Composing Greatness: #9. The Freshman Class of the 2010's - "Sicario" (2015)

Scene from Sicario (2015)

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: Johan Johannsson

Entry: Sicario (2015)

Collaborators (If Available): N/A

Nomination: Best Original Score

Did They Win: No

Other Nominees:
Best Original Score
-The Hateful Eight (Ennio Morricone)*winner
-Bridge of Spies (Thomas Newman)
-Carol (Carter Burwell)
-Star Wars: The Force Awakens (John Williams)

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: 0

Track List

1. "Armored Vehicle"
2. "The Beast"
3. "The Border"
4. "Drywall"
5. "Explosion"
6. "Desert Music"
7. "Target"
8. "Convoy"
9. "The Bank"
10. "Surveillance"
11. "Reflection"
12. "Melancholia"
13. "Night Vision"
14. "Tunnel Music"
15. "Fausto"
16. "Balcony"
17. "Soccer Game"
18. "Alejandro's Song"

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:

"Armored Vehicle"

Like the rest of the score to follow, there's an underlying sense of dread that comes with the score. In this case, it's the booming sound of danger lying off in the distance, slowly revealing itself to anyone who gets close. If nothing else, this is definitely one of the loudest scores that have been nominated this decade, allowing the thunderous cries to bang through the score and rattle the heartstrings. The opening piece is a little bit of the preamble of what's to come, as it mostly exists as this simmering noise that rises with each passing second. It takes a while to get going. Once it does, it's pure chaos.

Interesting Standout:
"Desert Music"

For the most part, the score feels reminiscent of an Inception-era "BRAHM" but with more of a melodic atmosphere. It's helpful that Johan Johannsson has this give for adding subtext to every bang. Here he does so by adding strings and harmony, revealing some form of peace within all of the chaos. It's the type of track that shows off why this was nominated. It's not just that it has the most intensity, but that it mixes in some of the finest moments of peace within it. It's a track that gets closer to something more conventional, and in the process proves why Johannsson was one of the most promising film composers of the decade. He not only could adapt to sound very well, but he could also find the heart within it. 

Best Moment:
"Convoy"

As mentioned, the score is all about ratcheting up chaos, no matter where it goes. Sometimes it's hollow, suggesting that it's from inside caves and shadows. Others it's the sound of percussive footsteps waiting to assault you. In this case, it's a mix of everything. The quiet leads to immediate moments of shock, creating a heart attack as the action becomes more intense and leaves the listener wondering how they will survive. This is the type of track that improves upon the tropes of action scores of the decade, instead of finding ways to harmonize and create an atmosphere that's more than simply being loud. There could be power in volume as well, and this track realizes that perfectly. 

Did This Deserve an Oscar Nomination?:
Yes

If one was to read the narrative properly, one could argue that there was a tragedy in Johan Johannsson's premature death. Over two nominations, one should be thankful that The Academy recognized such a charismatic and sometimes esoteric composer. This is quite different from The Theory of Everything, and yet it still has all of the excitement and intensity as a piece of music. Rarely has an action score been this fulfilling, managing to use the thunderous booms to greater effect. It does seem like had he lived, maybe Johannsson would've won an overdue Oscar in 5-10 years. We'll never know for sure now, though what he has left behind his brilliant, emotional, and evidence of how this decade for Best Original Score is far more interesting than just about any other category. Every composer brings something new, and Johannsson may have been one of the best at that. 

Up Next: Best Original Score - Justin Hurwitz, La La Land (2016)

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. Johan Johannsson: "Cambridge, 1963" - The Theory of Everything (2014)
4. Mychael Danna: "Piscine Molitar Patel" - Life of Pi (2012)
5. Will Butler & Owen Pallett: "Sleepwalker" - Her (2013)
6. Gary Yershon: "Mr. Turner" - Mr. Turner (2014)
7. Ludovic Bource: "The Artist Overture" - The Artist (2011)
8. Johan Johannsson: "The Armored Vehicle" - Sicario (2015)
9. Steven Price: "Above Earth" - Gravity (2013)