Soundtrack Review: Agora (2009)

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Movie Soundtrack Review: This is a review of the motion picture score Agora by Dario Marianelli.

“It’s just what I expected and the stronger material here far outweighs the mediocre stuff.”

Remember Dario Marianelli? Sure you do! He won that Oscar for best score last year with Atonement. He is not the most prolific of composers as he hasn’t been seen much since. He did write the score to The Soloist (but how much did he really write?). A movie almost no one has heard of (certainly not me) is Agora. Not surprisingly since it has only been released in France, Canada, Spain, Israel and Lebanon. It’s directed by none other than Alejandro Amenábar (The Others) and stars Rachel Weisz. It’s a historical drama set in Roman Egypt, concerning a slave who turns to the rising tide of Christianity in the hopes of pursuing freedom while also falling in love with his master, the famous female philosophy professor and atheist Hypatia of Alexandria. Sound good? Let’s see what Dario Marianelli has to offer.

Track List

01. Have You Ever Asked Yourselves (****)
02. Alexandria (****)
03. The Miracle Of The Bread (*****)
04. Thinking Aloud (****)
05. Orestes’ Offering (***)
06. An Insult To The Gods (*****)
07. What Do The Skies See? (*****)
08. Aristarchus The Visionary (*****)
09. The Library Falls (****)
10. Two Hundred Thousand Books (*****)
11. The Rule Of The Parabolani (*****)
12. A Boat Experiment (****)
13. If I Could Just Unravel This (*****)
14. As Christian As You Are (*****)
15. Ungodliness And Witchcraft (****)
16. The Truth Is Elliptical (****)
17. Hypatia’s Last Walk (****)
18. The Skies Do Not Fall (*****)

So Much Drama

Historical/literary dramas usually have good scores because of the context. There’s simply so much history and drama! A lot of great music has been made from such rich pre-existing sources and for a composer like Dario Marianelli this is as much a great opportunity as it is a challenge. He ’s already written around one of Literature’s most historically beloved authors Jane Austen for Pride & Prejudice producing a fantastic score. Greek mythology should be an interesting challenge for Dario and that is one area which I would expect him to excel. From what I’ve read on the internet, this score has been described as beautiful, ethereal and other superlatives.

First of all, I’m happy with the use of ethnic style. It had to be, right? With a historical drama, especially Greek mythology, you would expect some ethnic instruments and perhaps a few wailing voices. It is all delivered here in a crisp package by Dario Marianelli. Already from the first cue ‘Have You Ever Asked Yourselves’ (that starts with a female singing voice), you get the feeling that this could indeed be another masterpiece from Marianelli. You would be 90% right in that case, and some would say 100%. He really does historical dramas well, Dario Marianelli. It seems to be his forte, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Agora scooping up a few awards (unless Alexandre Desplat has something to say about that).

Not Perfect

It is not a perfect score, because it lacks depth to be honest. It has very little thematic work, but it flows extremely well from one cue to the next. The line in the sand is set, and slightly broken with the cue ‘Oreste’s Offering’ which is perfectly suitable, just ruins the tone a little with the screeching instruments. Then he goes all Alexander on us with a really powerful cue ‘An Insult to the Gods’. There’s enough here for everyone really, and it definitely could be better, but overall I have to say this is one of the strongest scores this year.

Conclusion

You get historical drama, Greek style, and that means both ethereal and strong blood n’ thunder action cues Marianelli style. There’s nothing else to say about this score, except that it’s just what I expected and the stronger material here far outweighs the mediocre stuff. Sure there are a couple of deal breakers, but this should come as no surprise. No one can deliver a perfect score, and Dario Marianelli is no different. The second part of this score is pure magic, pure fun. It is one of those scores that makes you happy you are a soundtrack geek and I surely wish that Dario Marianelli would compose more often.

What do you think about Agora? Let us know in the comments section below.

Listen to Agora by Dario Marianelli below:

Find more videos like this on Soundtrack Fans

Other articles of interest:

• Soundtrack Review: Amelia (2009)
• Soundtrack Review: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)
• Soundtrack Review: Sherlock Holmes (2009)
• Soundtrack Review: The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
• Soundtrack Review: A Christmas Carol (2009)

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