There were predictable winners at the Academy Awards last night, and then there were Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross taking home a statue for Best Score. Was it the best award of the night? Absolutely.
Before we begin with some analysis of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ win last night, it should be noted that Atticus Ross did a similarly amazing score for the Hughes Brothers “The Book of Eli.” A lot of the ambient-drone textures and moods found in that film were transplanted into “The Social Network.”
That said, Ross has been working with Reznor for the last several years, and their styles have blurred in a very interesting way.
It was Ross who convinced Reznor that he could, in fact, score a film, even after Reznor had told “The Social Network” director David Fincher that he wasn’t interested—more out of exhaustion than fear.
Whatever the case, the two musicians need to be seen here as a duo. Together they’ve created some of the best tonal music in the last few years (though I must admit I’m not as interested in their beat-driven industrial rock).
And, on very objective grounds, Reznor and Ross’ win was one of the few awards that exists on its own terms as an artistic statement, and not as the recipient of Oscar bait pushed on Academy voters. Granted, the studio pushed “The Social Network” score like the other nominees, but only after realizing how outstanding the score was that Reznor and Ross had given them.
The entire soundtrack is satisfying on various levels, but the standout has to be “Hand Covers Bruises,” which could have won Reznor and Ross the Oscar alone. Other highlights are “Soft Trees Break the Fall” and the Wendy Carlos-inspired cover of Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”
Check out Reznor and Ross’ acceptance speech and the New York Times in-studio interview following the Golden Globes win.
December 17, 2011 at 7:47 pm, Viking said:
Right on, I agree with every word!