A CIVIL ACTION

DANNY ELFMAN

Rating:

Original Review: I surprised even myself by actually quite liking A Civil Action. The reason I say this is because, for quite a few years, Danny Elfman has been moving away from the style that made him famous (scores such as Batman and Beetlejuice) and embracing somewhat less conventional, even quirky methods of scoring that have alienated many of his older fans. In the past, I have been quite vocal about my dismay at Elfman's change of tack but, while A Civil Action does not quite recapture the elements of old, it actually still a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting score.

The film is based upon the true story of Jan Schlichtmann, an unscrupulous hotshot attorney who, against the wishes of his friends and business associates, takes a case on behalf of the residents of a small upstate New York town. They believe that the vastly increasing incidence of leukaemia in their small rural community is directly linked to the work of a nearby tannery, who have been seen dumping industrial by-products into the river that serves as the town's water supply. As the years go by and the costs mount up, Schlichtmann is soon forced to make a choice - save his practice and the jobs of his associates, or make sure that justice is done. The cast included heavyweight actors such as John Travolta, Robert Duvall, William H. Macy and Tony Shalhoub, and was directed by Steven Zaillian (who wrote Schindler's List). It was a marvellous, engrossing, but quiet and sedate movie that gained plaudits for all involved - including Danny Elfman.

One of the unusual things about A Civil Action is that there isn't any music in it for the first twenty minutes or so, and when it does appear it is completely unobtrusive, having the subliminal influence that many composers often associate with good film music. Elfman's two main themes, 'Walkin' and 'Civil Theme' are both good - the former again delving into minimalism and gamelan music with softly throbbing synth pads and unusual metal percussion, the latter a funky five way-competition between a synthesised electronic rhythm track, electric guitars, rattling woodwinds, a gently cooing boy's choir and ostinato strings.

The underscore, which functions exactly as that, is small-scale and fragile, relying on finely-tuned high-range pianos, harps, and tinkly xylophones and chimes in conjunction with the smaller-than-usual orchestral and electronic accompaniment. What is most interesting about it, other than the instrumentation, is the almost Philip Glass-like way that Elfman arranges his music, with repeated textures and tiny melodic motifs playing against each other. Several cues make for absolutely fascinating listening, with 'Something To Prove', 'Bills Bills Bills', 'Objections', 'Harvard Club' and 'Night Work' being of special note.

Where A Civil Action excels, though, is in its use of voices. In several cues, especially 'Why?', 'The Letter' and the conclusive 'End Credit Suite', the choir rises to the fore and becomes the melodic driving force of the score. In those moments, however fleetingly, the choral glory of Edward Scissorhands is regained, and are, in my opinion, Elfman's best three cues for nearly four years (despite sounding like as though they are being played by an ice hockey organist at times!)

Despite my admiration of A Civil Action as a standalone score, I still have a few reservations about Danny Elfman's stylistic 180. While it is always important to explore new avenues of film scoring, and while I applaud Elfman's efforts at trying to bring new, fresh sounds to the movies his music adorns, and while I have in the past critically dismissed scores for being "unoriginal", I still wish Danny would compose just one more gothic march. But, whatever the future may hold for the dark one, A Civil Action remains the best and most approachable score from the "New Danny" canon.

Track Listing: Running Time: 47 minutes 06 seconds

Hollywood Records/Edel 0100872HWR (1998)

Music composed by Danny Elfman. Conducted by Artie Kane and Daniel Carlin Jr.. Choir conducted by Steve Bartek. Orchestrations by Steve Bartek and Edgardo Simone. Recorded and mixed by Shawn Murphy and Robert Fernandez. Edited by Ellen Segal. Mastered by Pat Sullivan. Album produced by Danny Elfman and Ellen Segal.


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