Inception (Hans Zimmer)
(2010)
I think it’s fair to say that although I’m a huge fan of Christopher Nolan’s films, I haven’t been that keen on the music in them. And so, as you can probably imagine, I wasn’t really expecting a great deal when I sat down to listen to the score for his latest film, Inception, one of the most successful films of 2010. The film is scored by Hans Zimmer, collaborating with Nolan for the third time, having previous worked on Nolan’s Batman films.
As a result of the film’s success, Zimmer’s efforts were recognised with award nominations from most major awarding bodies, including the Oscars, Golden Globes, and BAFTA’s. Was the score worthy of that recognition? Possibly. But personally, I think some of the praise it has received is a little over the top.
The statement that this music is “different” from Zimmer’s other works is largely inaccurate. This score sees Zimmer sitting very firmly in his typical comfort zone, and it’s very obvious to anybody who has heard his previous scores for the director that this score is built firmly on their foundations. The compositions are very simple ones, but here the familiar elements of those previous scores are pulled off in a more energetic and complex way. That’s what puts this score a good distance ahead of them.
Is it a great score though, as some have claimed? I don’t think so. It’s a good and very effective score to be sure, but it is not as enjoyable or effective on album as it is in the film. As I was listening to the score, I had a hard time coming up with one word to describe it. The fifty minutes of music that the album is boring in places, irritating in others, and occasionally enjoyable.
Although an orchestra was apparently used, the majority of the score is very largely electronic. The first two cues are rather dull and ambient, and it’s not until the third cue, ‘Dream Is Collapsing’, until some enjoyable music is first heard. This cue also introduces the score’s main theme, which is then later developed further in the cue, ‘Dream Within A Dream’, later on. This is possibly the best cue that the album has to offer, although if you’re an enthusiast of Zimmer’s action writing, it doesn’t get any better than the cue ‘Mombasa’ – the percussion elements are terrific. The cues ’528491′ and ‘Time’ have also been subjected to some bad editing, resulting in abrupt endings. Despite the material on this album that is inarguably good, the majority of the music is rather dull and mundane. Whilst I am usually a huge fan of Zimmer’s work, the fact that the composer continues to come up with fresh ideas so infrequently is really starting to get to me. Recommended, with reservations.
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Track Listing
1 – Half Remembered Dream
2 – We Built Our Own World
3 – Dream Is Collapsing
4 – Radical Notion
5 – Old Souls
6 – 528491
7 – Mombasa
8 – One Simple Idea
9 – Dream Within A Dream
10 – Waiting For A Train
11 – Paradox
12 – Time
Credits
Composed by Hans Zimmer
Orchestrations by Bruce Fowler, Elizabeth Finch, Walter Fowler, Rick Giovinazzo, Kevin Kaska , Suzette Moriarty, Ed Neumeister & Carl Rydlund
Conducted by Matt Dunkley
Produced by Hans Zimmer, Christopher Nolan, & Alex Gibson
Awards
Academy Award for Best Original Score (nominated)
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score (nominated)
BAFTA Award for Best Music (nominated)
Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album (nominated)
Insert Notes
None – Purchased as MP3 Download
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