Audio/Visual: THE BOOK OF ELI

I’ve been hearing a lot about this soundtrack. The film itself I’m not exactly excited about. I’ve never been a Denzel Washington fan and while I like Gary Oldman, I get the feeling this is going to be another of his indistinct antagonists that, while better performed than most, feels like a rehash of every villain he’s played before. I do enjoy post-apocalyptic film but there doesn’t seem, judging by the media released, to be anything new or exciting about this flick. The main draw seemed, before I’d heard about the score, to be finding out what the deal was with the titular Book.

But, as one of my fellow Movie Geeks was twittering about how good the score was, my  curiosity  was piqued. When I discovered it was composed and produced by none other than Atticus Ross, I became officially excited.

I am listening to it right now and am not the least bit disappointed.

Atticus Ross, a name few of you are familiar with (I imagine), has a history with the Hughes, having scored several episodes of the TOUCHING EVIL TV series and making the music for their segment of NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU. If you know Ross from anything, it’s probably his longtime collaboration with Trent Reznor. Ross is credited on just about every Nine Inch Nails album made, so it can be said that he is as much a part of the industrial music icon as Reznor is. Given this, and the fact that he has worked with just about everybody, from Pink to Korn, it’s exciting to hear that he crafted a soundtrack to something as dark and epic as BOOK OF ELI.

And what a piece of work. What’s most surprising about this music is how very bleeding edge it is. Ross makes no apologies for his fixation on electronics; every song is at least graced by whirring, creeping noises that summon to mind the very images I imagine the film would present visually. It’s not lacking in grace; many of the songs are sweeping, powerful, and moving, but what’s truly impressive is how very deep the compositions are. Layers upon layers of varying samples and instruments all weaved together seamlessly. There’s much to be said for simplicity, but Ross is nothing if not a deft conjurer of appealing and appalling sound so here he brings that to the table in spades.

Listening closer, it is very difficult to grasp just how detailed and unnerving the work here is. Ross is extremely brave, utilizing electronic noise and booming symphonic awe in equal doses. Jonny Greenwood did something close to this in THERE WILL BE BLOOD, but he was constrained by a period setting. In the apocalyptic scenario of BOOK OF ELI, this eerie and haunting soundscape is perfect.

And I get the feeling this is going to end up being a heavily repeated score, because its bravado and intensity really makes it a joy to listen to. It grabs your attention and, unlike what I expected, stands out in a way that I seek in the best film scores. I cannot recommend this score enough. Thanks to Jeremy for bringing it to my attention.