Hey everyone!
So I wanted to talk about the recently released ''The Batman'' Soundtrack. First of all, I LOVED the movie! I thoroughly enjoyed it but we can discuss that in a much deeper way later. In the meantime, I wanted to talk about the music which just really hit me and I've been listening to it quite often.
There are 3 tracks in particular that I wanted to talk about and how they connect to the movie/character.
Very specifically, those tracks are the theme for 3 of the main characters, namely: Batman, Catwoman and The Riddle.
I would advise to listen to the music before reading my extended thoughts down below!
Let's start with
''The Batman''
First thing I noticed is of course the main dark piano line which is very reminiscent of the ''imperial march'' from Star Wars. But then it lights up into an orchestral piece that is very beautiful and epic that has a strange sense of hope within it while still keeping the darkness that remains at the heart of the character.
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Second is
''Catwoman''
With this one I loved how it starts with a gentle Fancy Piano line that then transforms into a very ''Grand'' there I say orchestral line that reminds me a lot of ''The Godfather'' Theme. The piano line feels like something you would hear in a fancy club while the orchestral piece has a side of tragedy attached to it to my sense.
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Lastly is
''The Riddler''
Riddler is the bad guy of the movie of course and the way his character is portrayed is as a creepy serial killer that is very much unhinged. And so it appropriates for this track to start with a very creepy choir before suddenly jumping at you with it's much more epic orchestral piece which just has a sense of horror brought in particularly with the thrills produced by the string section.
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Extended Thoughts:
So with all said and done, the real thing that I wanted to talk about is how the each of those musical theme capture the spirit of the character they represent, which is of course a sign that music fulfills it's purpose in this context. Music is a form of storytelling of it's own. Yes it is facilitated by lyrics which then explicitly tell the story in a popular context but when going deeper with instrumentals, the choice of notes, the performances, the orchestration, the images attached to it all come together to tell a story of it's own.
The character of
Batman/Bruce Wayne is consumed by anger and sadness due to the trauma of his parents death. Now the way he deals with his trauma, which is dressing like a bat and beating up criminals, isn't what your average therapist would probably advise, it does come from a place of trying to make things better and to make sure no other kid goes through what he went through. And while at the beginning of the movie he might have been still conflicted about the way he should do things, by the end of it he does find the light within to become the symbol he needs to be: the hope Gotham need. And I do feel this in the theme which is why I think it's a really beautiful one that dwells in both the Darkness that is at the heart of the Dark Knight but also at the Light that comes out his intentions.
Now the movie has been out for a while but just in case I will issue a
SPOILERS warning.
Selina Kyle/Catwoman in this movie is a waitress in the icberg lounge which serves as a club in the upper floor but then becomes a fancy lounge swarmed with the wealthiest and most corrupt of Gotham, one of which is the boss of the Gotham Mob. It is later revealed in the movie that said mob boss is the father of Catwoman who abandoned her and killed her mom when she was a child. I feel like her theme really captures this very well with the ''lounge'' feel to the piano while the orchestration, which as I said reminded me of ''The Godfather'', makes the connection to the mob. Of course, the note and instrument choices is really what brings it home because her theme has a real sense of tragedy to it and a sort of ugly anger which is very much so appropritate for her character.
Lastly, there is
The Riddle/Ed Nygma. In the movie, he is a serial killer who operates in the shadows. He stalks his victims and he is very calculated in the way he prepares for the kill. But once he's ready to step out of the shadow to commit the act, he does so in such a brutal and horrific way. I think i've said enough about him. But this is quite literally what happens in the track itself. It all starts very gently yet still creepy but then you get a literal jump scare within the track and once the music goes into full motion, it goes strong and just brings the intensity of the horror to a whole new level which is again, a perfect parallel with his depiction on screen.
All and all, I do believe that Michael Giacchino nailed it through this score and really captured the essence of those characters so of course, I am very hopeful that he will return for the next adventures of The Dark Knight as a composer.
Of course, I loved the movie. And I am a big fan of Batman as a character. Music is always essential in order to bring these stories to life in this way and this one certainly didn't miss the mark which is why it became music that deeply touched me.
Let me know what you all think!
- Rad Synner
