The symphony composed by Michael Giacchino for Matt Reeves The Batman is one that offers
different emotions, differing tones and is used effectively to tell the story's many
transformations.
Whether it be his brooding theme for Bruce Wayne turned heroic, or the infuse of a twisted
children’s choir for the Riddler, the score is potentially one of the best in
blockbuster filmmaking this year, and I thought it would be a good idea to pay homage to it
and discuss what makes it so great in the film.
In this video essay, I'm going to be discussing Michael Giacchino's perfect score
in The Batman, and how his music emotionally and atmospherically tansforms the images given
to us onscreen.
But before I get into it, if you want to keep up to date on any of my future
content surrounding The Batman and it's potential sequels, then don't forget to support this
video by giving it a like rating, subscribing to
the channel and turning on your notifications.
Also, feel free to check me out on twitter, facebook, reddit and instagram at cortex videos,
which is all linked in the description below.
But without further a do, lets dive into my video essay on The Batman's incredible score.
So The Batman marks the fifth time that Michael Giacchino and Matt Reeves have worked together
on a score, and after paying close attention to his previous work on the Planet of the
Apes films, Cloverfield and Let Me In, I was extremely
excited to see what the composer would do on The Batman.
Especially when you consider how iconic previous soundtracks have been, whether
it's Hans Zimmer with The Dark Knight Trilogy or Danny Elfman with the Tim Burton films.
And Giacchino himself has done extended work on multiple MCU films, Star Wars, Star Trek
and much more, making me question going in, how could
he possibly do something different to what was seen before.
Well, just like the character of Batman on the big screen over the decades, a new
taste was brought to this world, as Michael Giacchino came up with a clear identity for
the Dark Knight all while respectfully honouring the history of the character on the big screen.
Alongside a Batman theme that is already becoming iconic and one of the best done in the character's
history, his total score is bleaker, more brutal, but also balanced with moments
of emotion, romantic tones and ultimately hope, even if there's not much of it.
And with the common saying that the best film scores often fit the tone of the film and
don't go overboard, I think Giacchino's take is definitelly
placed in that bracket.
As a whole, the music by the composer understands the duality of Batman, giving us multiple
sides and different renditions on an immediately established theme
at the beginning of the film.
Look at how it immediatelly tells the story of Bruce Wayne and Batman for instance.
On one side, the tracks for Bruce Wayne and you could also expand
that to Gotham, acknowledges the wealth yet decay of the city over the decades, using
quite the classical, dignified yet, sadder music too.
It also conveys brighter motifs of what Bruce and Gotham could be especially during it's
closing moments.
But then on the flip-side to this, when the score communicates Bruce as Batman,
it inhabits more power and mystery with notes lurking in shadows before building and building
to become almost overwhelming.
It channels the rage and inner-pain that Bruce has felt all
these years and which he feels compelled to place on every criminal he fights.
That's part of the genius of the opening 10 minutes which leads to a train fight, really
engraining those feelings in the audience to make us feel what
Bruce does.
Whether that's in relation to his history or what he feels about Gotham.
With the everpresent sounds effects, the subtle notes
by Giacchino, make it brilliantly introductive.
It's a living and breathing world that we are immedietly thrown into and start to understand.
The composer brought all the soul, anxieties, emotion and atmospheric connotations to our
attention, and this take on Batman really needed that.
A detective noir that takes it time to really introduce the foundations of the world
and characters expressed through the music equally to images it presents us.
These are the types of films I personally love, ones that make the full use of their
imagery, their music and their running time to tell us what this world
on screen is really about.
And you as the audience member are left to feel how the composer has expressed himself
through the music he writes, and how it relates to the overall
story.
Looking at some of the themes, we have mainly four main recurring ones.
They are examples you can listen to separately and instantly think of the characters they
are for.
But then as described with Bruce or Batman's theme before,
they also echo exactly what the film is going for with the story at a particular moment
or with the evolution of a character.
The Batman theme, using a repeated four-note motif, is
heard on different intruments and in different tones.
Whether that be on lighter and more elegant strings, or more orchestral and powerful
in other moments.
Then there's the Catwoman theme.
One that brings the romantic touch and fatale overtone of a traditional film noir.
By using piano keys and gentler strings, backed by
plucked basses, it feels much more jazzy then what we are used to seeing from a Catwoman
theme.
And in the essence of what Zoe Kravitz's character has gone through before and what her
character goes through in this story, it completely works.
Add on the use of violins to extend the sexual tension that takes place between Batman and
Catwoman in certain sequences and you have a very intriguing theme that has
so many sides to it, like the character of Catwoman in this film.
Giacchino really tells us all about these characters just through the way he
picks and frames the intruments scene by scene.
Then finally is the riddler's theme, one that to begin with, is a lot more classical, especially
with it's inspired cue from Ave Maria, used as an actual plot point within the film,
to communicate the hard upbringing he faced in the orphenage.
At a starting point it's almost lovely to listen to, but it becomes more
deranged and torturous, almost identical to the story of Paul Dano's character himself.
It then goes even further, becoming loud and agressive, almost in reverse of the journey
and theme of Batman and how that's ultimately used in
the film.
While there's the ever-present darkness that will still likely be present in the sequel,
it ends on a more hopeful note, whereas the use of massive strings and the twisting of
them in Riddler's theme, conveys the the utter madness that has consumed the antagonist.
So how were these ideas or themes crucial in the wider sense of things.
Well, the rest of the score is essentially built around them, giving us a range of tonal
cues, whether it be overall mystery that forms the base of the narrative,
the brewing romance between Bruce and Selina or the atmospheric sense of fear that the
Riddler fuels.
It's this idea of using music to give the audience an added sense of feeling.
Rather than just create catchy themes, they propell the motifs that are central around
each character.
Like Pattinson's crusader, they barely have to say anything if the music is forming our
notion of feeling in these moments.
It's more effective.
Like when The Batman theme distorts after Batman electricutes the last thug in one of
the opening scenes, or when the noirish piano notes are heard in Selina's robbing of the
deceased Mayor's house.
It can either create a feeling of rage that the character feels or
sustain a sense of mystery that's attached to a character who has just been introduced.
Coming back to that Batman theme, what’s smart about the methods of the composer is
that throughout the film he alter's this every so slightly
with a difference in writing music.
A few people have said to me that they didn't like the repetition of Batman's theme throughout
the film, and while I disagree on that, I think it's key
to note that in the way the theme evolves, it's actually used along those lines for a
reason.
He uses a four-note motif literally everywhere to
communicate the lurking presence and fear that Batman can put on the criminals he fights.
Notes that intitially personify vengeance before Batman and audience discover what they
should actually be used for.
The same four notes are used in every scene in one way or another, telling us that the
theme's presence looms over the score just like the character looms large over
the city.
Whether it's quieter or louder with varying horns, re-arranged for piano or guitar, it
always has a presence.
And that speaks to the figure of Batman, ever present and ready to
fight, even if for most of the runtime he's transforming into the beacon of hope rather
then the distorted symbol of vengeance that the early scenes and cues in the score symbolise.
In certain scenes it's the music’s main staple,
while in others like the Batmobile car chase, it's used as a form of tension.
But the four notes are always there, and they are the
personification of Batman.
And the very pre-production process of writing and recording this music was what really elevated
the final outcome too.
Similar to what I've talked about previously on the channel with
that of Hans Zimmer recording the theme for Interstellar before even a shot of the movie
was filmed, the oscar winning composer of The Batman, created music based on the script
and discussions with Matt Reeves leading up to
filming.
It would then be used during the filming of scenes to fully help the actors and the rest
of crew understand the tone of certain moments much better, alongside a greater insight
into the types of things they were filming.
It's becoming more often that we see this process in big budget filmmaking and clearly
it works when it comes to the final outcome.
Matt Reeves noted in an interview that Robert Pattinson said, "it was one of the defining
tools in terms of really understanding the tone and
the character's emotion.”
There's this compelling nature and idea of obsession in Batman’s theme, yet there's
also the sense of sadness in the moments where the wayne music really
shines through.
And hearing those sounds before going to film scenes as that character, informs you of what
type of performance to give.
And as I discussed in my Pattinson performance essay the other week, we get one which is
very melancholy, very silent, but then also very reactive and rageful all at the same
time.
That's until he realises that he has to grow into
the hero Gotham needs and the one that Batman should be.
It was a process of showing actors the music, editing scenes and then showing them to Giacchino,
who went off and wrote even more inspired music from that.
A very collaborative process that has to be had to create a well made film.
The composer would then record with a huge orchestra and choir under COVID
restrictions, and the final product was a classical score that drives the film and character
emotions.
I think this process really helped to capture that and it's a score that is
brilliantly fitting with the film yet also powerful to listen to on it's own.
But that was my video discussing the soundtrack of The Batman.
The score by Michael Giacchino surpassed my expectations, even after hearing those early
tracks that were released for the individual characters.
Even after just a few months, the themes are ones that have become iconic, and the emotional
depth and mix of tone have all been balanced in such a brillaint
way.
None of the motifs feel out of place and it get's to the heart and soul of each of these
characters.
Whether it's the jazzy noir, seductiveness or emotion in Catwoman's theme, the
brooding reflectiveness of the Wayne theme towards Gotham, or the classical intelligence
yet very twisted nature of The Riddler's theme, you can really gather the sense of the story
just from hearing this music.
I think Michael Giacchino ought to be proud of what he's accomplished here, because to
create yet another iconic score for Batman after that of Danny Elfman
and Hans Zimmer is quite an incredible feat.
I really can't wait to hear what he does next and how he evolves these themes for characters
that we already know are going to be in the sequels and also what he does with the new
characters and storylines that enter the frame.
We'll have to see, but let me know down below in the comments section whether you agree
that The Batman's score was great alongside your overall
thoughts on Michael Giacchino's approach to certain themes.
For much more breakdown videos and essays on The Batman, then subscribe to the channel
and turn on your notifications.
Also if you enjoyed this video remember to leave a like rating
and follow me on social media via the links in the description.
But anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've been Cortex and as always make some noise.