The new biblical epic, Noah, released earlier this year and caused quite a stir of controversy. The film was directed by the eccentric, Darren Aronofsky, and the story seems to follow his particular style. It's quite....unique. Not at all an accurate representation of the Noah we know of in the Bible and is most definitely different in it's style and storytelling. The score had to likewise, follow suite.
I had high hopes for the score upon hearing about the film and was somewhat interested when I heard the composer for the film: Clint Mansell. Apparently, Mansell and Aronofsky had worked together on a previous film, The Fountain, the score of which I hadn't heard. I honestly didn't know what to expect from him.
If you have read my previous biblical epic score reviews then you know what I think constitutes a great biblical epic score. Big, epic, and with memorable themes, full orchestra, and full choir, etc. Needless to say, the score for Noah, did fall under that category by description, but stylistically......?
Mansell has a unique style. It makes sense since the movie itself was eccentric. The music had to flow with the story, and it seems to have worked rather well. However, for that standalone listen I found some of the music to be grating and hard to listen to. Don't get me wrong, some of the cues are pretty decent in which some reviewers are calling the new style of epic known as 'slow epic' (Click here to read that review).
This score could be easily described as sounding, "raw and gritty with a mix of classical (Like I said, unique). Some of the cues utilize bombastic percussion and wailing synth (The Wickedness of Man for example), while other cues have beautiful violin melody's (The Fallen One's for example).
The closing cue of the album, Mercy Is, is a haunting performance by singer, Patti Smith and makes for a perfect ending to the album.
Overall, the score is ethereal, haunting, somewhat epic, and definitely unique. It's a lengthy experience since the score is 78 minutes approximately but stands out from it's biblical epic predecessors as something different and worth listening to.
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in
the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only
evil continually.
And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth,
and it grieved him at his heart.
And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created
from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and
the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."
-Genesis 5:5-8
Best Cues:
- Not able to decide on one single cue. Each cue is awesome but the experience is best heard with the cues all together.
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