Composing Greatness: #4.The Freshman Class of the 2010's - "Life of Pi" (2012)

Scene from Life of Pi

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

Series Composer: Mychael Danna

Entry: Life of Pi (2012)

Collaborators (If Available): N/A

Nomination: Best Original Score

Did They Win: Yes

Other Nominees:
Best Original Score
-Anna Karenina (Dario Marianelli)
-Argo (Alexandre)
-Lincoln (John Williams)
-Skyfall (Thomas Newman)

Additional Information

This is to help provide perspective of where each composer is in their Oscar-nominated life as it related to the current entry.

Oscar Nomination: 2

Oscar Wins: 1

Track List

1. "Pi's Lullaby"
2. "Piscine Molitor Patel"
3. "Pondicherry"
4. "Meeting Krishna"
5. "Christ in the Mountains"
6. "Thank You Vishnu for Introducing Me to Christ"
7. "Richard Parker"
8. "Appa's Lesson"
9. "Anandi"
10. "Leaving India"
11. "The Deepest Spot on Earth"
12. "Tsimtsum"
13. "Death of a Zebra"
14. "First Night, First Day"
15. "Set Your House in Order"
16. "Skinny Vegetarian Boy"
17. "Pi and Richard Parker"
18. "The Whale"
19. "Flying Fish"
20. "Tiger Training"
21. "Orphans"
22. "Tiger Vision"
23. "God Storm"
24. "I'm Ready Now"
25. "The Island"
26. "Back to the World"
27. "The Second Story"
28. "Which Story Do You Prefer?"

Note: Listen to here.

Exploring the Music

The area of the column where I will explore the music in as much detail as I see fit for each entry.

Theme Exploration:

"Piscine Molitor Patel"

Speaking as this is a film that will spend its running time exploring the life of a man who embraces all cultures, it makes sense to hear how Mychael Danna chose to introduce him. This isn't just one style of music, but a collage coming together in a very interesting transition. There's so much to the sound that works, especially as it incorporates Indian music and then uses more western techniques in order to make a soundtrack that is diverse but never sounds dissonant in a bad way. It may still have a lot of its roots in the percussive and sitar-driven music of India, but it does slowly begin to feel like the start of a bigger, more satisfying picture.

Interesting Standout:
"Tiger Vision"

For those who have seen the film, there's no moment that stands out quite like the one set to this track. It's in part because of how it's mostly CGI, in which Richard Parker stares into a colorful ocean full of a wondrous life. As a result, there's something psychedelic about it that makes it feel like discovering the strangest corners of space. It's also meditative, managing to capture the beauty within these moments. While it's not necessarily too different from the rest of the music, its ability to expand and mold into strange directions (most of these tracks fall under two minutes, which is a bit of a disservice to a "standout" entry), which only shows off what makes Mychael Danna a fascinating composer.

Best Moment:
"Back to the World"

Throughout the score, Mychael Danna has used varying motifs to explore where the characters are at. However, this is the triumphant moment that we have been building to. We knew that Pi would get back to land, but how would things go? Without saying much in the way of plot, it's a moment of equal triumph and sadness, allowing complicated emotions to exist side by side. It's why the initial burst of excitement in the track eventually paves the way for something more somber and reflective. It's the end of a journey, but with that comes a price that we weren't ready for. It's the clarity of ideas finally becoming obvious, and it's a rewarding experience for that. 

Did This Deserve an Oscar Nomination?:
Yes

In my personal opinion, Life of Pi deserved way more Oscar wins than what it got. Even then, it manages to deliver something great on every technical level. For the score, it was a rich experience of hearing how Mychael Danna would mix Indian instrumentation with various religious music styles and make something new. It mostly works because he knows where to find a unified style (percussion, vocal harmonies) and emphasizes it in ways that create a rich emotional experience. Even the way that he shifts between the styles throughout the score is ingenious, allowing each part of the journey to feel like a special moment in the story. 

Did This Deserve to Win?

Yes

In a year full of phenomenal scores, I understand why Mychael Danna would win. This was another score that found itself pushing boundaries and trying to make something for a new generation. That's what makes listening to it a lot of fun. On one level, it's just a terrific score that always has something going on. However, one could easily deconstruct the music style and see just how meticulously crafted the entire thing is. It's a story of spiritual enlightenment, and the score at times reaches that beautifully. It never dulls for long and instead makes the vastness an asset to what makes it work. It may not always be the most exciting score, but it's never without a good idea.

Up Next: Best Original Score - Steven Price, Gravity (2013)

Best Theme

A ranking of all themes composed by The Freshman Class of the 2010's.

1. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross: "Hand Covers Bruise" - The Social Network (2010)
2. John Powell: "This is Berk" - How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
3. Mychael Danna: "Piscine Molitar Patel" - Life of Pi (2012)
4. Ludovic Bource: "The Artist Overture" - The Artist (2011)