Public Enemies


Decca Records (602527090108)
Movie | Released: 2009 | Film release: 2009 | Format: CD, Download
 

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# Track   Duration
1.Ten Million Slaves4:09
2.Chicago Shake3:10
3.Drive To Bohemia1:12
4.Love Me Or Leave Me3:22
5.Billie's Arrest2:21
6.Am I Blue?2:52
7.Love In The Dunes1:50
8.Bye Bye Blackbird3:48
9.Phone Call To Billie1:44
10.Nasty Letter5:06
11.Plane To Chicago3:24
12.Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah1:37
13.Gold Coast Restaurant2:04
14.The Man I Love3:08
15.JD Dies3:57
16.Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground3:19
 47:03
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Public Enemies - 05/10 - Review of Oscar Flores, submitted at
The summer blockbuster season categorically marks the period of time when Hollywood exhibits its most action-packed, exhilarating creations — those who are usually absent during the awards season — to audiences worldwide. Through the magic of editing and movie trailers, ‘Public Enemies’, a film from the acclaimed director Michael Mann, was introduced to the public as a cinematic spectacle dominated by machine guns and action sequences. Nonetheless, after watching the film, one realizes that this is no ordinary Hollywood blockbuster. The action scenes are very few, and when they do occur, they do not seem to fit the mold established by other Hollywood action/gangster films. No, instead, ‘Public Enemies’ focuses on the true events surrounding the notorious John Dillinger as a person. By all accounts, the film is exceptionally accurate in the historical sense, with only a few minor modifications. Admittedly, this cannot be considered a biopic since the director offers very little background information on Dillinger or more about his persona. Accompanying such a dry and slow film is Elliot Goldenthal’s musical score. This is a score that steers away from any interference with the dialogue of the film — the undeniable main component of Mann’s creation. More importantly, this is a score that appears to be the secondary musical tool. The songs from the soundtrack dominate the soundscape in a way that prevents Goldenthal from competing with them. As stated by Goldenthal in many interviews, he followed Mann’s orders and created a very subtle and slow score that would not create too many musical changes. In the end, Goldenthal delivers a very tiresome film score that at times appears as lifeless as the movie itself.

Goldenthal begins the score with a very simple string passage and little thematic content in ‘Drive to Bohemia.’ Although this track doesn’t necessarily establish what will follow in terms of musicality, the minimalistic approach will indeed be the norm for most of the cues. This allows for a clearer appreciation of the dialogue, but at the same time, creates a very repetitive and uninteresting musical arrangement.

In ‘Billie’s Arrest,’ Goldenthal introduces a four-note motif played firstly by the piano, slowly building up in intensity until the entire orchestra embraces the execution. Although not an extraordinary theme, this is the primary melody of the album, also present in other tracks like ‘Plane to Chicago.’ This is not a love theme but there are clear suggestions of the disconsolation felt by the characters. The theme apparently complements the director’s portrayal of Dillinger as an uneasy and ultimately doomed individual. In ‘Plane to Chicago,’ Goldenthal explores different variations of the main theme, utilizing harmonies that are very similar to those used by Elmer Bernstein in his score for the movie Hoodlum. However, the theme’s depressing undertone quickly fatigues the listener.

Other tracks like ‘Love in the Dunes,‘ ‘Phone Call to Bille’ and ‘Gold Coast Restaurant (to a lesser extent) are difficult to hear outside of the picture, mainly because these are very atmospheric pieces with little musical intricacy or movement. The tonalities used by Goldenthal continue to center around the main motif, but the lack of any other melodies creates a monotonous arrangement.

The CD presented by Decca records does not contain Goldenthal’s complete score; however, the music contained in the album represents the absolute majority of Goldenthal’s work for this picture. Understandably, the Billie Holiday and Otis Taylor songs are the primary component of the album, but Goldenthal’s music does very little to help this release. Elliot Goldenthal is certainly one of the most talented composers in Hollywood, but his score for ‘Public Enemies’ proves to be extremely disappointing. Obviously, he had to work under certain demands from the filmmakers, but the dull orchestrations are simply inexcusable. Ultimately, this score might be included in the list of nominees during the awards season, but it would be difficult to say or agree that this is a memorable or even notable score.






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