Soundtrack Review: The Guitar (2008)

Posted by Timothy E. RAW

December 8, 2008

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120808 1316 soundtrackr1 Soundtrack Review: The Guitar (2008) This is a review of the motion picture score for The Guitar by David Mansfield.

“Mansfield has the insight and wisdom to let the character and her instrument dictate the emotions of his score, rather than trade on our sympathy”

There are a lot of preconceived approaches one might expect from a score detailing a woman dying of throat cancer. David Mansfield is apparently wary of this, and his attitude towards the material — evident within the first few cues — is what I chiefly recommend about The Guitar. Mansfield eschews all the clichés of “Hollywood Cancer”, forgoing the formulaic barrage of disingenuous theatrics, bad taste over-emoting, contrived sentiment and saccharine manipulation. His focus is more from a place of character than an attempt at emotional blackmail on the listener.

The titular guitar is used as the entry point into the psyche of Melody Wilder, who finds transcendence, disconnect and release all at once, through the snarling wail of an electric guitar. Many of the guitar oriented tracks, be they a series of “flashback” cues, Guitar For Xmas or Steal This Guitar! are awash with gritty power chords and malcontent metallic drone. Cues such as Ear To The Floor actually prove themselves transportive enough to momentarily stave off death and forget about it altogether, drowning the incurable illness in noise.

Sincerity

I believe the score to be sensitively meticulous when exploring a gamut of typical reactions to coping with a terminal diagnosis.

While a lot of reviews have suggested that this independent film is ultimately, just a little less bogus than regularly mawkish, tear-jerking Hollywood fare, the film’s score is exemplified by sincerity. This is a score that asks questions over opting for weepy resolution. You come away from the listening experience, not thinking from afar, “how sad!” or “how tragic!” Instead, you are invited to walk in Melody’s shoes, asking yourself what you would do when unexpectedly faced with your own mortality. The very first cue Walking asks the big question right away, suggesting the sense of slowly traveling towards an inescapable fate, the terminal expiration drawing ever nearer. The fear and denial of death is addressed in the aforementioned collection of “flashback” cues and the overwhelming result of such avoidance is felt fully in Flyers, Melody seemingly unable to express emotion except through the instrument.

After denial comes anger; the Neil Young sounding Phantom Band is a raucous highlight that documents, the “why me?” question of not deserving to be afflicted by disease, while the confrontational Breaking Out, refuses to lie down and live an end defined by it.

The next question is one of bargaining, posed in both Bending and Rediscovering, the idea of being good or giving up “x” somehow allowing you to live longer.

Thoughts Of Suicide, depressively turns a whole world upside down and asks if there is any point at all in carrying on. In its final minute it appears to answer its own question, defiantly perseverant, yet tinged with an impression of thinly veiled futility in the effort. The resolute determination seems much more genuine further into the album on Alt Shopping.

The End

Loft offers the shell-shocked response to first learning of impending death, the title itself implying a desire to cocoon oneself away from the outside world, the underwater sound design severing those connections. Later, Nice Dress and Unpacking choose to embrace this news by wholly ignoring it. These celebratory tracks feature a vivacious banjo and lively teased guitar notes, that speak of the transformative powers of blowing your budget to collect clothes, furnishings and lovers. The reflective, Mel argues this attitude as an opaque “who am I kidding?” evasion tactic, for hiding from the reality of the situation by splurging with no concern for money.

The cues, Release and Leaving take us to the final stage of meditative acceptance. Of knowing you’re dying but being prepared for the end.

Tompkins closes out the album and Melody’s life, by plugging into a bank of Marshall amps one last time, beating out a weary yet disobedient strut. Despite it’s downbeat abrupt ending, I was left with the lingering belief that it’s what we do with tragedies in the time we have left, that strengthens our faith and our character.

Conclusion

Mansfield has the insight and wisdom to let the character and her instrument dictate the emotions of his score, rather than trade on our sympathy. His complex, methodical compositions internalize the importance of counting our days wisely, of understanding in the last analysis, what is truly important amongst the trivial.

PLEASE NOTE: While this review only covers Mansfield’s score, the soundtrack also includes six tracks of source music, the standouts of which for me, were the spiraling languor of Arch Angel by Alap Momin, and the steady-build psychedelia of Fly Free by Deb Montgomery. Both indicate quite clearly, the protagonist’s need to find some measure of escape from her dire circumstance.

120808 1316 soundtrackr2 Soundtrack Review: The Guitar (2008)