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From The Times

March 17, 2008

Modern film scores are terrible, say composers

Dalya Alberge, Arts Correspondent

Most film music written today is terrible, with few scores lingering in the memory like the underwater menace of Jaws or the whimsical Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, top composers have told The Times.

Hans Zimmer, who wrote the music for the Hollywood box-office hits Gladiator and The Lion King, dismissed the majority of contemporary screen compositions as unmemorable. “They drift around like cows grazing. So many scores sound like nobody really thought about them.”

Anne Dudley, whose music in The Full Monty won an Oscar, and Christopher Gunning, whose score for La Vie en Rose picked up a Bafta this year, attacked the “blandness” of soundtracks.

The public appear to agree. A recent poll of the nation’s all-time favourite film themes was dominated by scores from decades ago by composers such as John Williams (Jaws) and Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly).

Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean were among five scores in the poll by Zimmer, whose Oscar-winning soundtrack for The Lion King has sold more than 15 million copies.

“Where is the next Jerry Goldsmith?” Zimmer asked yesterday, referring to the late composer of the Stravinsky-inspired score for Planet of the Apes and the jazzy theme of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown.

Zimmer praised the craftsmanship of Williams (Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park) and Morricone. “There’s never a lazy note from them,” he said. Gunning said: “I go to movies a lot and I find myself disappointed again and again [by] the blandness of the music. Where has melody gone in film music? What do you remember of Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Moon River by Henry Mancini. You can’t get it out of your head.”

He said that these days scores were more likely to be written by keyboard players with computer skills learned at film schools rather than composers trained at music college.

Dudley blamed American studios for choosing music “by committee”.

The Cliff Martinez scores for Traffic and Solaris are two of the most heavily played CDs in my collection. Perhaps not memorably hummable, but magnificent and majestic.

I also agree with the other commentors who highly rate Clint Mansell's work.

Ian, Manchester, UK

Although it doesn't show in the article, Zimmer is actually pretty self-effacing and self-critical.

Check out this interview:
"I am desperately trying to write better music all the time. I thought Howard Shore's score to The Cell was the best score I heard in a really long time, and I'm thinking, 'God I hope Bruckheimer temps it into his next trailer so more people hear it,' because I thought it was astonishing. I'm just trying to get up there!"

A more general point: It's not just most modern film scores that are terrible. In fact, most music ever written is terrible. We only remember the catchiest stuff. Moon River and Jaws are memorable not because film music in general was so much better then, but because they were the very top of their class. Twenty years from now, I'm sure we'll be able to look back and find a few memorable pieces as well.

Mark, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Two of the best scores I've heard in recent years:

"The Look Out" has a beautiful, striking, memorable, haunting score. I do not know who composed it, but it's wonderful.

"Birth", Alexander Desplat, this, I think, is the best score of the last twenty years. It's simply haunting and perfect both with the film and on its own.

I don't think either of these films were widely seen, but they are well worth seeking out.

Levari, Madrid, Spain

Clint Mansell is an amazing composer

Justin, Boston, MA

After reading through these comments it seems to me there is a veritable treasure trove of excellent composers out there right now working on memorable and beautiful scores. Yes, Morricone and Mancini have done amazing work, and John WilliamsÂ´ themes will go down in history as some of the best, but Mr. Zimmer may be exaggerating a bit when he says Â¨They donÂ´t make Â´em like they used toÂ¨. A case in point is Howard ShoreÂ´s multi-award winning score for Â¨The Lord of the RingsÂ¨: Not only did he compose, orchestrate and conduct the music for the three films, he also created a symphony (from over twelve hours of music) that is performed now all over the world. Proof that the best of todayÂ´s film music CAN stand on its own legs outside of the cinema.

Debbie Matthew de Rodriguez, Guadalajara, Mexico

Of any contemporary composer, Jon Brion is perhaps the most original and, in my opinion, the most talented and interesting.

Earle Charleston, Wickets Towne,

I've always been impressed with the work Clint Mansell has done with Darren Aronofsky's films. The music perfectly complements what's going on onscreen and adds to the emotions the viewer is going through.

Angelo Badalamenti, the composer for all of David Lynch's films, is also a master of complementing what is happening onscreen.

Dan, mt vernon,

I can't believe people are calling out the scores of composers like Thomas Newman and Hans Zimmer as examples of originality. Listen to Cinderella Man and Road to Perdition back to back, and you'll swear they were sequels (fortunately, I happen to love both films). As for Zimmer, Gladiator's excellent score served as little more than a prequel to Pirates of the Caribbean. He will be forgiven if he can compose even five memorable notes for the upcoming Dark Knight.

Steve, Flint, Michigan

John Williams drives me absolutely insane! All of his music sounds the same. Star Wars and Jurassic Park are so similar. And I can't even tell Home Alone and Harry Potter apart.

The best modern composer in my opinion is Howard Shore. What he did with Lord of the Rings was pure genius. I loved every second of music in all of those films.

Brianna, Orlando, FL

The problem with the medium of film music is that it is mostly used in the background of a film, so it's possible for many composers to get away with writing fairly mediocre music that is functional enough to get the job done - nothing special, but good enough.
Some composers clearly put a huge amount of effort into writing music that is not only effective within the film, but is outstandingly well-written music in its own right - of contemporary composers, John Williams and Danny Elfman spring most obviously to mind - whilst others (easy examples: Horner and Zimmer) are clearly happy to recycle of lot of their own material (not to mention other people's) from one film to the next, meaning that one score sounds like another, sounds like another.
To be honest, films rarely NEED scores as good as those produced by the very best composers - effective-but-bland will usually do the job - but they are oh-so-much the better for it when they get them.
Roll on Indy 4 (mostly for the music!)

Dave Staiger, Malvern, UK

"Rattatouille" was the years best score, hands down. But I do agree there has been a lack of memorable scores. The last greatest score to come from an old hand is John Williams for A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Say what you want about the film, the music is to die for. Along with E.T., Empire of the Sun, Hook, Schindlers List and Jurassic Park, William's is king. Of course, Barry (Dances with wolves) and Elfman (Batman) aren't to far behind.

Joe, montreal, Canada

The score for I Am Legend and No Country For Old Men are prime examples of how music in film should be used. The composers only used just the right amount of music to deliver deep emotional impact needed. In my view most movies should keep music in the background and only used if needed.

Simon , Fort Worth, Texas

I find it strange that people are saying the soundtracks from the past are far more memorable and superior - and then they reference the same 5 movies over and over. There have been thousands of movies made before jaws, hundreds were made at the same time, and thousands more have been made since it was released. The problem isn't that todays music is overly bland, it's that a few movies from the past were excellent.

Ross, Ottawa, canada

for some strange reason Directors (film companies) feel they have to clutter their films with none stop music. Each piece of action, if it needs it or not, is accompanied by music. John Barry knew what he was doing. Take Zulu, the film is an epic yet he wrote only 15mins of score to underpin certain scenes - and it works perfectly. Less is really more

Andy bark, manchester, UK

Well I'd call Howard Shore's "Lord of the Rings" scores very memorable. Dario Marianelli's "Pride and Prejudice" and "Atonement" scores are both high memorable and personally, my favorite part of both movies. But my favorite score has to be Clint Mansell's "The Fountain". I know that the movie wasn't overly popular, but the score is absolutely beautiful.

Miranda, Cleveland, OH, USA

I do agree with some of the comments made by Zimmer but surely it is wrong to group of big box office films as the ones with the least provoctive or beautiful scores. For example the film adaption of Atonement has introduced classical music into the cinema and to a younger audience. The five minute epic shot of the beach at Dunkirk is remarkable from a cinematic production stance but the beauty of it comes from the music that accomponies. Dario Marianelli may not by Mozart but he has offered the movie going audience a first class score.

Cassandra Cunningham, colchester, essex

Let us not forget Yann Tiersen, who with the soundtracks to Amelie and Goodbye Lenin crafted not only two exceptional soundtracks, but two achingly beautiful albums of music. Also Emilie Simon's composition for La Marche De L'Empreur and Air's work for The Virgin Suicides deserve high praise.

Daniel, Sydney, Australia

Howard Shore has managed a few effective moments, don't you think?
Much of Williams stands on its own in the concert hall. I have admired Ms. Portman's work, and James Newton Howard's, too.

Laurence Lubin, New York, NY, USA

Thanks for that little thread. I've been waiting to see if I was the only one who felt that way. To me, the music is half the movie. If it doesn't pick you up and let you down through out the film, it's not doing it's job. Can anyone remember the last time they walked out of a theater humming the movie theme they just watched? I know we've lost a lot of great composers in the last few years but come on.

Alan Lange, Tipp City,

the score for, "the fountain" is the greatest score i've heard since "edward scissorhands!"

Scott, San Diego, CA

Zimmer is right in saying that the music "drifts around like lazy cows". Many current soundtracks lack relevance to the action on screen and become dissociative elements that only add to the general mood of the scene. People like the scores of John Williams and Alan Silvestri because the music can be associated with the characters and themes within the film (also known as a leitmotiv). The problem is not so much the music isn't of any artistic or commercial value, it just simply has no consistent or recognizable associations to the characters or plot.

Think of the theme for "Jaws"...if that "dun-nuh" only happened at one point in the film, would anyone remember it?

Josh, Stuart, FL

Clint Mansell has impressed me recently, I particularly like his work on (sadly now overplayed) Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain.

While I do like Zimmers work, I feel it is incredibly formulaic.

Ash, Oxford, UK

Hans Zimmer hasn't brought out many unique scores, true, but "Pirates of the Carribean" is destined to be classic movie music. Thomas Newman has also had several memorable scores (the end theme from "Lemony Snicket" is probably the best part of the whole movie), and I also like James Newton Howard. (Batman Begins anyone?)

Jake, Pittsburgh,

Rachel Portman's scores for Sirens, Chocolat, and Benny and Joon deserve some mention. Randy Newman's The Natural. Thomas Newman's Meet Joe Black score. They're all still alive. Is Alex North still around?

doc, Macon, GA

I agree with other commenters here that Zimmer is a hack, writing entirely generic and redundant scores that all echo each other. John Williams writes music that is often overly simplistic, but I like him b/c he was the conducter of the Boston Pops for decades. I agree that Howard Shore's "Rings" work stands head & shoulders above the rest, but thought I'd offer some other selections not discussed above: Iva Davies, Christopher Gordon, and Richard Tognetti for "Master and Commander," Clint Eastwood for "Mystic River" and "Iwo Jima," and the great trumpeter Terence Blanchard, who has produced a number of fantastic scores for Spike Lee's movies, including "Malcom X" and "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem for Katrina." Oh, and the Tan Dun score to "Hero."

Michael Giacchino, whose score for Ratatouille was great, also scored "The Incredibles," and writes all the music for the TV show "Lost."

Scott, Boston, Massachusetts

Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell are pretty good, although not in the league of Henry Mancini and John Williams.

Chiraag T, Sydney, Australia

Among the new wave of film composers, I think Jon Brion has showed consistent brilliance.

I can still remember both score and songs from movies such as Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, I Heart Huckabees and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. His music is haunting,beautiful and original, and ALWAYS is in service to the story.

Mario, Manila, Philippines

I have to say, I was pretty impressed with this year's film scores. There Will Be Blood and Atonement were impeccably scored by Jonny Greenwood and Dario Marinelli.

Bella, Noblesville, IN

There Will Be Blood score....thats all I have to say. Brilliance.

Vinnie Pergola, Los Angeles,

I like the compositions of Thomas Newman and Danny Elfman. Very whimsical and memorable. Think "American Beauty" and "Nightmare before Christmas". =)

Emily, Hobart, Australia

James Newton Howard is my favorite composer working today. His scores for The Village, Lady in the Water, Signs, and King Kong are genius.

uforeader, atlanta, ga

And lets not foget our very own John Barry. Has there been any better exponent of melody in film in the past 40 odd years apart from Morricone and Goldsmith. As for James Horner, do me a favour..He's been rehashing the same Star Trek sound track since 1982!!

karamjit gill, richmond, surrey

I think we should start looking further afield for film composers. I know of one sublime Japanese film composer called Jowe Hisaishi. Anyone acquainted with Hayao Miyazaki will know of Hisaishi and it is a crime that so few people know of Hisaishi in the Western world. His scores for "Spirited Away" ,"Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Porco Rosso" are original and majestic with truly memorable meolodies.

Matthew , Leigh, England

Plenty of talents from a new generation. One example is Marcelo Zarvo who composed the score of A Door in the Floor and The Good Shepard. A rich example of a brilliant new generation.

Paulo Machline, Sao Paulo, Brasil

The biggest films do tend to feature worse music of late, I agree. They also skimp on acting, suspense, originality and just about everything else the experienced film-goer loves! If you look into smaller indie films, the music these days often to be of much higher standard. A recent film I can think of especially is the British sci-fi flick 'Sunshine', which really blew me away through quality of music and production values. If you look you'll find plenty of great film soundtracks, but the biggest films that you find in most cinemas are getting blander in music, but not music alone.

Christopher, Abinger Hammer, Surrey, UK

Hans Zimmer scores are definitely memorable. When watching the pirates of the carribean I remembered the score from Gladiator.

Martin Walsh, London,

Once upon a time I thought that if Mozart or Beethoven were alive today, they would be scoring great movies. They probably spun in their graves when "Its Hard Out Here for A Pimp" won an Oscar.

Vera, Atlanta, USA

Two of the absolute best film composers working today are Dario Marianelli, who just won an Oscar for 'Atonement' and deserved a nomination for 'The Brothers Grimm,' and Alexandre Desplat, who was Oscar-nominated for 'The Queen' and should've been nominated (and should've won) for the exquisite 'The Painted Veil.'

Joseph Jones, Chicago, USA

It is probably true to a certain extent but not only because film composers are not as good as they used to be. More and more films follow the same pattern, they are difficult to remember anyway, whether it's another thriller, stupid comedy or stunt intensive epic. Most such films simply do not require good music.

Besides, the best film composers still seem to be ahead of their contemporary colleagues outside film industry in terms of music quality. I think that other than Zimmer himself, James Horner and Ennio Morricone maintain a very high musical standard, and Klaus Badelt is simply magnificent. His scores for The Promise and K-19 are fantastic, and his name also appears in The Pirates and Gladiator alongside Zimmer - I wonder who actually wrote the best tunes from these two - Zimmer or Badelt? They sound more like Badelt's.

Igor Blinov, Moscow, Russia

I'm shocked no one has mentioned Michael Giacchino, whose score for "Rattatouille" was nominated for an Oscar this year and (in my opinion) should have won.

The splendid themes and energetic and varied orchestration for this film called to my mind the best from Mancini and other venerated composers of the 60's and 70's. He's one to watch.

Paul M, Marin, California

Since the score for "Batman", Danny Elfman gets my vote, AND he's done the music for over 100 films. If everyone else is imitating him, it is a sign that he is indeed, very, very good. Also, it is foolish to judge art. An artist is born with a talent. It is a cosmic gift that may not be valued at all in his/her time, but be considered an absolute treasure by all humanity for the thousand years that follow. We can't know. We can only say, "I like this, or I hate it." or perhaps, as in my case, "Ugh, I don't think I really understand this!"

victor compton, Cherbourg, France

It's funny Hans Zimmer saying this, as apparently he can neither read nor write music himself and his music scores are handled by a whole team and it's his scores which come over as the type he is complaining about!

N C Gould, Maidstone, UK

This is a bit rich coming from the master of the generic and self-confessed music illiterate, Hans Zimmer.

Where is the next Jerry Goldsmith? Probably in your workshop with a load of other young composers knocking out derivative rubbish from a restrictive brief to be released in your name, Hans.

Peter Panis, Surbiton,

The score for Predator by Silverstri is truely amazing and often over looked. Besides Hans Zimmer doesn't write much of the music in his film scores anyway.. he's more of a producer. Harry Gregson-Williams (a Brit!) used to work for him... Hans isn't doing so well now Harry's gone off to do his own career. And what about American Beauty by Newman? Great simplistic modern film score.

Matthew, London, London

You are spot on, M Ferrer! There may not be "a lot" of great composers but then there was only one Pavarotti. And Hans is not one of those great composers though I'm sure he wishes to compose with Mr. Horner's unparalleled talent. And the best parts of Pirates of the Caribbean score are the ones composed by Klaus Badelt.
James Horner IS one of the greatest. I would add Craig Armstrong, James Newton Howard and Mark Mancina right up there.
Just because a film is "box office" doesn't mean its soundtrack/score is good (with Titanic being the exception).

Isabel, Santa Monica, CA, USA

Excuse me ? Howard Shore ? The Lord of the Rings soundtracks ?

Al Roughley, Liverpool, UK

I am surprised by Zimmer who has never been able to writet a decent score, can criticise so easily. When he is not trying to copy Hermann, is doing the same with Horner (The Last Samurais, for instance)
But I agree there are not longer good composers, maybe becaus efilms are so good.
Glad that Gunning is mentioned, he is a wonderful composer. His score to Firelight is wonderful. But I am a afraid now composition and orchestration have dissapeared....like good films, I am a afraid

M. FERRER, vigo, sPAIN

Danny Elfman has been great, but his style has now been copied to death by other film and TV composers. I think he also overstretched himself.

Simon, London,

Though I generally agree with his point, Mr Zimmer could be accused of hypocrisy: many of his recent scores sound like minor reworkings of his 1996 soundtrack to 'The Rock'.

One recent highlight of film music in my opinion: Johnny Greenwood's soundtrack to There Will be Blood, with brilliantly placed extracts of Arvo Part and Brahms.

Chris Johnson, Manchester, UK

The reason for this would be revealed if the proper attribution was given to film music. There are a few people who can write reasonably good music, but writing big tunes is something else. It is not something you can learn to do, or music schools would be more important than they are. If you have a look at the tune sheets of music boxes you will see that there wasn t anybody around in those days who could write a big tune. And, in case you were about to make the point, the present music of Greensleeves, Danny Boy, and Auld lang syne, is modern.

Henry Percy, London, UK

I agree. There was a time I used to look up the composer's name on the film poster, not any more. I lost interest in modern film music when the maestro Jerry Goldsmith died.

John Williams has been reworking familiar themes for 25 years now, his last genuinely great score was E.T. the Extraterrestrial back in 1982.

Steve Lens, London, England

The premature death of composer Basil Poledouris in 2006 was a sad loss to the film industry. He wrote many fine compositions but his powerful music for John Milius' 'Conan the Barbarian' has rightly come to be regarded as one of the finest film scores in cinema history.

Michel Parry, London, UK