These Amazing Shadows Composed by Peter Golub
Lakeshore Records (2011)
Rating:
6/10
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“PETER GOLUB clearly
has the talent to weave music of striking beauty, yet through a
combination of onscreen content and time limitations, this
particular effort falls short of the expectations that may arise in
the advent of the soundtrack. ”
It's Not East Scoring the Scored
Review by Richard Buxton
The experience of merely surveying the National Film Registry (est. 1988)
and the 550 films that it is composed of is a humbling one. Over the 105
years that the films present span, the jewel in America’s crown that is
film has provided the world with an array of the most profoundly inspiring
and purely entertaining visual experiences in history. From the timeless
CITIZEN KANE to the time-traveling THE TERMINATOR, and the far reaches of
A NEW HOPE to bedroom of TOY STORY, the registry is a tribute to the
greatest achievements in film, and it is in THESE AMAZING SHADOWS that the
importance of the registry and the films it contains is truly revealed.
Directed by PAUL MARIANO and KURT NORTON, THESE AMAZING SHADOWS is a
documentary journey through the registry, a journey that unveils it as a
blueprint for the American existence, an existence of hopes, dreams and
most importantly, the unexpected.
In documenting this list and the various films, it perhaps composer PETER
GOLUB that will find himself under the greatest scrutiny from those who
venture deep into the aesthetic texture of the documentary. As the
featured films flash upon screen, with each comes a certain expectation
and memory that viewers will be expecting to be upheld. Firstly is the
infallible visual aspect; the iconic images that whisk audiences away
remain unchanged. Secondly, and crucially, is the music. The unforgettable
soundscapes of BACK TO THE FUTURE and 2001: A Space Odyssey carry the
weight of decades of acclaim and audience recognition, and it is when
films of such musical calibre make their appearance that a conflict
arises.
In making THESE AMAZING SHADOWS one can imagine that at a certain point in
production the decision to either utilize the original scores of the
various films or opt for an entirely original score was made. In this case
an original score was chosen, perhaps due to the various issues that
licensing presents or perhaps through the desire of the filmmakers to
carve their own mark in film history, rather than remaining reliant on
those that came before them. GOLUB’S competent efforts in THESE AMAZING
SHADOWS largely reinforce the latter as a wise choice, yet it is still
often quite difficult to detach the films onscreen from their original
musical accompaniment and it is because of this that GOLUB’S achievements
may never be fully appreciated.
At full creative capacity, with the freedom to roam within his own musical
imagination, GOLUB is clearly capable of producing compositions of
outstanding beauty and elegance. “Main Titles” (1) is one such
composition, establishing the magical motif of American film and Hollywood
whilst still maintining an air of exclusivity and originality. The soaring
brass effortlessly induces spontaneous mental images of classic American
film productions and studios, images that provide moments of potent
nostalgia. This emotionally resonating introduction continues in
“Protecting Our Films” (2) and “Creating The National Film Registry” (3)
before the stars of the documentary, the films, emerge.
“Into West Side Story” (5) presents what is possibly the greatest obstacle
presented on the soundtrack. Such is the brief running time of the track;
it becomes increasingly difficult to allow oneself to feel truly immersed
in score. GOLUB produces an adequate effort in echoing the sounds of the
original film, but having such a short existence creates a somewhat
stilted experience that is only magnified by the piece that it precedes.
“To Kill A Mockingbird Montage” (6), an example of GOLUB’S aforementioned
scope to craft effortless beauty, does not suffer from the ailment of a
short life as GOLUB utilises each second to evoke maximum emotion in an
achingly heart rending one and a half minutes. Having said that, an extra
minute or two would have been very much welcome.
The heights of the sixth track are never quite reached again throughout
the rest of the score, despite a determined effort heard in the elegant
meandering of “Japanese Internment During WWII” (12) and the triumphant
resolution of “Final Montage: The Power of Movies” (23). The rest of the
score weaves between the uninspired monotony of “Exiles” (20) and the
exuberant but ultimately futile “Back To The Future Montage” (16), a piece
that can never live up to the expectation it carries in its title.
PETER GOLUB clearly has the talent to weave music of striking beauty, yet
through a combination of onscreen content and time limitations, this
particular effort falls short of the expectations that may arise in the
advent of the soundtrack. The task of accompanying the most iconic films
in motion picture history brings with it a certain expectation, an
expectation that few, if any composers could fulfill.
