n keeping with the new direction that this film establishes for the Batman franchise, the score by Zimmer and Howard is different, too. Gone are the insistent passages and driving rhythms of the scores that Danny Elfman composed for the two Burton flicks. Gone are the orchestral excesses of Elliot Goldenthal.
Zimmer and Howard, who have been close friends for many years, have not worked together before, but here they have achieved something surprising if not exciting. Perhaps it isn't exactly what some people might have expected. Perhaps there are some puzzling omissions—not much in the way of "action" music, despite faster-paced cues in the movie itself; and the popular end credit music isn't here.
Still, the CD does present some action cues ("Molossus"), but the emphasis here seems to be more on music that contributes to the development of character. For example, "Eptesicus" (all the tracks are named after types of bats) brings to mind feelings of loss and sadness, entirely appropriate for what the young Bruce Wayne experiences when he loses his parents and embarks on the voyage of self-discovery that will eventually transform him. The CD is structured rather symphonically and seems to be meant to be heard as one long piece.
It isn't the first time that Zimmer has attempted such a thing. He did it with the score for Backdraft. The idea seems to work better here. The entire Batman Begins score, in fact, doesn't sound very super-heroic at all—it might have been used for a dark drama or a Harold Pinter flick. That alone is quite a change from earlier incarnations of the Dark Knight, which have been graced with muscular, action-packed music.
A more mature musical approach
Now, this more mature-sounding approach is actually something of a problem at the same time, because there isn't a strong theme anywhere to be heard. It's as if Zimmer and Howard were so determined to not let their music overshadow the film in any way that they consciously avoided the use of any sort of overtly melodic phrasing. While this is interesting and even, as mentioned above, undeniably appropriate, it does leave the score grasping at metaphorical straws from time to time.
Zimmer, known previously as an "action music" composer for such films as Black Hawk Down and Gladiator, shows off a new side of his work here, using darkly toned synthesizers and percussion, abetted by the more orchestral offerings of Howard, who is known for The Sixth Sense and Signs. The resulting combination of styles works quite nicely.
In the opening cue, "Vespertilio," a rhythmic flapping of great bat wings provides an almost subliminal feeling of developing dread. Despite the fanfare that rises near the end, perhaps signifying the character's determination and inherent goodness (how close might Bruce Wayne have come to becoming a maddened criminal as opposed to a crime fighter?) it speaks of darkness and loss. The two sides of Batman's psyche (when handled by the better writers who have developed the character) have always been the most interesting things about him. The score helps point that up.
Throughout, the music refers to the byways and squalid alleys of Gotham City, as well as alluding to the darker reaches of Bruce Wayne's soul—or, as in "Artibeus," to the fear and confusion generated by the Scarecrow. Of course, all that darkness would be meaningless without a little light to relieve and define it, so we have the other side of the coin (forgive the Two-Face reference) as exemplified by the gentle piano and cello movements of "Eptesicus" and "Corynorhinus." Bruce Wayne, once he's out of the bat-suit, is a man made like all others.
The score for Batman Begins might indeed function better as rainy-day background music than most scores do, but this very fact means that it simply isn't as memorable as one might like. Still, it's interesting, and you might find it just your cup of tea if you're in the mood for something different.
— Al
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