Batman Begins (soundtrack)

Last updated
Batman Begins: Music from the Motion Picture
Batmanbeginssoundtrack.jpg
Film score by
Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
ReleasedJune 14, 2005
RecordedDecember 26, 2004 - March 1, 2005
Length60:26
Label Warner Sunset
Batman soundtrack chronology
Batman & Robin
(1997)		Batman Begins: Music from the Motion Picture
(2005)		 The Dark Knight
(2008)

Batman Begins: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack album to Christopher Nolan's 2005 film Batman Begins . It was released on June 15, 2005. The soundtrack drew from the film score, composed by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, as well as contributions by Ramin Djawadi, Lorne Balfe and Mel Wesson.

Contents

The main motif of the film (and later of the whole trilogy) consists of just two notes, played by horns and accompanied by strings, representing Batman's pain and guilt. [1]

Batman's main action theme of the film (and later of the whole trilogy) is heard in the track "Molossus". [2]

The score won an award at the ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards [3] and it was nominated in the category "Best Score" at the Saturn Awards. [4]

Composition

Director Christopher Nolan originally invited Zimmer to compose the film score, and Zimmer asked the director if he could invite Howard to compose as well, as they had always planned a composers collaboration. [5] The two composers collaborated on separate themes for the "split personality" of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman. Zimmer and Howard began composing in Los Angeles and moved to London where they stayed for 12 weeks to complete most of their writing. [6] Zimmer and Howard sought inspiration for shaping the score by making set visits to Batman Begins. [7]

Zimmer wanted to avoid composing a film score that had been done before, so the score became an amalgamation of orchestra and electronic music. The film's ninety-piece orchestra [5] was developed from members of various London orchestras, and Zimmer chose to use more than the normal number of cellos. Zimmer enlisted a choir boy to help reflect the music in the film's scene where Bruce Wayne's parents are killed. Zimmer said: "He's singing a fairly pretty tune and then he gets stuck, it's like froze, arrested development". Zimmer also attempted to add human dimension to Batman, whose behavior would typically be seen as "psychotic", through the music. Both composers collaborated to create 2 hours and 20 minutes' worth of music for the film. [7] Zimmer composed the action sequences, while Howard focused on the film's drama. [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Filmtracks Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
Movie Music UK Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
SoundtrackNet Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg

Reviews of the score were positive. Soundtrack.net, for example, in a review by Matt Scheller, said that "the music complements the visuals flawlessly". He called the main action track, Molossus, the best of the soundtrack. He does admit that the album is heavy on Hans Zimmer's style rather than James Newton Howard's ("I would say 70% Zimmer, 30% Howard"), and that "Hans Zimmer/Media Ventures haters should probably skip this album. His score in the end is four stars out of five". [9]

Movie Music UK was equally positive—Jonathan Broxton claimed that "I personally found that there was a great deal of music in Batman Begins that is hugely enjoyable", specifically complimenting "Howard's exceptionally beautiful string elegy [...] during the opening moments of Eptesicus", a motif that recurs in "the achingly emotional Macrotus and Coryhorinus". He did admit that a lack of strong superhero themes and a complete lack of similarities to Danny Elfman's Batman scores, now considered classics, did make the score "unremittingly downbeat". He also rated the album four out of five. [10]

Christian Clemmensen, sole reviewer of Filmtracks.com, was less ready to praise the score, saying that Zimmer and Howard's decision not to use Elfman's material was an attitude that "stinks of laziness". He also considers the theme used to represent Batman, a rising, two-note minor third, inadequate to represent the complex character of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego. Most of these complaints he lies on the shoulders of Zimmer, saying that "you could argue that Zimmer traded in his hoard of lesser-known ghostwriters for one top-notch ghostwriter [Howard]". His final rating is two stars out of five. [11]

Easter eggs

Use in other works

The soundtrack is also often sampled for other superhero-related productions. "Vespertilio" and "Eptesicus" were used in the screener pilot for Heroes . It has also been sampled in the song "Nacht" by German rapper Kollegah. "Myotis" has been featured in trailers for King Kong , Fantastic Four and Far Cry . "Molossus" was sampled for the Aquaman pilot, and was also used in the trailer for V for Vendetta and The Dark Knight as well as a few episodes of Top Gear. The beginning of "Vespertilio" and part of "Myotis" was also used for the previously mentioned V for Vendetta trailer.

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Vespertilio" (the opening logos, the flashback of the bats, the two-note motif played for the first time in the soundtrack and the journey to Ra's al Ghul's monastery [13] )2:52
2."Eptesicus" (the flashback of Bruce remembering his parents and the training sequence [13] )4:20
3."Myotis" (plays during the destruction of the monastery and when Bruce knows what he must do when he returns to Gotham [13] )5:46
4."Barbastella" (the death of the Waynes, and when Bruce sees the Bat and enters the cave as an adult, knowing his path [13] )4:45
5."Artibeus" (played during Batman's first appearance and when Ducard meets Bruce in the prison [13] )4:20
6."Tadarida" (when Batman has Rachel in the Batcave, when Scarecrow attacks Batman, and when the man at Wayne Enterprises tells Earle about the damaged ship and missing microwave emitter [13] )5:06
7."Macrotus" (the Wayne theme, flashback of Bruce going to the opera. Bruce in the Ninja test. Also plays during the flashback of Bruce meeting Rachel again and the courtroom with Joe Chill [13] )7:36
8."Antrozous" (Batman reveals himself to Dawes, flies to Ra's al Ghul and fights League of Shadows ninjas [13] )3:59
9."Nycteris" (played when Bruce meets Lucius Fox, sets his gadgets and when he has a moment with Rachel before she goes to Arkham [13] )4:26
10."Molossus" (the main action theme is played during the Tumbler escape chase to the Batcave; parts of it are also used when Batman goes after the train in the climax [13] )4:49
11."Corynorhinus" (the film's resolution; Bruce and Rachel meeting in the ruins of Wayne Manor and Gordon unveiling the Bat Signal to Batman; a modified version of the end also appears when Batman attacks Falcone and says "I'm Batman" [13] )5:04
12."Lasiurus" (includes Ra's al Ghul teaching Bruce about criminals, Batman watching over Gotham after defeating Falcone [13] )7:27

Tracks not included within the release of the soundtrack: [14]

Written by Arrigo Boito. Performed by Norman Treigle. Ambrosian Opera Chorus & London Symphony Orchestra. Conducted by Julius Rudel. EMI Classics. EMI Film & Television Music

Written by Mildred J. Hill & Patty S. Hill. Performed by Cavendish String Quartet

Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performed by Cavendish String Quartet

Chart positions

Chart (2005)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200 [15] 155
Top Soundtracks [15] 8

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hans Zimmer</span> German film composer (born 1957)

Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Oscars and four Grammys, and has been nominated for three Emmys and a Tony. Zimmer was also named on the list of Top 100 Living Geniuses, published by The Daily Telegraph in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Goldsmith</span> Film composer (1929–2004)

Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor known for his work in film and television scoring. He composed scores for five films in the Star Trek franchise and three in the Rambo franchise, as well as for Logan's Run, Planet of the Apes, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Patton, Chinatown, Alien, Poltergeist, Medicine Man, Gremlins, Hoosiers, Total Recall, Air Force One, L.A. Confidential, Mulan, and The Mummy. He also composed the fanfares accompanying the production logos used by multiple major film studios, and music for the Disney attraction Soarin'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Newton Howard</span> American composer and music producer (born 1951)

James Newton Howard is an American film composer, music producer and keyboardist. He has scored over 100 films and is the recipient of a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, and nine nominations for Academy Awards. His film scores include Pretty Woman (1990), The Fugitive (1993), Space Jam (1996), Dinosaur (2000), Peter Pan (2003), King Kong (2005), The Dark Knight (2008) which he composed with Hans Zimmer, The Hunger Games (2012), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), and Jungle Cruise (2021). He has collaborated extensively with directors M. Night Shyamalan and Francis Lawrence, having scored eight of Shyamalan's films since The Sixth Sense (1999) and all of Lawrence's films since I Am Legend (2007). He even worked on other frequent scores with for other directors Edward Zwick, Michael Hoffman, P.J. Hogan, Andrew Davis, Lawrence Kasdan, Joe Johnston, Taylor Hackford, Ivan Reitman, and Joel Schumacher.

<i>Dune</i> (soundtrack) 1984 soundtrack album by Toto

Dune is an original soundtrack album for the 1984 film Dune. Most of the album was composed by the rock band Toto—their first and only film score—but one track was contributed by Brian Eno, Roger Eno and Daniel Lanois. The soundtrack album was first released in November 1984. An extended version with an altered track listing was released in 1997. Both versions are currently out of print on traditional media such as CD but with the increasing popularity of download and streaming services, have gained improved exposure through such channels as iTunes and Spotify.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl</i> (soundtrack) 2003 film score by Klaus Badelt

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is the official soundtrack album from the film of the same name. The album was released on July 22, 2003, by Walt Disney Records, and contains selections of music from the film score. The music of the film and this album are credited to composer Klaus Badelt and producer Hans Zimmer.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End</i> (soundtrack) 2007 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is the soundtrack for the Disney movie of the same title, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. It is composed by Hans Zimmer, and features additional music by Lorne Balfe, Tom Gire, Nick Glennie-Smith, Henry Jackman, Atli Örvarsson, John Sponsler, Damon M Marvin and Geoff Zanelli.

Remote Control Productions, Inc. is a film score company run by composer Hans Zimmer and based in Santa Monica, California. Originally known as Media Ventures Entertainment Group, which was conceived and founded by Jay Rifkin and Hans Zimmer, the company changed its name after the partners both filed lawsuits against each other. Today, Remote Control is home to a large group of composers mentored by Zimmer, many of whom have had successful film scoring careers as part of the company or on their own.

Over the course of its history, media adaptations of Batman have generated a wide variety of music produced in connection with both live-action and animated television series, and with the many Batman films.

<i>The Dark Knight</i> (soundtrack) 2008 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard

The Dark Knight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2008 film of the same name, which is a sequel to Christopher Nolan's 2005 film Batman Begins. The soundtrack was released on July 15, 2008, in three editions: CD, limited edition CD digipak, and digital download. The 2-CD Special Edition was released on December 9, along with the DVD. A limited edition 180-gram vinyl LP was released on August 12. The soundtrack was composed by Batman Begins collaborators Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard and recorded in April.

<i>Iron Man</i> (soundtrack) 2008 film score by Ramin Djawadi

Iron Man: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2008 film Iron Man, featuring music composed by Ramin Djawadi. The soundtrack was produced in collaboration with Hans Zimmer and Remote Control Productions, and was released on April 29, 2008, by Lions Gate Records.

<i>Kung Fu Panda</i> (soundtrack) 2008 film score by Hans Zimmer and John Powell

Kung Fu Panda (Music from the Motion Picture) is the score album to the 2008 film of the same name. The album features original score composed by Hans Zimmer and John Powell, and a cover of the classical song "Kung Fu Fighting" performed by CeeLo Green and Jack Black (who also plays Po, the lead character). The album consisted of traditional and orchestral score, infused with Chinese music, where Zimmer visited China to study the traditions and culture. As a process, the score was recorded with mostly Chinese traditional instruments, and the China National Symphony Orchestra also performed the score. The 17-track album was released by Interscope Records on June 3, 2008.

<i>The Last Airbender</i> (soundtrack) 2010 film score by James Newton Howard

The Last Airbender is the soundtrack album of the fantasy adventure film The Last Airbender, directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The score was composed by James Newton Howard. It was released on June 29, 2010, by Lakeshore Records.

<i>Thor</i> (soundtrack) 2011 film score by Patrick Doyle

Thor (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the Marvel Studios film of the same name, based on the character created by Marvel Comics. The music was composed by Patrick Doyle, conducted by James Shearman and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Buena Vista Records announced the details for the soundtrack in March 2011. It was released in some European territories at the end of April and was released on May 3 in the United States.

<i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> (soundtrack) 2012 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer

The Dark Knight Rises: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, the sequel to Christopher Nolan's 2008 film The Dark Knight. The soundtrack was released on July 17, 2012. The CD edition of the album contains an exclusive code to unlock three bonus tracks, titled "Bombers Over Ibiza ", "No Stone Unturned", and "Risen from Darkness". Two additional bonus tracks, "The Shadows Betray You" and "The End", are digital-download exclusive tracks. The soundtrack was officially released online for streaming purposes on July 10.

<i>Man of Steel</i> (soundtrack) 2013 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer

Man of Steel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the film of the same name composed by Hans Zimmer. It was released on June 11, 2013, by WaterTower Music and Sony Classical Records. The exclusive deluxe edition of the album contains six bonus tracks, entitled "Are You Listening, Clark?", "General Zod", "You Led Us Here", "This Is Madness!", "Earth" and "Arcade".

<i>Captain America: The Winter Soldier</i> (soundtrack) 2014 film score by Henry Jackman

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the film score for the Marvel Studios film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier by Henry Jackman, which was released by Hollywood Records on April 1, 2014.

<i>Interstellar</i> (soundtrack) 2014 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer

Interstellar: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album composed by Hans Zimmer for the 2014 film Interstellar by Christopher Nolan. The soundtrack garnered critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score and the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.

<i>Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice</i> (soundtrack) 2016 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the soundtrack to the film of the same name composed by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL. It was released on March 18, 2016, by WaterTower Music. The exclusive deluxe edition of the album contains five bonus tracks, entitled "Blood of My Blood", "Vigilante", "May I Help You, Mr. Wayne?", "They Were Hunters" and "Fight Night". The soundtrack also features the Eric Whitacre Singers.

<i>Dark Phoenix</i> (soundtrack) 2019 film score by Hans Zimmer

Dark Phoenix (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2019 film of the same name, based on the Marvel Comics X-Men characters. It is a sequel to X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) the seventh and final mainline installment in the X-Men film series, and the twelfth installment overall. Directed by Simon Kinberg, the film's musical score is composed by Hans Zimmer; his first superhero film he scored after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). The soundtrack album was released alongside the film on June 7, 2019, by Fox Music. The score received mixed critical response. A second album titled Xperiments From Dark Phoenix released in that August, containing unreleased music from the film, which garnered generally favorable response.

<i>Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa</i> (soundtrack) 2008 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer and will.i.am

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is the soundtrack album to the 2008 film Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, the second instalment in the Madagascar franchise. Released on November 4, 2008 by Interscope Records, the album featured original score composed by Hans Zimmer, who teamed up with American rapper will.i.am to produce the songs and score. will.i.am also wrote five new songs specifically for the film, while other incorporated songs were included in the film's soundtrack. The music received generally favorable critical response.

References

  1. ↑ "how hans zimmer composed the batman theme".
  2. ↑ "Batman Begins Soundtrack (2005)". www.soundtrack.net. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  3. ↑ "ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards (2006)". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  4. ↑ "saturn awards 2006 - nominations". IMDb .
  5. 1 2 3 Danny Graydon (July 2005). "A Little Knight Music". Empire . p. 87.
  6. ↑ Spence D (2005-06-10). "Batman Vs. Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard Part 1". IGN. Archived from the original on 4 November 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-01.
  7. 1 2 Spence D (2005-06-13). "Batman Vs. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard Part 2". IGN. Archived from the original on 2006-11-04. Retrieved 2006-12-01.
  8. ↑ AllMusic review
  9. ↑ Matt Scheller (2005-06-27). "SoundtrackNet review". Soundtrack.net. Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  10. ↑ Jonathan Broxton – "Movie Music UK - Batman Begins - Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard"
  11. ↑ "Christian Clemmensen – "Filmtracks: Batman Begins (Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard"". Filmtracks.com. 2005-06-14. Archived from the original on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  12. ↑ "Batman Begins Soundtrack (2005)". SoundtrackNet. Retrieved 2017-02-26.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Matt Scheller (2005-06-06). "Batman Begins: First Listen". SoundtrackNet . Archived from the original on 22 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
  14. ↑ Batman Begins End Credits
  15. 1 2 "Billboard Albums: Batman Begins". AllMusic . Retrieved 2010-05-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.