Movie Soundtracks of the Month (January): Clint Mansell

Born January 7, 1963 in Coventry, England our man of the hour Clint Mansell has been a presence in the world of music since the days of the early 80’s as the lead singer and guitarist of the band Pop Will Eat Itself, check out one of the bands tunes here. Somewhere, somehow, some way however people meet people Mansell became good friends with fellow film composer Trent Reznor, which means he got to provide backround vocals for a song for Trent Reznor’s band Nine Inch Nails. To start the new millenium off right Clint was given the honor of scoring director Darren Aronofsky’s debut film Requiem for a Dream creating a score that has become legendary to fans and critics alike. So Mr. Mansell I say to you Happy Belated Birthday and here is JoBlo’s ode to you. Keep those tracks coming.

1. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000): LUX ATERNA

When I first heard this score, it was before I’d seen the film it was created for. I thought to myself it felt too heavy even for the subject matter, too epic. Then comes the day I sit down with my brother and watch the film, once I got passed the urge to shoot myself in the foot to get my mind off the depressing sh*t I just saw, I sat back and was able to appreciate how much weight Mansell’s score added to the proceedings. This is a depressing ass film, and it’s become a classic amongst many. It has been used in various trailers for other films since it’s creation, and has been used on a beat to a Lil Jon song called “Throw It Up.” Yes you read that right. Catching my drift? This gem is universal, baby. Purchase the soundtrack here

2. BLACK SWAN (2010): PERFECTION

Like the film above, after I saw Black Swan I had to sit down and convince myself I wasn’t going crazy and that I didn’t need a therapist. It seems the next time I see a colaboration between Mansell and Darren Aronofsky I need to be in a certain frame of mind, eh? This score marked the fifth collabo between the two and Mansell found his muse in the form of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Because of the this the score was denied the category of Best Original Film Score at the Academy that year. Nevertheless, Darren and Clint took me on another ride in the train of insanity. Bravo, bravo, encore and all that jazz. Purchase the soundtrack here

3. THE FOUNTAIN (2006): TOGETHER WE WILL LIVE FOREVER

This soundtrack featured Mansell reuniting with, guess who? None other than Darren Aronofsky. Come on man, get out of Clint’s kool –aid. Along for the ride was the Quartet, and a post-rock band Mogwai. Mansell was real methodical in creating the score for this film conducting it as the film was still in production as opposed to the usual way of doing things once the film has wrapped. The soundtrack was nominated for several awards including The Golden Globes and won the award for Best Original Score for the Chicago Film Critic’s Association. Purchase the soundtrack here

4. MOON (2009): MEMORIES

In a film that has nothing to do with Darren Aronofsky, Mansell creates yet another somber score for a film that is just as depressing as his colaborations with said filmmaker. This time around Clint teams with director Duncan Jones in his homage to classic films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien, Solaris, and THX 1138. The films performances and yes another classic soundtrack from Mr. Mansell paint the bleak picture that lonliness and despair can bring. The score is complimented beautifully by the bang on performance by Sam Rockwell who hit all the right emotional notes, without which the film wouldn’t have worked. So major props to ALL those involved. This films score was featured in the trailer for the new film Iron Lady. Purchase the soundtrack here

5. THE WRESTLER (2009)

While some might say the star of this films soundtrack is Bruce Springstein and the song he provided for the film, one can’t deny that Clint showed up to do what he does best and perfectly capture the sad state that our protagonist Randy “The Ram” Robinson has found himself in after years of wear and tear on his body and soul. I’m personally a big fan of professional wrestling so I was enthralled with this film all the way through and as I sit here listening to the track I’ve selected from this movie I’m getting flashbacks of the scenes of the film that moved me to tears, with this score accompanying them. That’s power. Job well done Clint, and Mr. Rourke, and Mr. friggin Aronofsky. Purchase the soundtrack here