stop" button after
one or two tracks. Despite being tinged by familiarity, I was surprised to
find myself enjoying sporadic thematic moments. Yes, there are times when you're
wondering if you are listening to Zimmer's work from KING ARTHUR, PRINCE
OF EGYPT, or even MADAGASCAR. Those who found offense in those original
scores will likely be doubly-offended here. If Kloser and Wander had
been just a bit more creative, the rating here would have been slightly
higher, but as it is 10,000 B.C. only garners a 5.
Rating: 5/10
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Track |
Track Title |
Track Time |
Rating |
|
1 |
Opening |
2:43 |
** |
|
2 |
Mount of the
Gods |
1:56 |
*** |
|
3 |
Speech |
3:01 |
*** |
|
4 |
Evolet |
2:43 |
*** |
|
5 |
Mannak
Hunt |
2:07 |
*** |
| 6 |
Celebration |
1:28 |
** |
| 7 |
I Was Not Brave |
1:47 |
*** |
| 8 |
Night of the Tiger |
1:37 |
*** |
| 9 |
Lead Them |
2:27 |
*** |
| 10 |
Terror Birds |
3:22 |
*** |
| 11 |
Wounded Hunter |
1:50 |
*** |
| 12 |
Food |
1:59 |
** |
| 13 |
Goodbyes |
1:13 |
** |
| 14 |
Sea of Sand |
2:41 |
*** |
| 15 |
Wise Man |
1:40 |
** |
| 16 |
He Was My Father |
1:05 |
*** |
| 17 |
Mark of the Hunter |
2:45 |
*** |
| 18 |
Free the Mannaks |
1:47 |
*** |
| 19 |
Not A God |
2:35 |
*** |
| 20 |
You Came For Me |
2:06 |
*** |
| 21 |
The End |
3:18 |
**** |
| 22 |
10,000 B.C./ End Credits |
2:55 |
**** |
| |
Total Running Time (approx) |
49 minutes |
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