| Zero Dark Thirty (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Film score by | ||||
| Released | December 25, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Genre | Film score | |||
| Length | 52:40 | |||
| Label | Madison Gate | |||
| Producer | Alexandre Desplat | |||
| Alexandre Desplat chronology | ||||
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Zero Dark Thirty (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2012 film Zero Dark Thirty. Featuring an original score composed by Alexandre Desplat, the soundtrack was released through Madison Gate Records on December 25, 2012.
French composer Alexandre Desplat scored music for Zero Dark Thirty, who compared the film's music to that of Akira Kurosawa-directed Japanese action film Ran (1985) where music served as a storytelling device in the film. [1] Likewise, the film's director Kathryn Bigelow instructed him that the music should be not felt like a contemporary score but as a storytelling device that follows the action. [2] Following an archaic and organic structure of the film's score, he opined that the film takes him back to Middle Ages. [3] Desplat refrained from writing music in the higher range and employed musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra—12 horns, 12 trombones, 3 tubas, 12 violas, 12 celli and 12 basses. [lower-alpha 1] Few soloists would play electric cello, violin and duduk. [4] [5] Their contributions provide a "very deep and dark type of sound without being in-your-face", according to Desplat. [2]
Tim Grierson of Screen International described it as "one of his [Desplat's] sparest and most effective recent scores, underlying the tension in key moments without overpowering the visuals". [6] David Edelstein of Vulture wrote "Alexandre Desplat’s chord progressions are mysterious, suffused with awe." [7] Christy Lemire of The Florida Times-Union wrote "Alexandre Desplat's score is suitably understated". [8] Don Groves of SBS wrote "the Middle East-influenced score by Alexandre Desplat is a subtle enhancement of the visceral imagery on screen." [9] Peter Debruge of Variety wrote that Desplat's "Middle East-inflected score" sets the mood bare minimum. [10] Stephanie Zacharek of MTV indicated that Desplat's score is a nod to John Barry's theme "Capsule In Space" from You Only Live Twice (1967), further describing it as "it's music that attaches a cost to experience. [11]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Flight to Compound" | 5:07 |
| 2. | "Drive to Embassy" | 1:44 |
| 3. | "Bombings" | 3:46 |
| 4. | "Ammar" | 4:06 |
| 5. | "Monkeys" | 2:59 |
| 6. | "Northern Territories" | 3:46 |
| 7. | "Seals Take Off" | 2:34 |
| 8. | "21 Days" | 2:04 |
| 9. | "Preparation for Attack" | 1:45 |
| 10. | "Balawi" | 3:15 |
| 11. | "Dead End" | 3:26 |
| 12. | "Maya on Plane" | 3:59 |
| 13. | "Area 51" | 1:42 |
| 14. | "Tracking Calls" | 3:46 |
| 15. | "Picket Lines" | 3:03 |
| 16. | "Towers" | 2:02 |
| 17. | "Chopper" | 1:48 |
| 18. | "Back to Base" | 2:41 |
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists [12] | January 7, 2013 | Best Film Music or Score | Alexandre Desplat | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association [13] | December 17, 2012 | Best Original Score | Alexandre Desplat | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards [14] | January 26, 2014 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Alexandre Desplat | Nominated |
| World Soundtrack Awards [15] [16] | October 19, 2013 | Soundtrack Composer of the Year | Alexandre Desplat | Nominated [lower-alpha 2] |
Alexandre Michel Gérard Desplat is a French film composer and conductor. He has received numerous accolades throughout his career spanning over four decades, including, two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three César Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Grammy Awards. Desplat was made an Officer of the Ordre national du Mérite and a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres both in 2016.
Girl with a Pearl Earring: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2003 film Girl with a Pearl Earring starring Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, Cillian Murphy and Judy Parfitt. It was composed by French film composer Alexandre Desplat.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 is a motion picture soundtrack to the 2010 film of the same name, composed and conducted by Alexandre Desplat. The soundtrack was nominated for the 2010 IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for a Fantasy Film and the 2010 Satellite Award for Best Original Score.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 is a motion picture soundtrack to the 2011 film of the same name composed and conducted by Alexandre Desplat. The soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy Award, Satellite Award, Houston Film Critics Society Award, Denver Film Critics Society Award, and an IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for a Fantasy Film. The soundtrack won the San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Score.
The Grand Budapest Hotel: Original Soundtrack is the soundtrack album composed by Alexandre Desplat for the 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel directed by Wes Anderson. The 32-track album was released on March 4, 2014, through ABKCO Records, produced by Anderson along with music supervisor Randall Poster. Unlike their previous ventures, the soundtrack to this film did not feature contemporary pop hits due to the classical roots of the film's music.
Black Widow (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the film score for the 2021 Marvel Studios film Black Widow. The score was composed by Lorne Balfe, with the soundtrack album being released by Hollywood Records on July 9, 2021.
Godzilla: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 2014 American monster film Godzilla, which is a reboot of Toho's Godzilla franchise and also being the 30th film in that franchise. It is also the first film in Legendary's MonsterVerse and the second Godzilla film to be completely produced by a Hollywood studio. The score was composed and conducted by Alexandre Desplat, being the first film composer to work on the MonsterVerse franchise. The film score was released digitally by WaterTower Music on May 13, 2014, and a separate vinyl album was launched on June 17.
Argo (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is a score album composed by Alexandre Desplat to the Academy Award-winning historical drama thriller film Argo. The film was directed by Ben Affleck, from a screenplay written by Chris Terrio, which was adapted from U.S. Central Intelligence Agency operative Antonio J. Mendez's eponymous novel released in 1999, his memoir The Master of Disguise, and the Wired article by Joshuah Bearman, "The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran" (2007); Affleck also starred in the lead role as Mendez. The score album was released on October 9, 2012 by WaterTower Music, three days ahead of the film's release.
Moonrise Kingdom (Original Score) is the accompanying score album for the identically named 2012 coming-of-age comedy-drama film released on June 19, 2012 through ABKCO Records. The score album featured six tracks, including five themes from the soundtrack composed by Alexandre Desplat and one theme by Mark Mothersbaugh, who scored for Anderson's early films. Irrespective of being released along with the soundtrack on May 2012, the score album was separately released, in order to be shortlisted for nominations at award ceremonies, including Academy Awards, which was rejected due to the inspiration of classical music from Benjamin Britten's compositions.
Moonrise Kingdom (Original Soundtrack) is the accompanying soundtrack album for the identically named 2012 coming-of-age comedy-drama film released on May 15, 2012 through ABKCO Records. The soundtrack album featured original compositions from Alexandre Desplat and supplemented existing music by Benjamin Britten, as well as classical songs from Hank Williams, Leonard Bernstein, Frank Schubert and Françoise Hardy. Both Anderson and Randall Poster compiled the film's soundtrack.
The Shape of Water (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the Academy Award-winning film of the same name. It featured 26 tracks — most of the tracks were from the original score composed by Alexandre Desplat and some tracks are incorporated songs, being originated from the 1940s and 1960s as the film is set during the Cold War period. The film, directed by Guillermo del Toro, who also co-wrote the script with Vanessa Taylor, stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer.
The King's Speech (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the Academy Award-winning film The King's Speech, released by Decca Records on 22 November 2010. Alexandre Desplat composed the film's original music. The score consisted of minimalistic sounds created with piano and strings, and a limited orchestra with oboe and harp being used. It was recorded using old microphones from the EMI archives, used by the royal family, in order to create a vintage and dated sound. The minimalistic use of the music is used to describe Colin Firth's character, the future King George VI.
Rise of the Guardians: Music From The Motion Picture is the score album to the 2012 of the same name, composed by Alexandre Desplat. The film marked Desplat's maiden score for a computer-animated film as well as his DreamWorks' film, not to be scored by either Hans Zimmer or his Remote Control Productions family of composers. The score was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and AIR Studios in London and features collaborations with London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices performing. In addition to Desplat's score, an original song "Still Dream" written by David Lindsay-Abaire and performed by soprano singer Renée Fleming, was featured in the film's end credits. Both Desplat's score and Fleming's original song was included in the film's score album, released by Varèse Sarabande on November 13, 2012 and received positive response praising Desplat's compositions.
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack album to the 2008 film of the same name, released by Concord Music Group on December 16, 2008. It was released in physical forms as a two-disc album, with one disc containing the film's original score composed by Alexandre Desplat, and the other consists few classical songs as well as dialogues featured in the film. The David Fincher-directed film, written by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord is loosely based on the 1922 short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and stars Brad Pitt as the titular character, alongside Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Mahershala Ali, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, and Tilda Swinton.
Philomena (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album composed by Alexandre Desplat to the 2013 film of the same name directed by Stephen Frears, released on 25 October 2013 through Decca Records. The score received positive response from critics, and led him a nomination for Academy Award for Best Original Score and Satellite Award for Best Original Score.
The Imitation Game (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2014 film of the same name. The film is scored by Alexandre Desplat who replaced the original composer Clint Mansell before the film's production commenced. The London Symphony Orchestra performed the original score that featured various instruments such as keyboards, clarinets, strings, arpeggio and bombe. The album was released on November 7, 2014 by Sony Music Entertainment. The album received critical acclaim and was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Score but lost to The Grand Budapest Hotel, also composed by Desplat.
Unbroken (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2014 film of the same name directed by Angelina Jolie. The album featured original score composed by Alexandre Desplat, with an original song "Miracles" by the British rock band Coldplay was featured in the album as well as the film's end credits. It was released as a single on December 15, 2014, the same day as the soundtrack, distributed by Parlophone and Atlantic Records.
The Ghost Writer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2010 film of the same name directed by Roman Polanski. Featuring musical score composed by Alexandre Desplat, it was released through Varèse Sarabande on 23 February 2010. The film marked the maiden collaboration between Polanski and Desplat, who would later collaborate on forthcoming films thereafter.
Suburbicon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2018 film Suburbicon directed by George Clooney and featured musical score composed by Alexandre Desplat. The film is Clooney's third collaboration with Desplat after The Ides of March (2011) and The Monuments Men (2014). ABKCO Records distributed the soundtrack and released day-and-date with the film on October 27, 2017.
The Monuments Men (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2014 film The Monuments Men directed by George Clooney. The film's musical score is composed by Alexandre Desplat and consists of a huge symphonic orchestral score, recorded within a short span of time. It was released through Sony Classical Records on February 4, 2014 to critical acclaim.