Review
Nominated for Best Original Score at the 2005 Oscars, John Debney had the daunting task of creating the musical soul for a film that would be beloved by millions of people around the globe. Composer John Debney speaks to composing this score in this worthwhile interview clip; he notes that he wrote the music to give the brutality of the film an emotional score, I’d say he succeeded. The score spans the depths of Hell and the heights of redemption. It’s one of the best choir experiences you’ll hear in a score – many of the tracks contain some form of choral music. The choir uses oscillating vocals to encase the confrontation of Mary and Satan across the whipped Christ in “Flagellation / Dark Choir / Disciples,” but redeems itself with the powerful chants in “Raising the Cross” and spans the death of Christ into the sickening strings of Satan’s netherworld in “Jesus Is Carried Down,” mourns with Mary’s theme as she holds her dead son, then announces his return with female vocals rising into a full epic chorus in “Resurrection.” Mary’s theme is particularly moving, a motif that Debney calls “the key” for the score in the above interview, a solo female vocalist (Debney’s friend Lisbeth Scott, whom you’ve heard in Narnia) singing in Aramaic (I couldn’t find the lyrics anywhere, send me an email if you know where I can find them!). My favorite track on the album, and indeed, one of the best tracks in all cinema in my opinion, contains this theme: “Mary Goes to Jesus.” Just heart-wrenching tenderness and sorrow in the exchange between Mother and Son when he stumbles, the track rising epically with the Christ as he determines to carry on his purpose and suffering. There are wonderful ethnic sounds, motifs, and instruments that really helped a film that used the native languages embody that world. Worth a complete listen for the unique sounds and stunning emotional journey. If you want more, Debney turned the score into a live symphony.
Review by the_strong_writer.