Harry Potter has come a long way from the neglected 11 year old boy who learned he was a wizard under the most interesting of circumstances. In the past decade or so, he has fought massive snakes, taken on Voldemort several times, watched his friends die at the hands of Death Eaters, and traveled several hours backwards in time.
The movie adaptations were never quite as good as the books in my opinion, though they certainly weren't bad either. The latest movie, The Deathly Hallows, has been split into two parts due to its massive length. Part 1 was a surprisingly adept "road" movie about Harry's hunt for (spoilers) horcruxes. In fact, it was my favorite Harry Potter movie yet, due to its dark, fast tale and its fantastic buildup. Though it pulled a Halo 2 at the end by concluding it in the most frustrating manner possible, it was a great film.
All the previous films all had excellent scores, with the original done by John Williams. His work is now iconic, and rightly so - its dark theme is mysterious and entrancing. However, the recent movies have had a "rotating composer" routine, constantly switching composers for each film. It's a little frustrating to constantly have to hear new themes every time, but it's never been a problem (the composers know what they're doing).
The latest score was by Alexandre Desplat, Academy Award favorite and baroque music aficionado. His work for the Twilight saga's second installment was fantastic - would he be able to carry on his originality and memorability here?
The answer is a yes.
The Obliviation: *****
Snape to Malfoy Manor: ****
Polyjuice Potion: ****
Sky Battle: *****/****
At the Burrow: *****
Harry and Ginny: *****
The Will: ****
Death Eaters: *****
Dobby: *****/****
Ministry of Magic: *****/****
Detonators: ****
The Locket: ****
Fireplaces Escape: *****/****
Ron Leaves: *****
The Exodus: ****
Godric Hollow's Graveyard: *****
Bathilda Bagshot: ****/***
Hermione's Parents: *****/****
Destroying the Locket: *****
Ron's Speech: *****
Lovegood: ****
The Deathly Hallows: ****
Captured and Tortured: ***
Rescuing Hermione: ****
Farewell to Dobby: *****
The Elder Wand: ****
I've decided against simply running through all the tracks here, as that would be both boring and difficult for me to do. Instead, I'll give a quick rundown of the primary themes.
The Obliviation introduces a great theme. Though it doesn't really do anything for the first minute, the last two minutes present a depressing string/woodwind theme that symbolizes the depression and pain the main characters will need to go through.
It's seen several times through, with a brief reprise in Farewell to Dobby.
It's a surprisingly heartfelt and emotional effort on Desplat's part - the theme really is quite impressive where it is and it fits well. Farewell to Dobby is an amazingly emotional and beautiful piece that somehow gives an annoying character a great send-off. It's difficult not to cry when listening to the piece; it's just so brilliantly emotional. Though it's opening - a sustained woodwind note - may be briefly obnoxious, you later realize how well it works.
The next theme heard is for the Death Eaters. It's first heard in Snape to Malfoy Manor, a fittingly dark theme. Though nothing much really happens for the theme, it's not all that bad due to its mysterious, frightening nature. It's reprised in - you guessed it - Death Eaters, among other cues. Its best presentation is in Death Eaters.
Another theme is sort of the "adventure" theme. It's first heard in Sky Battle, a surprisingly bombastic theme filled with horns and power, creating a frantic atmosphere as the characters try to avoid getting killed by Death Eaters. It's awe inspiring at times and is definitely one of Desplat's most exciting efforts to hear. The clashes of symbols, the fast, speedy strings, the brass theme, the timpani banging distantly in the background - it all suits the moment incredibly well. It's not much to listen to repeatedly, but if you've seen the movie, you'll like the piece. However, if you haven't seen the scene (haha - seen the scene), the music will likely be too atmospheric. It's later reprised in Fireplaces Escape. This track is also fast and atmospheric. It uses the strings to a great extent here, with the choir providing excellent backup. In the moment it's fantastic, but as a listening experience, it is again a little difficult to enjoy.
One of the best recurring themes is the sort of "heroes" theme. It's first heard in the opening of Polyjuice Potion. The great, noble and positive theme gets a great treatment in the first minute or so of the track, before becoming more atmospheric fluff. Afterwards, it's heard in At the Burrow (one of the best tracks). A reprise can be heard in Harry and Ginny in a particularly depressing form. It's not bad, but it is a bit short. Later, it's heard again in Ron Leaves and in a more positive form for Ron's Speech.
One of the most interesting themes is found in Ministry of Magic. It's a great, hilariously mischievous piece that is definitely one of the highlights. It's not something you'll come back to all the time, but it's clever and enjoyable. The theme is later extended in Detonators.
The final recurring theme is that of the Locket. It is first heard in Dobby, at around 2:20. It then gets a full performance at the start and end of The Locket.
All in all, it's actually a very effective and impressive score. Desplat creates an emotionally charged score filled with great themes and fantastic atmosphere. It's actually even greater than it would be considering that it's written by Desplat, because he is normally very hesitant with stepping out of his comfort zone. Generally, his music retains a very "old" feel. The King's Speech is a perfect example of this. His music doesn't always go anywhere, and it hurts his overall appeal to me. However, his latest work in New Moon showed that he had ideas, and much of his originality has gone into this score. The Deathly Hallow's score is a huge departure from his usual methods, and it's a bold move on his part.
The Good:
- Desplat steps out of his comfort zone
- Excellently written score featuring fascinating harmony of instruments
- Great themes
- At the Burrow
- Ministry of Magic
The Bad:
- Action themes are hard to swallow
- Some themes are less than enjoyable (The Locket)
- Virtually no connections to previous Harry Potter scores
What's most disappointing about this score is that there's virtually no tie in to the original scores. Had Desplat included even a single track devoted to Williams' work, it would've been great. He had the potential to drive tears of nostalgia from everyone with Williams' original theme, but he holds back and includes a mere 20 second snippet of the original theme in the last 20 seconds of Polyjuice Potion. It's kind of sad to not hear any of the original tracks.
Nonetheless, the lack of any allusion to previous scores is forgivable; the score is a whole is great and powerful, though not without flaw. Its great themes are enjoyable, and though there may be unenjoyable moments (Bathilda Bagshot, Captured and Tortured), they are eclipsed by the best moments. A momentous effort by Desplat.
Overall: 9/10
As compared to previous Harry Potter scores: 8/10