The Tillman Story Composed by Philip Sheppard
Lakeshore Records (2010)
Rating:
6/10
Soundclips below from AmazonMP3
“As an underscore to a documentary, Sheppard’s score is nothing less than
adequate. Rarely does it threaten to become intrusive, but neither does it
ever show the ambition to truly match the magnitude of the story it is
telling.”
A Cover-up's Underscore
Review by Richard Buxton
On April 22, 2004 former Arizona
Cardinals Defensive and Corporal of the United States Army Rangers Patrick
Tillman, was killed in Sperah, Afghanistan. Having rejected a $9million
NFL contract in order to serve his country, Tillman was rightly commended.
The sacrifice of a soldier for his country secures immortality through the
respect and gratefulness of the people he or she fought for, and it is
this that makes the events following his death all the harder to accept.
Despite the numerous cover-ups, the true events of April 22 were
eventually revealed. Tillman was in fact killed by friendly fire, a cause
that had been hidden from the Tillman family for weeks after Patrick’s
death. THE TILLMAN STORY is an insight into the conspiracy, propaganda
and ultimate failings of the system.
In hiring Philip Sheppard, director Amir Bar-Lev chose a composer with a
strong history of documentary scoring. Notable previous works include the
space-faring documentary “In The Shadow of the Moon”, a stirring
accompaniment to the retelling of the Apollo missions in the ‘60s and
‘70s. Firmly familiar with the documentary formula, in the case of THE
TILLMAN STORY Sheppard has composed a score that does the job but does
little to go beyond the call of duty. Consisting of two distinct parts,
the soundtrack weighs in at a seemingly generous 32 tracks. However the
majority of these last for no longer than a minute and a half each.
Opening with the track “Memorial” the tone of the first and more subdued
half of the score is instantly set. A constant repeating of piano chords
paves the way for haunting strings. This repetition serves as the theme
for the opening half of the score, creating an ambient sadness while the
traces of menace heard in the strings engineer tension and anticipation.
This formula returns on a number of occasions throughout the score, albeit
with changes in its complexion. In the fourth piece “Cargo” the repetition
of the percussion is joined by a string section of a significantly
stronger texture. The harmonies of the strings enhance the irrepressible
foreboding of a nation and its soldiers at war. These harmonies receive
further attention in “Aria”, where the reflective strings mask the
menacing bass.
While the tone of the score continues with the unease heard previously, it
is in “Suspicion” that the pace of Sheppard’s music sees considerable
change in its dynamics. “Suspicion” opens with the familiar repetitions
but at a much higher pace, the constant plucking creating a frantic
atmosphere before returning to the solemnity of the strings. Both “Flight”
and “Just A Kid” maintain the change in style, the unremitting piano
taking centre stage once more. It is here that the repetitions begin to
falter. While they provide a suitable platform for the filmmakers from
which to create the necessary drama, as a purely listening experience the
almost incessant repetition begins to grate. Listening to the entire score
uninterrupted may prove to be somewhat of a struggle unless it is employed
solely as background music.
It is with great relief then that “New Almaden” arrives shortly after the
basis of the score begins to wear thin. The electric cello provides a
haunting contrast to the softly spoken strings in this reflective piece.
Unfortunately, this strong track is immediately followed by a return to
the almost perpetual repetition. “Night Vision” signals Sheppard’s descent
into the action side of the score. With its harmonies “Afghan” manages to
paint the score with a strong intense Arabic feel, while “Into The Valley”
continues with this intensity, albeit with a more traditional suspense
soundscape.
THE TILLMAN STORY swiftly diverts from its Arabic flavourings and once
again falls back on the repetitions in order to establish atmosphere.
“Fallout” does a considerably better job at this style and perhaps
represents what would have been a better overall basis upon which Sheppard
could have worked. The repetitions remain, yet they are diverse and often
sporadic enough to provide adequate variation upon the motif in question.
The faults of THE TILLMAN STORY come to a head in “Brother”, where the
incessant, jarring repetitions become almost too much to bear. They
creates little to no anticipation and the constant plucking almost
instantly becomes aggravating. The aggravation is eventually put to rest
as the score returns to its peak in “Chorale for Pat”. Essentially a
development upon “New Almaden”, “Chorale for Pat” is a wistful look back
at the tragic and shocking tale of Patrick Tillman.
As an underscore to a documentary, Sheppard’s score is nothing less than
adequate. Rarely does it threaten to become intrusive, but neither does it
ever show the ambition to truly match the magnitude of the story it is
telling.
