THE SPANISH PRISONER

CARTER BURWELL

Rating:

Original Review: Playwright David Mamet's forays into feature films tend to be either huge successes (House of Games, Glengarry Glen Ross) or terrible flops (the recent The Winslow Boy) - there is very little middle ground for the consummate wordsmith, whose use of dialogue as his weapon of choice continues to both beguile and frustrate audiences and critics alike. For those who don't know, the story of The Spanish Prisoner is an age-old con trick dating back to the earliest days of colonialism, whereby a supposedly honest man would tell the tale of a poor, innocent prisoner back home in Spain who needed money to save him from the hangman, take the money imparted to him by those foolhardy enough to believe his story, and promptly disappear, never to be seen again. Mamet's version of the story takes it one step further and places an ordinary guy in the shoes of the foolhardy - with not just one con man to contend with, but veritable legions.

The Spanish Prisoner is undoubtedly one of David Mamet's best cinematic works to date. A confusing, yet wholly engrossing paranoia thriller, it starred Campbell Scott in the lead role as scientist Joe Ross who, while attending a business meeting on a Caribbean island about the new "process" he has invented for his company, encounters mysterious millionaire Jimmy Dell (Steve Martin). Over the course of a series of meetings on the island and back home in New York, Dell convinces Ross that the company are planning to steal the "process" and cheat him out of a great deal of money. Convinced that Dell speaks the truth, Ross sets about making sure the "process" doesn't fall into the wrong hands. However, when his business partner is found murdered, the fingers of suspicion begin to point at Joe, leaving him wondering just who he can trust.

I loved this movie. I love guessing games, where the whodunit is not revealed until the final frame, leaving the audience sitting aghast, trying to figure out how they had previously missed all the clues. Films like this one, and The Usual Suspects before it, are one of the cinema's greatest assets, which restore your faith in the intelligence of its screenwriters after being subjected to the brainless banalities most of the summer blockbusters contain. Campbell Scott was endearingly confused in the lead role, giving a masterful portrayal of a decent man who finds his world collapsing around his ears. Steve Martin gives one of the most compelling performances of his career as the ultra-slick jetset lothario Jimmy Dell, and there is superb support from Rebecca Pidgeon (Mamet's real life wife) as the plucky, adoring girl, Ben Gazzara as the greasy company boss, and Felicity Huffman as the FBI agent to whom there is more than meets the eye.

Carter Burwell's original score is unusual, to say the least, but highly effective in context. Using a comparatively small orchestral set-up, with solos for oboes, flutes, pianos and accordion, Burwell does not comment on the on-screen action in any way, instead providing what can only be described as "mood music" in the most literal sense of the word. Each of the 11 tracks are very similar, both in make-up and tempo, and the whole score has a smooth, laid back, jazzy sensibility, creating a false sense of calm for the film's protagonists. At times, The Spanish Prisoner recalls Burwell's superb score for Fargo, with simple, clean lines and the familiar heavy bass underpinning everything else, while at other times it seems to predate the glassy textures Marco Beltrami used in his recent score for The Minus Man, especially during 'Track 7'. On the other hand, 'Track 5' and 'Track 8' are darker and more devious than the others, using an increasingly urgent percussion section and shriller flutes, while 'Track 10' features a beautifully tragic piano solo.

Unfortunately, the music from The Spanish Prisoner was never released commercially, meaning that this private release is currently the only available version of Burwell's score. Although the sound quality is more than adequate, none of the cues are named, making identification and cross-referencing with the film somewhat difficult. But, we should be thankful for small mercies, and be grateful that this score is out there at all. It is by no means a score which will create legions of followers, and its continual low-key nature may prove a little tedious for those with a liking for more rousing music. However, for fans of the film and admirer's of Burwell's style, The Spanish Prisoner makes for a welcome addition to the collection.

Track Listing: Running Time: 21 minutes 59 seconds

Private Release (1998/1999)

Music composed and conducted by Carter Burwell. Orchestrations by Carter Burwell and Sonny Kompaneck. Recorded and mixed by Michael Farrow. Edited by Todd Kasow. Score produced by Carter Burwell.

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