THE USUAL SUSPECTS

JOHN OTTMAN

Rating:

Original Review: Every composer has a break-out score, a composition which thrusts them for ever more into the limelight. For John Ottman, the break came with only his second movie as a composer: a mesmerising, complex, intelligent, hugely entertaining thriller called The Usual Suspects. In a way, The Usual Suspects was a three man collaboration: Bryan Singer, the director, gave the film its eyes, taking the viewer on an increasingly confusing journey into the criminal underworld. Christopher McQuarrie, the writer, gave the film its brain, endowing each character with a personality, a street-smartness and a verbal battery that could smooth-talk the cops into believing whatever they were told. John Ottman gave the film its soul. As he did on Singer's previous feature, Public Access, John Ottman undertook the unusual dual role of composer and editor. This new level of control allowed Ottman to make both film and music sit seamlessly together, a perfect amalgam of sound and vision, unhindered by an outside party's potentially careless brandishing of an editor's knife. Because of his early attachment to the film, Ottman was also able to develop an intimate understanding of what the movie needed in terms of music, and was able to time his cues perfection - sometimes cutting the film to suit his music, and vice versa. However, all this time and effort would be for naught if the composer in question could not deliver the goods by way of good music. Fortunately, Ottman has musical talent in abundance. Ottman's score is a neo-classical orchestral tour-de-force, a driving, lyrical, passionate score with rich, full-bodied themes and powerful action sequences. Opening with a bold performance of the waltz-like 'Main Theme' for pianos, strings and oboes, Ottman then juggles his music to in an attempt encompass various polar emotions, from ground-shaking action in 'Getting on Board' and near-unbearable intensity in 'Keyser Appears', to lighter, almost comedic woodwind performances in 'Verbal Kint' and nervous, shadowy uncertainty in 'Kobayashi's Domain'. Cues such as 'The Garage' and 'The Faces of His Family', with their chattering Goldenthal-style dissonance, are violently dramatic, and speak of imminent danger. 'The Killing of a Rat' rises to almost operatic proportions, 'The Greatest Trick' gives the listener a musical wink and a smile as the final twist in the tale is revealed, and the final recapitulation of the main theme in 'The Water' provides a perfect end to the score. Ottman's orchestrations, by Larry Groupé, are always interesting, and a number of times during the course of the score he incorporates some unusual touches into the proceedings, like the inventive percussion in 'Payback Time', 'The Arrests' and 'New York's Finest', the faintly Indian-sounding guitars in 'Redfoot', and the plaintive cello solos in 'I Work For Keyser Söze' and 'The Gift'. Those of you who have seen this fabulous film probably already know who Keyser Söze is but, if you were to ask me, I would probably paraphrase Kevin Spacey by replying "He's the man who controls things. Who makes things as they are. Who makes you think and feel what HE wants you to think and feel, and who will use any means at his disposal to achieve his aims". And my money would be on John Ottman.

Track Listing: Running Time: 53 minutes 35 seconds

Milan 74321-30107-2 (1995)

Music composed by John Ottman. Conducted and orchestrated by Larry Groupé. Featured musical soloist Damon Intrabartolo. Recorded and mixed by Darrell Harvey and Dan Abernathy. Edited by Lia Vollack. Mastered by Wally Traugott. Album produced by John Ottman.


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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.