# The Miracle of DUNKIRK



## Dave Connor (Sep 5, 2017)

Finally saw Dunkirk at an Imax theatre luckily. There's a film-scoring miracle early on in the film that I haven't seen mentioned yet. Perhaps that's because it's so masterfully done but anyone working in film certainly should notice it. The cue that begins with two guys starting to run with a stretcher and then gives way to a series of long and lengthy shots of numerous soldiers standing in line doing absolutely nothing. That's about as challenging a situation as it gets for a composer to energize and invigorate. It's because the juxtaposition of a static visual with it's musical opposite usually comes off as comical (think the William Tell Overture over a long line to the men's room at a football stadium.) In this case the soldiers are in military order so the viewer's imagination doesn't even fill in discussions going on with everyone facing in the same direction. Instead of the film grinding to a halt and basically tanking right there, HZ has the audience's pulse going up in anticipation in seeing everything as an extension of the action that began the cue. The music at that point is doing what everyone in film says music can never do: saving the film. I couldn't believe my eyes and ears and imagined the director thanking the composer up and down for helping his film out so totally. The music was doing just under 100% of the story telling there.

After reading the descriptive comments here about the score I was anticipating a blurring between the score and sound design so as both to be indistinguishable. A headache-inducing machine-like score that was adding noise to the noise of war. Instead I found it a highly musical score that while avoiding traditional melodic/harmonic treatment had a definite sonic palette of carefully considered sounds that functioned psychologically the way music does. It was extremely effective and perhaps more so since you were immersed in an unfamiliar world and therefore unfamiliar sounds. Anything but cliche' and the work of a musician's sensitivity not a sound fx guy.

Another miracle, was the multi layered textures that had more in common with Bach than Omnisphere. In one, there were at least four parts going; each it's own motive and sound though no actual notes or harmony. On the bottom-right a very hip, grooving lick; then going up (and placed left or right) several other individual motives each in their own frequency space (brilliantly mixed by Alan Meyerson.) This was heaven! It was killing to picture but musically you were easily following multiple motives all meshing together and creating a very dramatic texture. The gestalt was exactly as listening to a Bach fugue. Done with sound, not notes. I don't know how this type of writing get's categorized as _typical_ or _synth_ or _sound design _or any of the descriptions that ignore the abundant musical properties in the score. Did I love and agree with every last experimental stroke? No, but this score get's a huge thumbs up. Once again Hans Zimmer ventures into new territory with great success and shows that not only is he not repeating himself but (as with most major artists historically) is showing a refinement and even delicacy with very carefully crafted structures, sounds and insight to picture that could only come from someone with that kind of experience. I wanted to see the picture again immediately.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 5, 2017)

Okay, now I have to see it.

We passed on a screening out of laziness.


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## CT (Sep 5, 2017)

Dave Connor said:


> I don't know how this type of writing get's categorized as _typical_ or _synth_ or _sound design _or any of the descriptions that ignore the abundant musical properties in the score.



Great post, every word. Especially the part I quoted.


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