Soundtrack Review: Eragon (2006)

Posted by William Bard

December 26, 2008

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eragon 704850 Soundtrack Review: Eragon (2006) This is a review of the motion picture score for Eragon by Patrick Doyle.

“Mr. Doyle is to be commended for this splendid work of film scoring”

The 2006 failure known as Eragon is not altogether a failure, as evidenced by Patrick Doyle’s thrilling score. An excellent work of film scoring, the atmospheric, adventurous, bombastic Eragon is something wonderful to behold. The film could have been a success, the next fantasy franchise to smash the box office, break records, and be everything The Lord of the Rings was several years back. Unfortunately, the screenwriters didn’t have a clue how to successfully and correctly adapt a book into a film, and the resulting movie was loathed by fans of the novel everywhere.

Track List

1. Eragon (04:12)
2. Roran Leaves (03:22)
3. Saphira’s First Flight (02:12)
4. Ra’zac (02:48)
5. Burning Farm (03:08)
6. Fortune Teller (03:56)
7. If You Were Flying (02:55)
8. Brom’s Story (02:53)
9. Durza (02:20)
10. Passing The Flame (03:05)
11. Battle for Varden (09:59)
12. Together (02:18)
13. Saphira Returns (01:49)
14. Legend of Eragon (02:08)
15. Keep Holding On (03:57) (by Avril Lavigne)
16. One In Every Lifetime (04:17) (by Jem)

Excellent Fit

Patrick Doyle’s score, however, did not follow suit. The music of Eragon is excellent, presented in a wonderful album (with a great cover!), which comprises a good listening experience for the fans of the film or novel. Not only does this music fit the film well, but carries the musical soundscape one would expect to find when reading the original novel.

Darker Than Narnia

Doyle paints the land of Alagaesia with notes on a musical staff like a paintbrush on a canvas, weaving together a coherent, likable auditory environment, similar to those of The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia, but noticeably darker than the latter. The soundtrack is begun with a bombastic theme in a major key (Eragon), followed by tracks of sadness and joy (Roran Leaves, Saphira’s First Flight) before shifting into a darker, wilder setting (Ra’zac, Burning Farm, Fortune Teller).

Then, we are refamiliarized with the main theme in its bombastic setting (If You Were Flying), before the soundtrack plunges back into darkness (Brom’s Story, Durza), followed by a brief glimmer of hope (Passing the Flame), and then, the major event of the score, the stereotypical fantasy battle, in a style so different from that which has been previously established, that it could easily be from an entirely different score and fantastical world (Battle for Varden). After the battle, this wild beast of a score calms down, growing overall quiet and reflective (Together, Saphira Returns), before the work closes in triumphant, climactic trumpet calls (The Legend of Eragon).

Conclusion

As a score, Eragon has a lot to offer. It complements the movie nicely, sounds fantastic, has some good themes established early on and makes good use of them as the work progresses. However, if you’re looking for John Williams or Jerry Goldsmith, you’re looking in the wrong place. This score is not about creating and developing memorable themes which will be hummed by people thirty years from now, but rather about successfully following and accompanying the story of Eragon the young farm boy (Luke Skywalker, anyone?) on his journey to becoming a great Dragon Rider. This, it does fantastically, and Mr. Doyle is to be commended for this splendid work of film scoring! Bravo!