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“The score vanishes like a wittle bird in a flimsy
wittle cage...or does it? Is Julyan's work squashed by the
intricacies of the story or does it really
disappear?”
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Are You Listening
Closely?
Review by Christopher
Coleman
Director Christopher
Nolan has worked his
way into Hollywood's
most daring and
inventive directors.
Wherever Christopher
Nolan is, there also
is composer David
Julyan - almost
always. For the film,
Nolan delivers yet
another brain-tingling
story - not just in
its plot but in
Nolan's telling of it.
The performances of
Hugh Jackman as Robert
Angier and his
one-time-chort-then-rival,
Alfred Borden, played
by Christian Bale, are
equally compelling.
THE PRESTIGE is, at
its core, a movie
about competition,
obsession,
revenge...and magic
and somewhere behind
the brilliant writing,
acting, set pieces,
lighting, and
direction is David
Julyan's versper-like
score.
Once in a great while
a movie will so
involve me that I pay
no attention to the
score whatsoever. That
ALMOST happened here
with THE PRESTIGE. As
I reached the halfway
mark of the film, I
thought to myself,
"Hmmm. Has there been
a scene with any score
yet?' There had been,
in fact, several
scenes that had been
scored, but I, was so
engrossed in watching
the feats of "magic"
or in the tale that
weaved between their
performances, that the
score went totally
unnoticed. If there
has ever been a
musical soundtrack
that defined the word,
"underscore," David
Julyan's work for THE
PRESTIGE is it. So
what about the second
half of the film?
Well, far be it from
me to ruin anything
for you, but suffice
it to say...while
there was score
throughout the second
half, it went totally
unnoticed by me...at
least until the end
credits began. (And at
that moment, I
immediately wished
there had been no
music to start the end
credits at all.
Terrible selection
there guys.)
Now there are those
that enjoy this type
of score outside of
the context of the
film. I'm rarely among
them. The argument
could certainly be
made that Julyan's
score fit the the
movie perfectly. I'd
be inclined to agree
there. The score
vanishes like a wittle
bird in a flimsy
wittle cage...or does
it? Was Julyan's work
squashed by the
intricacies of the
story or or does
it really disappear?
Only the performer
knows the secret
truth. The evidence as
provided by Hollywood
Records proves that
there was indeed more
score for this film
than one would guess
at. David Julyan's
work is mostly subtle,
understated,
background swells of
stringy mischief.
Intense and foreboding
at times and solemn at
others, the music
makes its presence
felt strongest at
those revelatory
moments of the film.
But in even those
moments, the music
almost seems to be an
unused prop on the
stage.
What I would call the
main theme of THE
PRESTIGE is coldly
introduced in "Are You
Watching Closely" (1).
This simple ascending
"theme" is utilized
extensively and
effectively throughout
the score. Again it
appears in tracks 2
and 3, building
tension, building
angst, building
expectation. A slight
change in tone can be
detected in track 4,
"Borden Meets Sarah"
where we have as
melancholy a love
theme that you'll ever
hear. This "Borden and
Sarah theme" returns
in "No, not today" (9)
Overall, things return
to the meandering
orchestral swells for
the next few tracks.
Julyan brings back the
lighter theme
introduced in
"Colorado Springs" (2)
for track 11, "Cutter
Returns." While the
same waves of strings
keep lapping the
shores, there is, at
the onset of the
track, a slight
brightening of tone.
Without releasing its
moody-grip, even this
track returns to its
menacing posture
before it's halfway
finished. The music
intensifies again in
track 13, "Man's Reach
Exceeds His
Imagination". The
everpresent ebbings
and flowings remain,
but decidely louder.
The brass section
leads the entire
orchestra with almost
a feeling of hope, yet
as the track
progresses the
uneasiness reasserts
itself. Finally, the
score reaches it's
chlling-heights as
"The Price of a Good
Trick."
THE PRESTIGE is a
great film with a
perfectly fitting
score. The music
broods on and on with
an obsessiveness only
rivaled by the two
magician's own desire
to devise and execute
the perfect trick and
likewise thwart every
attempt of their
rival. THE PRESTIGE is
very much en par with
MEMENTO and INSOMNIA,
great in context, but
a little thin all by
its lonesome.
Ultimately, this is a
difficult score to
rate. It does
its job well in the
film and for that one
could give it a "9' or
"10"; however, even
from one who
thoroughly enjoyed the
film, the score still
isn't very enjoyable
outside of that
context and so must be
rated much lower.
I believe that a great
score reminds of the
great moments or great
emotion of the film.
With such scores, I am
generally satisfied
with that experience.
Oddly enough, in the
case of THE PRESTIGE,
listening to David
Julyan's simply makes
me want to watch the
movie again.
Rating:
5/10
|
Track |
Track Title |
Track Time |
Rating |
|
1 |
Are You Watching
Closely? |
1:51 |
** |
|
2 |
Colorado
Springs |
4:15 |
*** |
|
3 |
The
Light
Field |
1:50 |
** |
|
4 |
Borden
Meets
Sarah |
2:11 |
*** |
|
5 |
Adagio
for
Julia |
2:08 |
** |
| 6 |
A New Trick |
4:29 |
*** |
| 7 |
The Journal |
2:55 |
** |
| 8 |
The Transported Man |
2:36 |
** |
| 9 |
No, Not Today |
2:31 |
*** |
| 10 |
Caught |
1:39 |
** |
| 11 |
Cutter Returns |
2:13 |
*** |
| 12 |
The Real Transported Man |
2:28 |
** |
| 13 |
Man's Reach Exceeds His Imagination |
2:08 |
** |
| 14 |
Goodbye to Jess |
2:58 |
** |
| 15 |
Sacrifice |
5:15 |
*** |
| 16 |
The Price of a Good Trick |
5:06 |
*** |
| 17 |
The Prestige |
1:40 |
** |
| |
Total Running Time (approx) |
48 minutes |
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