Composing Greatness: #10. Thomas Newman - "Skyfall" (2012)

Scene from Skyfall

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: Thomas Newman

Entry: Skyfall (2012)

Collaborators (If Available): N/A

Nomination: Best Original Score 

Did He Win: No

Other Nominees:
-Life of Pi (Mychael Danna)*winner
-Anna Karenina (Dario Marianelli)
-Argo (Alexandre Desplat)
-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: 11

Oscar Wins: 0

Track List

1. "Grand Bazaar, Istanbul"
2. "Voluntary Retirement"
3. "New Digs"
4. "Severine"
5. "Brave New World"
6. "Shanghai Drive"
7. "Jellyfish"
8. "Silhouette"
9. "Modigliani"
10. "Day Wasted"
11. "Quartermaster"
12. "Someone Usually Dies"
13. "Komodo Dragon"
14. "The Bloody Shot"
15. "Enjoying Death"
16. "The Chimera"
17. "Close Shave"
18. "Health & Safety"
19. "Granborough Road"
20. "Tennyson"
21. "Enquiry"
22. "Breadcrumbs"
23. "Skyfall"
24. "Kill Them First"
25. "Welcome to Scotland"
26. "She's Mine"
27. "The Moors"
28. "Deep Water"
29. "Mother"
30. "Adrenaline"
31. "Old Dog, New Tricks"

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:

"Grand Bazaar, Istanbul"

There's a certain formula that should come with a James Bond soundtrack. Speaking as it was well worn by the time that Thomas Newman came along, it's strange how much he packs into every track here. Besides the required motifs, he manages to have the familiar experimental instrumentation, mixing ambient build with sitars and a flavor of mystery. There's a lot to enjoy about his take on the music, which if nothing else benefits from having a personality that makes the score a very interesting listen. The whole soundtrack gets off to a strong start by how it mixes different styles and creates a contemporary Bond that is not only defined by his suave approach, but also the music that inhabits his world.

Interesting Standout:

"Shanghai Drive"

In some ways, Thomas Newman's work on this score is eerily reminiscent of composers like Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer during The Dark Knight era. However, there's a trace of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to be heard here, at times recalling The Social Network's mix of low key ambient and electronic violence piercing through every chord. While it appears here and there throughout the music, this is one of the few tracks that is flushed with the electronic sound in a way that feels distant from the classical scores of Marvin Hamlisch in The Spy Who Loved Me. It's an interesting approach and one that fully works thanks to Newman's balance of tone and layers, allowing for everything to feel purposeful in a way that doesn't overshadow the fact that yes, this is a Bond movie and this is a Bond score.

Best Moment:

"Brave New World"

As should be apparent by now, Thomas Newman's greatest gift is how he uses instrumentation, no matter how esoteric they may initially seem. He definitely applies it very well to the James Bond style and makes some brilliant choices. This is a 21st century spy, and he also had a sense of being an international traveler as well. He packs so much emotion and heart into each track, and the way that wind instruments lead into swelling strings and later intensity is perfect evidence of what Newman brings to the composing world. There's several tracks present here that could've been considered for this position. For something that could've read more as a paycheck gig, Newman more than delivers with a very memorable score that never lets up its energy or creativity.

Did This Deserve an Oscar Nomination?:
No

Here is where I get a bit candid. Back in 2012, I was opposed to Thomas Newman getting a Skyfall nomination. I think it clouded my judgment of his work as a whole, and it made me curious to understand why he was so revered. It isn't that this is a bad score, but I'm firmly in the camp that believes that The Academy's Best Original Score politics plays favorites. I saw it with John Williams over five Star Wars nominations and I see it again here. When composers like Nino Rota (The Godfather) and Jonny Greenwood (There Will Be Blood) get revoked for using preexisting music, it bothers me to see more noticeable motifs being used in Oscar-nominated works. I think either the rule needs to change, or there needs to be a stronger fairness for every composer, and not just those fringe ones who use music most people probably haven't heard before anyways. Skyfall is definitely a good score that could deserve nomination in a fairer market, but my reasoning for rejecting it here is based on a conflict that has bothered me well before 2012. Ironically, it may or may not impact my judgment of the next entry for Thomas Newman as well. 

Up Next: Saving Mr. Banks (2013) for Best Original Score.

Best Theme

A ranking of all themes composed by Thomas Newman.
1. "Dead Already" - American Beauty (1999)
2. "Wow" - Finding Nemo (2003)
3. "Orchard House" - Little Women (1994)
4. "Rock Island, 1931" - Road to Perdition (2002)
5. "Shawshank Prison (Stoic Theme)" - The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
6. "Grand Bazaar, Istanbul" - Skyfall (2012)
7. "2815 A.D." - WALL-E (2008)
8. "Unrecht Oder Recht (Main Titles" - The Good German (2006)
9. "The Bad Beginning" - A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
10. "End Titles" - Unstrung Heroes (1995)

Best Song

A ranking of all songs composed by Thomas Newman.

1. "Down to Earth" - WALL-E (2008)