John Recommends: The Soundtrack from Godzilla: King of the Monsters
John Recommends: The Soundtrack from Godzilla: King of the Monsters
This year’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, while it sported some stellar graphics, was a rather mediocre installment into the Godzilla cinematic legacy. Despite that, the film’s soundtrack rivals those of many of the action epics.
The segment I find myself re-listening to the most is Godzilla’s Theme. It relies heavily on the score of the original Godzilla movie, Gojira, released in 1954 (violins and all) as a base for the new score.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2iUQ6sta_c&feature=emb_title
This refurbished take on the music also includes some potent choir chanting — chanting the likes of which suspended us in enthusiastic rapture in films such as the Star Wars prequels, The Lord of the Rings, or The Ghost and the Darkness.
Mothra’s Theme, or the Queen of the Monsters Suite, is a musical piece that is extremely beautiful, evocative of the natural splendor and grace of Mothra. Enveloped within it is a combination of eloquence, delicacy, reverence, and mournfulness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF8Ybi2V59g&feature=emb_title
In King Ghidorah’s Theme — the Monster Zero Suite — the chanting which was prominent in Godzilla’s Theme takes on an entirely different aura, representing a drastic change, an entirely opposite vantage point, from what might be considered the film’s true protagonist: Godzilla. For Ghidorah is his arch-nemesis, his chief rival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeY8H2UK-NY&feature=emb_title
Ghidorah is the villain, and as such his theme is much more sinister and gets executed perfectly. In Ghidorah’s Theme, the majority of the choir vocals seem to closely resemble Gregorian chant, perhaps evocative of the titanic struggle playing out between two great beasts which had been deemed deities by former onlookers.
All in all, I feel the soundtrack to Godzilla: King of the Monsters was far better than what the film deserved. If you haven’t seen the movie or haven’t listened to the score, it is definitely worth going back and listening to.
(Song recommendation by John Tuttle)