Composed
by Christopher Drake, Robert J. Kral and Kevin Manthei
2: Living Shadow/Living Shadow Finale (1:45)
3: Skater Girl / Trouble In the City (0:50)
4: Batmonster Appears/Batmonster Do-Over/Batmonster Finale (2:18)
5: Rooftop Robbery/Robobat (1:44)
6: Have I Got A Story For You Finale (1:35)
8: Inferno (5:48)
10: Trigger A Device/As Good As Your Drive (1:10)
11: A Russian in His Grave/It Works Too Well (3:53)
13: Gordon's Cannibal/Ghost Station (3:00)
14: Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis (0:43)
15: Killer Croc/Hallucinations/Scarecrow Interrupted (3:19)
16: Escape and End (1:45)
18: Bazaar (0:26)
19: There is Another/Training (2:46)
20: Rejected and Despised (1:30)
21: Painless Fight/I Can't (3:23)
23: Gun Attraction/Park Killing (1:26)
24: Gordon/Batman/The Train (6:14)
25: His Life's Quest (0:56)
While
I’m more in favor of Danny Elfman and Shirley Walker’s compositions, there’s no
denying that Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard made an impact on super hero
music that has continued today with projects such as “The Dark Knight,” “Arkham
City” and even rival projects such as Craig Armstrong’s score for “The
Incredible Hulk” and the “Captain America: The Firs Avenger” score written by
Alan Silvestri.
For
“Batman: Gotham Knight,” the influence carried over on the wings of logic and
yet the scores crafted for the piece inform the mythos as it’s being
interpreted by Nolan’s influence with a wonderful sense of craftsmanship and
atmosphere worthy of the dark knight.
Let’s
go ahead and take a look at all six scores in chronological order:
“Have I Got a
Story for You”
Opening
the film with a standard shot through Gotham City that encompasses the entire sprawl
of the narrative itself, the “Main Title” already works to build the bedrock of
atmosphere with swelling strings that combine elements of suspense, drama and
horror as we descend upon the city we’re about to inhabit musically.
By
the end of the original film franchise it’s reasonable to assume that Bruce is
no longer a young man. Here, however, we’re being given that younger dark
knight and it’s evidenced as we shift gears from a musical register that calls
forth the past efforts of Danny Elfman and slams us right into the mentality of
a more energized, aggressive, youthful, exuberant Batman.
The
tone shift also reminds me of the handling of score for “Batman Beyond” with
the guitar and synthetic work. I especially LOVE the instrumentation that hits
the cue about a minute and twenty eight seconds in; it’s laced with such
atmosphere for Gotham City itself and not just Gotham through Batman’s
perspective, but through those of the skater kids that weave the story of this
first chapter together. Very mood and informed by the locales and visuals in
the film.
Another
favorite track, probably my favorite in this specific score, is “Skater
Girl/Trouble In the City,” which begins with a terrific composition of skittish
brass work and the beautiful motif of the plucking strings; all of the whimsy
comes to a head with a venomous brass flourish as the Man in Black descends
into the streets in his duel with Batman.
The
music takes a more deliberate, militaristic tone with “Robobat,” possibility acting
as a lyrical representation of the more lumbering nature of that particular
incarnation.
Lots
of fleeting, tense strings and brass flow in undercurrent for the score and all
around it’s a tremendous work from Christopher Drake.
“Crossfire”
“Crossfire”
is, to me, the most reminiscent of the work created by Hans Zimmer and James
Newton Howard for “Batman Begins” in its approach to have a less traditional
symphonic score by creating tracks that are created more so out of sound design
and effects work.
The
two tracks under this banner are commanded by synthesizer work and several
sound effect accompaniments such as omnipresent, thrumming strobe flourishes
and a lot of layered percussion.
“Inferno”
confirms this idea but it’s more methodical. Two and a half minutes in, we’re
given some wonderful chorus work as Batman makes himself fully visible to
Maroni and the detectives, backlit by flame.
“Field Test”
Robert
Kral brings up back to symphonic score with his introduction into the
collection.
“New
Device” is a terrific composition, including such highlights as the wonderful
string work that brings about a dynamic sense of pace thirty nine seconds into
the track.
As
the score goes along, it’s clear that while “Crossfire” represents the
sound-angle of Zimmer and Howard’s efforts, “Field Test” best symbolizes what
orchestral work was crafted for “Begins.” There’s a touch of sadness and
resolve to these cues that echoes the live action film tremendously. Moments in
the original score of “Begins,” such as “Prototypes” and “Aftermath” are
reincarnated here; it’s somewhat different but the core essence still remains.
There’s
a great melody that’s introduced about twenty seconds into “Trigger a Device/As
Good as Your Drive” and the tracks is highlighted with wonderful woodwind
composition, particularly on oboe and possibly bassoon if my ear serves me
right.
“A
Russian in his Grave/It Works Too Well” ends the score with some excellent
flute work five seconds in and a lot of great percussion to take us out.
“In Darkness
Dwells”
My
favorite of all the scores on the album, Christopher Drake’s “In Darkness
Dwells” opens with a great tactile, aggressive duel of string and brass as we
fly over Gotham to find Batman perched on a ledge as the Bat-Signal illuminates
the sky.
The
material here is atmospheric, distinct and persuasive in its tone and its
representation for Batman.
As
the chapter takes us underground, the aggression of the score is toned down to
a moodier, slower pace and it works in juxtaposition between Batman’s utter
dominance in the air above Gotham and the authority of Killer Croc and
Scarecrow in the catacombs and ghost stations beneath the city; this idea lends
itself to giving the score a true sense of scope in its own right.
The
score takes flight out in the open while it’s burdened by the weight of
villainy and it’s a clever dichotomy to take musically.
“Gordon’s
Cannibal” plunges us into the sewers as Batman begins his search for Cardinal O’Fallon’s
abductor. The strings here are meaty and hold a tremendous amount of weight to
their presence throughout the cue.
I
love the clinical approach taken with “Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis” as Batman
informs Gordon of the medical condition that’s responsible for Croc’s
disfigurement; the synthetic harp work and high strings carry a sense of
delicate investigation, representing Batman’s detective side to great effect.
In fact, the strings here remind me of Batman’s investigation of Phoenix Labs
in the opening Animated Series episode “On Leather Wings.”
We
get back into the visceral nature of the sound design angle as Batman engages
in battle with both Killer Croc and Scarecrow and the material becomes laced
with a horror movie sensibility as we finally discover where Dr. Crane’s been
operating this whole time since the Narrows.
“Escape/End”
takes the score to new heights as Batman’s sense of flight and victory is
reestablished with his departure from the sewer with the rescued Cardinal and
it’s a great ending; very heroic and bombastic, like an “Indiana Jones”
scenario of getting out at the last second.
“Working Through
Pain”
Kevin
Menthei’s score for “Working Through Pain” is perhaps the most character-driven
work in the piece, most notable for its ethereal approach to a more culturally
apt profile.
Things
get moody real fast as we find Batman back in the sewers, suffering from the injuries
he’d endured in “In Darkness Dwells;” very eclectic, very eerie and haunting.
Obviously
given the story’s taking place across the globe, specifically in India, nearly
all of the tracks are given the added heft of Indian, ethnical instrumentation.
“Bazaar”
is the most on the nose with driving drum beats and wiry sitar work that weaves
along much like the cobra dueling and mongoose in the market as Bruce Wayne
watches on. It might be a bit too obvious with the instruments being used, but
it works given that we at the location. As a result, it’s handled as tastefully
as possible.
“There
is Another/Training” introduces Bruce and the audience to Cassandra as Wayne
begins his physical and psychological training under her tutelage and guidance.
The Indian/Hindi influenced material here is gorgeous and a welcome sense of
refreshment after scores composed nearly entirely of more ‘Batman’ driven
material.
The
score for the chapter is incredibly reflective, not just on this one flashback,
this one instance of training but really on the whole of Bruce’s time spent
abroad prior to becoming Batman.
Bruce
is based in Gotham City for the other five chapters but here he’s on the other
side of the world and the other side of the world is influencing the Menthei’s
score.
“Rejected/Despised”
is my favorite cue in the “Working through Pain” score as a young Cassandra is
cast out of her village by her own family. It’s very emotional and regal in the
vein of the traditions of her village and there’s a touch of sadness in her
being shunned by those traditions and having a contributing factor be her
gender.
“Painless
Fight/I Can’t” is a beautiful demonstration of woodwind work, particularly of
Indian wooden flute.
It’s
a powerful track as far as representation, reminding one of the final
confrontation between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in “The Empire Strikes
Back.”
Even
though he’s overpowering these men physically, Bruce’s decision to fight her
tormentors casts him in a light of failure. He’s failed Cassandra and the
education she was intending for him. Clearly, it evokes the fact that Bruce is
only seeking a means to an end for Batman and he’s not there to learn what she
truly had to offer. The track ends with a wonderful flourish of sitar reprisal
as Cassandra asks Bruce to leave.
The
material for Gotham City reflects this as Bruce’s failure echoes to him with
the discovery of violence he’s surrounded himself with back home, pulling guns
out of the every pile of trash he’s wading in beneath the streets.
“Deadshot”
The
final score of the collection opens with the most obviously emotional track,
titled “Parent’s Killed,” as Bruce remembers his parent’s murder. There’s great
piano work being used here to tremendous effect. As the track develops, the ‘Deadshot’
motif intrudes on the vulnerability like a representation of his style of
assassination intruding on Bruce’s sensitivity towards firearms.
The
‘Deadshot’ theme flies in the face of tenderness with its aggression and it’s
an interesting parallel between a man sworn to destroy the gun and a man who
lives by the gun.
“Gun
Attraction” emphasizes this idea as the music swells in escalation alongside
Deadshot’s kill via Ferris wheel and the brass work thirty seconds in, creating
a full-blown iteration of the Deadshot theme is wonderful.
There’s
beautiful woodwind work that accompanies “Gordon” as the Commissioner takes
refuge in the back of a squad car in a convoy while being transported to a safe
house for fear of Deadshot’s threat on his life.
The
Batman theme takes flight fifteen seconds into the track and swells at key
moments such as Batman intercepting Deadshot’s bullet with his gauntlet; the
theme reminds me a bit of the theme created by Zimmer and Howard for “The Dark
Knight;” it’s supped up and yet minimalist, maybe a bit more heroic than Zimmer
and Howard’s.
The
aggression of percussion and brass in the score is indicative, of all things,
of the ‘Bat Ski-Boat’ from “Batman Returns” with its militaristic edge. Four
minutes into the track “Gordon/Batman/The Train” sees the introduction of great
synthesizer work highlighting the conflict atop the train as it rockets through
a monorail tunnel.
“Deadshot”
closes out with a reprise of the theme from “Parent’s Killed” and what’s
wonderful about it is the shift in tone. At first, this motif is conducted
negatively with a lot of baggage and tragedy as Bruce remembers the worst
memory he could ever know. Here, however, it’s given an extension and a
rendition that uses the experience with Deadshot to symbolize a more uplifted
outlook for Wayne.
It’s
not so much that he’s mourning the loss of his parents; he’s using it to
motivate himself, to urge himself forward and carry on.
The
track ends with a beautiful string motif, closing out the score with a sense of
hope and promise as Bruce stares out of the Manor window to see the signal in
the sky. It ties the loose ends with a note of punctuation and it’s tremendous.
--------------------------------------
The
“End Credits” concludes with a compilation of previous material into an
overture the takes us back, however quickly, to what we’ve just experienced.
The
‘Batman’ theme from “Deadshot” plays us in, followed by recognizable tracks and
motifs from “Deadshot,” “In Darkness Dwells,” “Working Through Pain” and
finally “Crossfire.”
Like
the medium through which it was crafted, the score for “Batman: Gotham Knight”
takes its opportunities to bend and reflect Batman through a varying number of
different musical techniques and realizations that hadn’t been attempted
previously.
It’s a wonderful addition to the Batman regime of soundtracks and
scores and certainly worth a listen or two.
Christopher Drake
Robert J. Kral
Kevin Manthei
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