Uncategorized: WATCHMEN soundtrack evokes global political climate in its shitty incoherence.
You might like one of the tracks by itself (KC & the Sunshine Band!) but as a whole, this CD soundtrack is a big mess. Consider my anticipation for this film to be lukewarm. Wait a minute–is the one contemporary song by My Chemical Romance? Fail.
Brad Nguyen is a co-editor of Screen Machine. He studied Cinema Studies at the University of Melbourne, was the film reviewer for Triple R Breakfasters and has written for Senses of Cinema.
Yosh
05/02/09 - 7:10 AM
I wouldn’t be so worried about it except for the fact that so many of the songs are well-known. I mean, I’ve heard more than one totally incoherent soundtrack album that nevertheless worked when used in the film. The problem I see here is that because so many of them are songs like “Hallelujah” that will automatically get an audience member’s attention, these tracks aren’t going to be used in any sort of subtle way.
Yosh
05/02/09 - 7:36 AM
Actually, it’s just occurred to me that a number of these tracks are referenced in the graphic novel, and hence might be serving a sort of cameo duty, what with Snyder going for the full-faithful approach. According to some random internet list, it appears that “Desolation Row” (original Bob Dylan version), “Unforgettable”, “The Times They Are A-Changin’”, “You’re My Thrill”, “All Along the Watchtower” and “Ride of the Valkyries” are all referenced in the comics at one point or another.
Perhaps, then, if the original score dominates and most of these are used for fan service, it might not be too bad?
Brad
05/02/09 - 6:07 PM
Yeah you’re right. But it’s the full-faithful approach that I’m actually afraid of: 300 was also a completely faithful adaptation which showed that Zack Snyder was more interested in fidelity to the original source than politics. Now we have WATCHMEN which is all about politics and deconstructing the medium and genre. To stay faithful to the spirit of the comic, Zack Snyder’s gonna have to do more than just reproduce the comic’s images: He’s going to have to think about the politics of the moving image. I wish Alfonso Cuaron had directed this instead, but then again I’d be happy to see Cuaron take on most films.
fliptape
05/02/09 - 7:45 PM
oh wow that breaks my mind.
Yosh
05/02/09 - 10:42 PM
Yeah, I’m with you on Cuaron. It breaks my heart to see the Harry Potter films in anyone else’s hands.