by Paul Tonks
score -- n. / Pron. “skôr”
1. The notation of a musical work.
2. The written form of a composition for orchestral or vocal parts.
3. The music written for a film, play, or other viewed entertainment.
4. The resounding cheer that accompanies the ‘high-fives’ of Producers when they get what they want sounding close enough to the Temp Track, without fear of being sued.
DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING, DID YOU?
When I give talks on film music, one of the things I love to demonstrate is how it can assist in manipulating the audience in a variety of ways. A favourite for me, is the all-important finale to a movie with a surprise ending. So here’s a run down on some of my favourite twists, and how the composers worked their magic on us to keep their secrets secret.
SPOILER WARNING:
Obviously, if there’s a film title here you haven’t seen and you don’t want to know the ending – look away!
BASIC INSTINCT (1992)
COMPOSER: Jerry Goldsmith
CUE TITLE: “An Unending Story”
DO THE TWIST: Yeah – she did it.
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Ooh the tension! Shazzer is sliding all over Mr. Zeta Jones, after two hours of back-and-forth misdirection. Is she the killer, or just a mis-understood bi-sexual tease? Goldsmith had played the ambiguous tone before with director Paul Verhoeven on TOTAL RECALL. That was a little more isolated within certain scenes, but for this movie it was the tone for the whole picture (a tone that nominated the score for an Academy Award of course). If you want to play at spotting clues, there are plenty of visual, narrative and musical ones strewn throughout. Once we’re in those closing 10 seconds though, Goldsmith lets rip with every dramatic punch he can. The music absolutely insists that Det. Curran is about to be stabbed to death. It telegraphs an absolute certainty that this is the twist; she did it and he’s next. But wait! In a moment of respite from the crescendos, her hand is empty. He isn’t going to die. Then as the camera slowly pans to the floor, the ice pick is there after all.
In that final scene, the score plays the perfect manipulative trick on us. Within seconds we go from surprise to fear to relief to surprise. Wherever you stand on the controversy of the flick, or on how quickly dated it became, you can’t ignore the power of that ending thanks to the score.
CITIZEN KANE (1941)
COMPOSER: Bernard Herrmann
CUE TITLE: “Finale”
DO THE TWIST: The sled did it.
This is the sort of rare movie twist ending I adore, where something unspoken – something seen or heard – causes the viewer to re-evaluate everything they’ve seen. The sight of the name ‘Rosebud’ on the burning sled has the first time viewer rapidly scanning the film in reverse to recall its significance. But while they do so, Herrmann’s powerhouse writing hammers home the Kane connection, by delivering a tragedy-tinged anthemic rendition of his main theme.
By no means the first cinematic twist ending, this one remains important for so many reasons. Not least of which was Herrmann ushering in a new dawn in film music technique, with writing that explored the psychology of the character. Here it’s findings are clear; he was a great, flawed, repressed fool of a man.
PSYCHO (1960)
COMPOSER: Bernard Herrmann
CUE TITLE: “The Murder”
DO THE TWIST: Mummy did it.
Lila hunts for somewhere to hide from Norman, who’s rushing up the steps to the house. She spots the cellar door and sneaks down. Sat on a chair is the elusive Mrs. Bates, facing away from her. A light tap on the shoulder spins her around to reveal…
All this is covered in album releases by the cue “Discovery”, but of course the revelation that the ol’ lady’s dead is only half the twist. The real shocker – and the pay off of the title – is the sight of Anthony Perkins slipping his wig and dress as Sam tackles him to the ground. This is the moment that had Sixties’ audiences squirming uncomfortably in their seats. And what music is playing? The shower “Murder” cue.
Herrmann didn’t intend to use the music again here, but it was tracked in anyway. As we now know, the decision was the correct one, and the film benefited enormously. Personally, I hate the fact that this music has been parodied so much. Sure there are odd occasions when it’s the sincerest form of flattery. But I lament the fact that one of the most brilliant musical devices ever written has had its power diluted by others turning it into cliché. I still remember the feeling of dumbstruck awe the stormy night I stayed up to watch the movie on my little black and white set though…
SE7EN (1995)
COMPOSER: Howard Shore
CUE TITLE: “The Desert”
DO THE TWIST: Kint did it again.
I’m one of the few (apparently) that thinks SE7EN is a modern masterpiece. The first time I saw it left me scarred in a very unhealthily enjoyable way. No need to get into too much of it here, but I maintain that Shore’s score is one of the best of the `90s. Which is saying a lot after his delve into similar tonal territory only a few years earlier on the nonetheless superlative SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.
The desert finale is one long piece of suspense. I dare anyone to claim they knew Doe’s final movies. The surprises in store for Mills and Somerset hit the audience just as hard. Shore never once plays anything as any form of wink to the audience. The plot structure isn’t of the sort to require clues anyway. Through this ending though, it was essential that the music supported events in the right way. Anything overly dramatic would have detracted from the impact. I’m sure there was quite some discussion about the role of music in the scene, and Shore’s solutions must have been received with relief. With a long series of brass hits, there’s an underpinning of unease right from their arrival in the desert. This musical idea is simple enough so as to be unobtrusive in not dragging the viewer into things too deeply. Then by surreptitiously adding to the ferocity of each hit in a slow build up, the tension is ratcheted ever higher. By the point of the box being opened, the few moments of pause from this rhythm are spot-on perfect for allowing the absence of music to affect the audience. I marvel at its simplicity and its impact every time.
NOTE: The commercial song album doesn’t give you this material. Hell – it doesn’t even give you the Bowie or Coil songs!
THE SIXTH SENSE (1999)
COMPOSER: James Newton Howard
CUE TITLE: “Malcolm is Dead”
DO THE TWIST: Bruce did it.
If you’ve never seen the album, check out the cue I’ve named above. Can you believe they used that?!
At least subtlety was key to the music itself. In the hands of other composers, the game could have been spoiled in so many ways. Newton Howard played the musical sleight of hand on us very carefully though. There’re no suggestive flourishes whenever Willis doesn’t interact with someone or something. In fact, Willis’ character is only acknowledged in the score through the romance with his wife. The motifs concentrate more on Cole or the ghostly goings-on. That means in the closing five minutes when all is revealed, this particular twist plays out for all its tragic worth as opposed to being a dramatic denouement. Shyamalan clearly wanted us to gasp with sorrow, not shock.
THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995)
COMPOSER: John Ottman
CUE TITLE: “The Greatest Trick”
DO THE TWIST: Kint did it.
For just over three minutes, the audience is manipulated repeatedly by a masterful montage of imagery and music. As Dave Kujan puts the pieces together – still not knowing what conclusion he’s drawing – we see Verbal Kint metamorphose into someone completely different. The sequence is tickled at every turn by a playful cue that delivers a “joke’s on you” message. Its brilliance is in drawing together motifs from the score in a way that delivers this message to Kujan, and not the audience.
This finale could have been reduced to something very confusing without the perfect editing and scoring combination. So thank goodness they had John Ottman overseeing both!
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