The Thing (2011) review

The Thing (2011)

Composer: Marco Beltrami

Number of tracks: 21

Total time: 55:06

Overview:

The short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. has spawned no less than three different film adaptations over the past 60 years. The first adaptation was the 1951 classic The Thing From Another World, produced by Howard Hawks (and possibly also directed by Hawks), a creepy and highly atmospheric film. In 1982 rising horror movie director John Carpenter (The Fog, Halloween) made a much more faithful, if extremely gory, adaptation which became a "cult classic" of the 80's.

Now, Dutch director Matthijs van Heijningen, Jr. has made a prequel to Carpenter's film aptly titled The Thing. No confusion over the 1982 film and it's 2011 prequel, right? The film has garnered mixed reviews with critics deriding its gory nature with the various Thing transformations and fans loving the return to the style of Carpenter's original. One thing that is definitely a plus about the film is its score, composed by Marco Beltrami.

Master composer Ennio Morricone composed the music for the 1982 adaptation, but did not return for the prequel, so Beltrami was hired instead. Beltrami treats his score as a new creation, but does throw some slight nods to Morricone's work, delivering a very creepy and effective score.

Review of music:

The album opens with wind sound effects and the central "Thing motif" played on strings. A sudden orchestral crash segues into the Main theme (or Human theme) before a brief snippet of Moricone's main percussive idea from the 1982 score closes the track. "Road to Antarctica" opens with an air of mystery with chimes, woodwinds and strings before erupting into a full fledged rendition of the Main theme at 1:00. Psycho-esque choppy strings close the track.

There are really only two central themes in the score: a "human theme" or Main theme and a theme for the Thing. The Main theme is a very melancholy piece for strings and woodwinds, though it can be performed in a much more aggressive manner when needed. The "Thing motif" is a rather interesting piece for sliding strings, woodwinds and brass that mimics a breathing rhythm, often accompanied by guttural brass (the orchestra builds up, then releases at a high note). There are other minor motifs that appear in various tracks, but for the most part the Main theme and Thing motif are the central elements to the score.

Beltrami shows an excellent hand at combining creepy atmospherics and all-out horror/action cacophony throughout the score. The best combination of these two styles is presented in "Female Persuasion" which opens with orchestral chaos capped by the Thing motif before quieting down in the second half with the Main theme on woodwinds. The balance kept between the tonal and atonal is also impressive, though for the most part the score leans towards the atonal.

In many ways, The Thing reminds one of Beltrami's earlier score to Mimic (1997) as well as Jerry Goldsmith's Alien (1979) and some of Elliot Goldenthal's horror stylings. All the previously mentioned scores have a strong presence and memorability as well as containing full blooded action material and heartbreaking string work. "Meet and Greet", "Meating of the Minds", "Can't Stand the Heat" and "Sander's Bucks" are all excellent horror/action cues that show off the orchestra's range very well. "Autopsy", "Cellular Activity" and "Survivors" are classic atmospheric cues that help to balance the onslaught of action material in the album's later half.

The final two tracks are definitely some of the best melancholy horror music heard this year, outside of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. "The End" and "How Did You Know?" perfectly capture the bleak ending of the film with a final rendition of the Main theme in its most yearning performance of the score. The final moments of "How Did You Know?" return to the opening wind effects... driving home the bleak resolution.

Closing thoughts:

While it would have been great to hear another Morricone score for this new film, Marco Beltrami does a fantastic job of making this a cousin score to Morricone's work while also making it his own. The score is creepy, dark and in many ways bleak with its melancholy Main theme, but that's exactly the type of score a film like The Thing deserves. Beltrami's idea for the "Thing motif" is also interesting and effective, even if it's not all that new of an approach.

The Thing can rightly take its place as one of the surprise hits of the 2011 film-score season along with Beltrami's Soul Surfer and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. After more than a decade of hit-or-miss scores, Beltrami seems to finally be hitting his stride. Here's hoping he will continue delivering these great scores for years to come. Recommended.

Score:

4 out of 5