Leviathan
Jerry Goldsmith
" Moody, stout, exciting, uplifting "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Leviathan was one of the underwater themed movies of 1989 (amongst the others The Abyss and Deepstar Six). For the effects, Stan Winston was called on board, and for the music good old Jerry Goldsmith. Meaning there was quality underwater that made this monster movie thoroughly enjoyable (including actors Peter Weller, Richard Crenna and Ernie Hudson). Director George P. Cosmatos worked with Goldsmith prior on The Cassandra Crossing and Rambo: First Blood Part II, making the link complete with Leviathan, one of Goldsmith's enjoyable scores of the late 80's.
And in 40 minutes, Goldsmith shows you how enjoyable he can make it. First we have "Underwater Camp", opening with a (then) ominous main theme, Star Trek IV like whale sounds and Star Trek V like string music, all the while a main theme starts to make a certain impact on you. Another reason how simple film music of so many years ago can still make one firm impression through something called development. "Decompression" (housing a healthy synthesized rhythm that revokes a pleasant memory of Innerspace) and the unnerving suspense of "Discovery" and "The Body Within" says one thing very clearly, Jerry isn't afraid to color the opening with a constant foreboding sound.
The one exception is the lovely love theme that calms the group down in "One of Us". But after that it's back to the hypnotizing use of the whale sounds and one memorable main theme performance in "Escape Bubbles". This track is particularly exciting through the constant threatening pace that's only sporadically broken through the rise of a heroic countermeasure, igniting the exciting second part of the track really well. The other example of rhythmic action suspense is "Too Hot", a track that shows how Goldsmith unleashed his suspense in exciting and interesting ways.
Leviathan is in fact one tense score, fueled by synthesized rhythms, on edge strings and brassy fanfares. But the constant returning delight of hopeful bursts of air, main and love themes show a constant fight for survival (and initially hope). The basic contrasts between the dark gloom and the uplifting hope also elevates this score to something extra, to something meaningful. Therefore it's once again Jerry Goldsmith material that the fan will easily appreciate, once they look past the occasional sound effects and eerie underscore. Then and only then will you adore the on edge rhythm of Goldsmith's tense action music and the rise of a killer main theme that surely makes one hell of an impression in the final track "A Lot Better", this score's crowning achievement.
Favorite Moment - A Lot Better (2.40 - 3.31)
Ah, the theme does never sound better than here
Track Listing
1. Underwater Camp (3.23)
2. Decompression (3.16)
3. Discovery (5.24)
4. One of Us (1.41)
5. The Body Within (4.33)
6. Escape Bubbles (5.37) Excellent track
7. Can We Fix It (3.25)
8. Situation Under Control (1.49)
9. It's Growing (3.10)
10. Too Hot (3.27)
11. A Lot Better (3.31) Excellent track
Total Length: 39.16
And in 40 minutes, Goldsmith shows you how enjoyable he can make it. First we have "Underwater Camp", opening with a (then) ominous main theme, Star Trek IV like whale sounds and Star Trek V like string music, all the while a main theme starts to make a certain impact on you. Another reason how simple film music of so many years ago can still make one firm impression through something called development. "Decompression" (housing a healthy synthesized rhythm that revokes a pleasant memory of Innerspace) and the unnerving suspense of "Discovery" and "The Body Within" says one thing very clearly, Jerry isn't afraid to color the opening with a constant foreboding sound.
The one exception is the lovely love theme that calms the group down in "One of Us". But after that it's back to the hypnotizing use of the whale sounds and one memorable main theme performance in "Escape Bubbles". This track is particularly exciting through the constant threatening pace that's only sporadically broken through the rise of a heroic countermeasure, igniting the exciting second part of the track really well. The other example of rhythmic action suspense is "Too Hot", a track that shows how Goldsmith unleashed his suspense in exciting and interesting ways.
Leviathan is in fact one tense score, fueled by synthesized rhythms, on edge strings and brassy fanfares. But the constant returning delight of hopeful bursts of air, main and love themes show a constant fight for survival (and initially hope). The basic contrasts between the dark gloom and the uplifting hope also elevates this score to something extra, to something meaningful. Therefore it's once again Jerry Goldsmith material that the fan will easily appreciate, once they look past the occasional sound effects and eerie underscore. Then and only then will you adore the on edge rhythm of Goldsmith's tense action music and the rise of a killer main theme that surely makes one hell of an impression in the final track "A Lot Better", this score's crowning achievement.
Favorite Moment - A Lot Better (2.40 - 3.31)
Ah, the theme does never sound better than here
Track Listing
1. Underwater Camp (3.23)
2. Decompression (3.16)
3. Discovery (5.24)
4. One of Us (1.41)
5. The Body Within (4.33)
6. Escape Bubbles (5.37) Excellent track
7. Can We Fix It (3.25)
8. Situation Under Control (1.49)
9. It's Growing (3.10)
10. Too Hot (3.27)
11. A Lot Better (3.31) Excellent track
Total Length: 39.16