Music Composed by Mark Isham
Rating: *** 1/2

While Crash received a widespread theatrical release, it was clearly made in the image of likeminded independent dramas like Magnolia and 21 Grams, where the lives of various desperate and emotionally burned-out strangers intersect in sometimes violent and sometimes redeeming ways. As I lamented in my review of Nathan Larson’s Filmusik compilation some weeks back, the general rule of thumb for scoring films like this seems to be to remain as silent and anonymous as possible, partially due to the budget and partially due to the filmmakers’ reluctance to add anything that might nudge the already-borderline melodrama over the top. Every now and then, though, the filmmakers actually manage to nab a truly great film composer, someone willing to sacrifice the usual orchestra and budget to work with a more raw form of drama. Mark Isham scoring Crash is one of these occasions (of course it is – why else would I have brought this up?), and the result is a frequently poignant reminder that the quality of a score does not hinge on the budgetary resources at the composer’s disposal.

Mark Isham

Make no mistake; with the exception of a few solos for various female vocalists, the score is entirely synthesized. And the first 5 tracks certainly don’t start things off very promisingly, with ambient synth-scapes appearing to confirm our worst fears for the direction the score is headed in. Indeed, for the first several tracks we’re given little more than throbbing synth pulses and blank walls of sound, with little in the way of melody and even less in the way of interest. With “No Such Things as Monsters” however, that direction changes. The gentle lyrical Isham we know from so many great intimate dramas returns and proves to us that a real composer can draw just as much beauty and emotion from a keyboard as from an orchestra. Revolving entirely around the simple I-iii chord progression that I tend to associate with Edward Scissorhands (though I do suppose that it’s not really fair to attribute 2 chords to one score), the cue is soothing, tender, and just about everything you wouldn’t expect to hear in a traumatic film about racism. Which really is the beauty of Isham’s approach. In interviews, he has referred to his score as a guardian angel watching over the film’s characters and ready to lead them to redemption, even when they’re behaving as hideously as one could possibly imagine. When you consider how many countless composers would have taken one look at the film and wall-papered on thin layers of churning ambiguous somberness, Isham’s ability bring humanity and perspective to the picture seems that much more admirable.

With the exception of a few more brief passages of more ugly material dominated by synth percussion, Isham maintains the gentle melodic approach for the rest of the score. You won’t find much in the way of themes, but the “No Such Things as Monsters” material does reappear in “A Really Good Cloak, ” with an enormous unexpected cathartic swell near the end that might make your heart stop for a few moments. We also get a more spiritual and uplifting theme of sorts that makes good use of the female vocals. Appearing first in “Flames,” it returns in the concluding “Sense of Touch” to draw the score to a rich and fulfilling finish. Two songs follow, the first (”In the Deep” by Bird York) complementing the tone of the score perfectly, the second (Maybe Tomorrow,” by The Stereophonics) feeling a trifle out of place. But at least it’s sequenced at the end where it doesn’t interrupt anything.

While there are a few two many patches of less interesting atmospherics for me to rank this at the same level as A River Runs Through It or Life as a House, the score’s finest moments certainly bear the mark of the same distinct sensitive voice. Even the drearier moments flow with the rest of the score smoothly, and if you go for more ambient trance music you’ll likely enjoy it without any reservations. But even if you’re usually an orchestral purist, Crash still contains enough raw beauty to merit your attention. It may not be quite on par with Isham’s best work, but no composer could have brought more compassion and humanity to the film. That’s no small triumph.

Music Composed and Performed by Mark Isham; Recorded and Mixed by Stephen Krause; Additional Sound Design by JED; Produced by Mark Isham; Availability: In print; Label (Catalogue): Superb Records, (SPB-CD-2512); Release Date: June 7, 2005

01. Crash (3′21)
02. Go Forth My Son (0′57)
03. Hands In Plain Sight (3′48)
04. Safe Now (1′04)
05. No Such Thing As Monsters (3′59)
06. Find My Baby (4′23)
07. Negligence (2′56)
08. Flames (7′59)
09. Siren (4′41)
10. A Really Good Cloak (3′28)
11. A Harsh Warning (2′51)
12. Saint Christopher (1′55)
13. Sense of Touch (6′44)
14. In The Deep Performed by Bird York (5′55)
15. Maybe Tomorrow Performed by Stereophonics (4′34)

Total Playing Time: 58′35