The Hills Run Red Composed by Frederik Wiedmann
Varese Sarabande Records (2009)
Rating:
8/10
“...Wiedmann’s
expertise in the technical and orchestrational aspects of film
scoring are on display in this score, and his ability to balance
mystical beauty and terror are admirable.”
The Hills Run Red With The Sound of Music
Review by Marius Masalar
I’ll admit that I went into THE HILLS
RUN RED thinking I was in for another aural assault of rumbling synths,
wailing dissonances, and uncomfortable things done to innocent
instruments. It turns out that I was actually very close to having my
expectations fulfilled, as director Dave Parker admits in the liner notes
that he initially wanted a typical atonal soundscape for a score. Then he
met composer FREDERIK WIEDMANN, whose skills at producing evocative,
melodic scores changed his mind. So instead, we get an unexpectedly lush
and melodic score, with a degree of sensitivity and orchestrational
creativity that rivals the best of Christopher Young’s work.
Instead of relying purely on noise to
resolve the tension and horror necessary for this score, Wiedmann creates
an uneasy sense by employing an atypical ensemble to perform his score:
one including dulcimers, string drums, a profusion of woodwind
instruments, and a viola section that’s larger than the string section.
The resulting shifted balance establishes the mood without needing to
resort to cheaper tactics. It also does a fine job of indirectly
addressing the film’s premise of vengeful rednecks and the creepy
protector figure of Babyface without being too blatant or stereotypical
about it.
“In 1982” (1) introduces us to the
textures we’ll come to be familiar with in this score. Although the mood
is clearly sinister, there’s an unpretentious sensitivity about the music
that elevates it above much of its competition. The woodwind and string
solos here and in the character theme “Alexa” (3) further demonstrate this
trait, and it continues to be present throughout the score. Even in the
more aggressive “Babysteps” (2), there’s a sense of tasteful restraint in
the sound.
Though the ensemble is primarily
acoustic, several of the more upbeat tracks — including “Flash Frames”
(5), and “Death Rattle” (9) — incorporate some modern electronic rhythms.
They remain quiet though, rarely overpowering the organic elements of the
ensemble, with the exception of “Desiderio” (10) which presents an
interesting blend between the preceding musical flavours and a very
compelling slow rock environment. The addition of haunting female vocals
in this track and others, provided by the talented Ayana Haviv and Katrin
Wiedmann, adds a mystical touch to the already-rich soundscape.
Though there are a number of purely
atmospheric tracks, “The Ugly Truth” (8), “Wilson Wyler Concannon” (12),
and “Female Bondage” (17) among them, the album is well arranged and there
is hardly ever a dull moment. As the score progresses, there is a gradual
deconstruction of the music into a more uneasy, broken sound that mirrors
the progression of despair in the story. The film is also very much about
obsession, which is underscored by an increasingly prevalent repetitive
pulse brooding in the low ends of the soundscape.
By the time we reach “Smoke House”
(20), Wiedmann is unleashing the full force of his ensemble’s might upon
us, and the result is a stunningly adept tail end to the score. Here, the
electronics begin to break in more obviously, disrupting the sound in
interesting ways, but they remain subtle enough to keep the spotlight on
the organic instruments.
Ayana Haviv’s powerful and beautiful
vocals make a spectacular return to the forefront in “Phantasmagorial
Holocaust” (23), where they float effortlessly overtop the shifting sounds
beneath her. I only wish that this track had been placed as the final one
on the score, because “Babyshower” (24) seems somehow flat after such a
wonderful build, and I was left with a sense of deflated expectation….not
the best way to close a score.
Fans of Christopher Young’s most
melodic and precise horror scores will have much to admire here in
FREDERIK WIEDMANN’s work, though unfortunately his efforts never quite
reach the level of Young’s in terms of being memorable, and so some of the
score passes without leaving much of an impression. As does the film,
which critics have been fairly unimpressed with, accusing it of going
through all the correct motions but producing an uninspired and pedantic
re-hash of things we’ve all seen before.
Nevertheless, Wiedmann’s expertise in
the technical and orchestrational aspects of film scoring are on display
in THE HILLS RUN RED, and his ability to balance mystical beauty and
terror are admirable. Mention must also be made of the mixing of the
score, which is perhaps less saturated in reverb than most and is
therefore absolutely pristine and balanced, despite the unusual ensemble
arrangements. I am very thankful for this score because it, like Hostel II
before it, is a good demonstration of the power of a sophisticated
orchestral score in a horror film; it shows that you can handle horror
without resulting to ceaseless noise and atmospheric burblings. Directors,
are you listening?
