THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK

NICK GLENNIE-SMITH

Rating:

Original Review: Close your eyes and listen to the action cues from The Man in the Iron Mask. Is it... Hans Zimmer? No, wait a minute, it's Mark Mancina! Hang on... Harry Gregson Williams! John Powell! Actually, this composition is by Nick Glennie-Smith, one of Zimmer's long time Media Ventures collaborators, and the first composer since Mancina to make a clean break from Zimmer's shadow and really make his own voice heard in soundtrackland. The Man in the Iron Mask is essentially a score of two parts. The high tempo, passionate, dramatic action cues like the opener, 'Surrounded', the epic 'King for a King' and the semi-tragic 'All For One' are the tracks which really remain in the memory and, although they are musically anachronistic (especially considering the period in which the film is set), nevertheless sound great, with Glennie-Smith leaning heavily on Zimmer-style synthesisers, electric guitars, heavy drums, prominent brasses and deep male voices. In the main, all these cues are based around a single, simple heroic melody, a little reminiscent of Crimson Tide, and this recognisable theme helps create a definite feeling of balance throughout the score. However, it is the other elements of the score which set Glennie-Smith's composition apart from other Media Ventures efforts. The fully orchestral tracks reveal a hitherto undiscovered side of his musical personality: there is a solid, steady, stirring theme first heard in 'Heart of a King'; a lovely, graceful, mournful lament featuring a prominent flute in 'The Moon Beckons'; a beautiful string-based love theme in 'A Taste of Something'; and an effective period piece heard in 'The Masked Ball' which is reminiscent of the music of Handel and which really conjures up images of elegant ladies and well-dressed gentlemen in sumptuous regal surroundings. Many of these themes and motifs reoccur in between the action and, again, this recapitulation maintains the continuity. Overall, The Man in the Iron Mask is most definitely a pleasant surprise. When I first heard that Glennie-Smith's would be scoring this movie I was less than overjoyed, especially considering the debacle of The Rock, his last major score. But Glennie-Smith has really proved his worth here, presenting a finished product which is both grand and stirring, beautiful and moving, and - most importantly - highly enjoyable.

Track Listing: Running Time: 50 minutes 34 seconds

Milan 74321-56492-5 (1998)

Music composed and conducted by Nick Glennie-Smith. Orchestrations by Bruce Fowler, Suzette Moriarty, Ladd McIntosh and Walt Fowler. Recorded and mixed by Malcolm Luker. Edited by Laura Perlman. Mastered by Chris Bellman. Album produced by Nick Glennie-Smith.


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These web pages were designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton copyright 1998. All opinions and views expressed on these pages are my own and are in no way intended to reflect those of my employer, the Trent Institute for Health Services Research, or those of the University of Sheffield.