Soundtrack Review: Valkyrie (2008)
Welcome back! Have you subscribed to my RSS feed yet? Make sure you don't miss anything by getting all Soundtrack Geek posts by Email. Also check out Soundtrack Fans, a new social network for soundtrack fans. Thanks for visiting!
This is a review of the motion picture score for Valkyrie by John Ottman.
“It has some cues which are in the top flight of 2008 which is definitely lifting the score from a mediocre flat effort to something that is ultimately satisfying and fulfilling”
First I have to say: Welcome back John Ottman! People were starting to wonder where you are (me included). Luckily this very talented composer got a release just before 2008 ended, and that release is Valkyrie. Tom Cruise’s latest movie about the plot to kill Adolf Hitler. This is not your typical World War 2 movie so what can we expect from the music. The premise to this movie is more of a thriller set during World War 2 where men inside the third reich found it best to eliminate Hitler. Still, World War 2 has it’s style in a way, but Ottman has the possibility of slight experimentation here and I am like you, wondering where he will lead us.
Track List
- They’ll Remember You (Feat. The Rundfunkchor Berlin & Sylke Schwab) (*****)
- Operation Valkyrie (*****)
- What’s This Really All About? (*****)
- Bunker Bust (****)
- March 13 Attempt (****)
- Midnight Waltz (***)
- A Place to Change (***)
- Seconds Lost (***)
- Getting the Signature (**)
- The Officer’s Club: ”Fur eine Nacht voller Seligkeit” (by Katharine Mehrling) (***)
- The Way It Should Go (***)
- If I Were That Man / To the Berghof (***)
- I’m Sorry (****)
- Important Call (***)
- No More Indecision (***)
- Olbricht Gives the Order (***)
- Operation Terminated (***)
- Long Live Sacred Germany (***)
Percussion Galore
Listen to the first cue which is ‘They’ll Remember You’, but don’t take this as a sign of things to come. It is a wonderful cue which has some nice thematic elements in the beginning and a choir that sings of things to come or things to remember. The choir goes sadly missing however after this, but I am happy that they found a place for this. It sounds like something that goes well with the war, and especially Germans. ‘Operation Valkyrie’ is another great cue which feature some of the most chilling drums I have heard except for perhaps in the next cue, but I’ll get to that. It starts off, almost like the start of some heroic hymn for fallen heroes and it totally surprises around 1:13 where the drums of war literally bangs in your ears. I simply love that! The drums have the leading role in this cue which just keeps on banging throughout the cue. I wish there were more cues like this one, because too often the composers gets lazy and forget how powerful percussion can be, but not John Ottman.
In ‘What’s This Really About?‘ we hear a well put together thriller cue, especially in the beginning, but it’s not until 31 seconds we hear the highlight of yet another cue controlled by heavy percussion. It is simply magnificent when used in this manner. John Ottman doesn’t overuse it either, but puts it where it is necessary, and still it is the alpha male of the cue by a long shot. ‘Bunker Bust’ is a letdown after you have heard the three first cues, but don’t let that fool you. It’s a very good cue when standing on its own. A highly charged cue which is tense and tight all the way and keeps you clenching the cinema seat, kitchen sink or whatever your situation is. The cue ‘March 13 Attempt’ starts a little slow, but the drums are back, although not in such an impressive manner as before. It is still an exciting piece to listen to, even though it’s not very thematic. ‘Midnight Waltz’ is exactly what it says on the tin, or the CD cover, a midnight waltz. Not bad, but not great either.
Less Inventive
After the massive and impressive start, John Ottman goes a little out of steam and feels less inventive than usual. ‘A Place to Change’ is unfortunately one of the weaker cues on the Valkyrie soundtrack. It’s like a standard thriller piece with no energy or imagination. The cues ‘Seconds Lost’, ‘Getting the Signature‘ and ‘The way it should go’ are easily forgettable cues which are a letdown after the nice beginning. I have to mention ‘The Officer’s Club: “Für Eine Nacht Voller Seligkeit”‘ which is a german showtune performed by Katharine Mehrling. Not my cup of tea, but no one can deny its worthwhile presence in this movie.
I usually don’t like cues which are split in two, three or more like ‘If I were that man / To the Berghof’. Why can’t they just split these into separate pieces which would make it far more enjoyable? There is one more cue that is quite good on this score and it’s called ‘I’m Sorry’ which is an emotional and quiet piece. I like the slow strings and the melody itself, which is far from the brazing percussion in the beginning and just what this soundtrack needed. The last five cues are unfortunately not that strong and it’s a shame that it lands in the slow and boring thriller category.
Conclusion
Despite the large amount of above average cues, I feel quite satisfied, but not yet full. John Ottman has a great imagination, but in Valkyrie it is not put to good use. It has some cues which are in the top flight of 2008 which is definitely lifting the score from a mediocre flat effort to something that is ultimately satisfying and fulfilling. So I landed on a good score, not great which I had high hopes for before I started listening.
Listen to Valkyrie by John Ottman below:
Other articles of interest:
Loading ...If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Actually, I disagree on that point. Valkyrie is minimalist; nowadays, many people think “minimalism” refers only to quiet, restrained music (of which Valkyrie does indeed have quiet a bit of anyway). But in the world of musicians and composers, however, minimalism has a much broader meaning. Firstly, it generally implies a fairly small ensemble of performers (Valkyrie has this, though this is not true for all minimalist works); a reliance on consistent textures over easily identifiable themes (once again, present in Valkyrie); snippets of melodies and themes are presented and slowly constructed upon; avant garde instrumentation and ideas (once again, present) and an attempt to move the viewer/listener subconsciously without making its presence either too emotional and loud or too static.
The heavy drums you mention are used to evoke a sense of the military power and strength of the Third Reich (as well as serving as a musical device to keep the scenes flowing), and they are also the primary instrument of the score, first ominously tapping and reminding us of the ever looming presence of the forces the characters are up against before using their weight to build to the inevitable climax. The orchestra is ultimately in support for most of the film (and then, in small bits and pieces instead of large cues), until melody finally replaces the wall of percussion with the strings, choir and piano mournfully reminding us of the tragedy unfolding.
In this light, I feel the score is minimalist: it uses these textures to communicate with the viewer, choosing to imply an idea or thought rather than directly informing the viewer/listener as to what is going on. It seeks to establish a disturbing/threatening tone to unsettle the listener before briefly flashing into subdued heroism (string ostinati, simple brass chords and lots of the aforementioned drums) and finally revealing its true emotional core at the end. I found this to be respectful and fitting, and quiet striking as I left the theater.
I suppose it comes down to taste, then… 
Jorn Tillnes Reply:
March 30th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Definitely comes down to taste. I still can’t see how this is minimalistic, but that’s just my view. We all have our own definition of minimalistic it seems, which is definitely a good thing. Overall a good score, not great.
Soundtrack Seek
I may be alone in this, but Valkyrie was one of my favorite scores of ‘08. Part of it is because I’m a huge history buff, and so was excited (and quite satisfied) by the film, and also because I like scores that go under the radar (especially when they come from historical movies). I’m not sure why, but I really have developed a love for minimalist scores (I suspect it might have to do with my own approach to music as a performer and composer, since I’m an unabashed minimalist most of the time and have developed an appreciation for that ethic).
I’m surprised that you found the last five cues to be uninteresting. “Long Live Sacred Germany” stands with “They’ll Remember You” as the two best tracks in the release (IMO, of course).
Reply
Jorn Tillnes Reply:
March 17th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I think you are not the only one. The reviews were a mixed bag, but here’s a positive one:
http://www.musicfromthemovies.com/review.asp?ID=7565
I liked it too, but I wouldn’t put it on my favorite list.
Minimalistic scores are great! Love them! I wouldn’t call Valkyrie minimalistic though. My favorite parts are the heavy drums. That’s something I don’t hear too often and it was quite powerful to listen to.
Reply