Zanobard Reviews

Alexandre Desplat’s intricate, emotional score for Frankenstein features a gorgeously orchestral style – including some lovely violin work by Eldbjørg Hemsing – and a foray of intensely dramatic themes, with the motif for Victor Frankenstein leading a darkly gothic charge as he seeks determinedly to create the iconic Creature in the film itself.

A dark, moodily gothic ambience is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the tonal focal point of Alexandre Desplat’s score for Guillermo Del Toro’s new Frankenstein movie. It’s the very first thing you hear as the album begins, with opening track “Frankenstein” also debuting Desplat’s main theme for the film on eerily high-pitched violin – played by Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing – alongside solemnly echoing vocals to cement the aforementioned tone. The instrumentation then continues to bathe the music in this deeply ominous mood as the cue continues, with the main theme fading into the background in favour of this, until things fade to a a quiet close at just past the minute mark. The main theme – presumably for Victor Frankenstein himself – continues into the subsequent “Explosion” on wary strings, with loudly gothic vocals then joining to kick up a dramatic pace. Surging percussion then also arrives to build the rising tensions to a hair-raisingly frenetic crescendo, with low-pitched brass moodily ending the track afterward. A hurried piano rendition of the main theme then occupies the short “Victor’s Tale” alongside regretful strings, before another theme debuts in “Burning Angel”; this time a much gentler, almost joyous piece played on high-pitched strings, overall sounding quite a lot like a love theme in its swaying romantic nature.

An intense sense of strings-focused sorrow overtakes in the two minute “Mother Dies”, with the love theme (maybe a family theme?) now playing rather forlornly, until the main theme then returns in an almost chipper manner on light piano in the subsequent “William And Father”, with another theme also debuting in the back half – this time a more determined, more gothic motif that we’ll simply call the determination theme for ease (and given the dramatic nature with which it crescendos on loud vocals and strings in the back half too, it’s probably apt) before the track then fades out with a rather morose rendition of the main theme. A higher-pitched, three note new motif then arrives in “Lecture” – which given the raw intensity of it, I would associate with the Creature itself – on Hemsing’s frankly gorgeous-sounding violin with darkly moody orchestral murmurs accompanying, before hints back toward the gentle love/family theme echo on tranquil piano and strings through “Elizabeth”. The main theme then retakes centre stage on rather apprehensive strings in “The Castle”, with loudly dramatic vocals and brass joining the strings for a series of short crescendos as the track continues. The floating love/family theme then ends the track on a gently romantic note.

A very classical music-esque tone occupies “Victor In Love” and “Victor & Elizabeth”, with light, leaping strings playing together with upbeat woodwinds for a rather waltz-like pair of cues overall. The motif for the Creature then hurries frantically for the short “Symmetry” before the orchestra reaches a waltz-like climax in “Body Building”; soaring strings, brass, vocals and plodding drums dance rather merrily along in this four minute setup track, getting everything stylistically ready for the subsequent seven minute and standout setpiece; “The Tower”. For the iconic Creature creation scene, the cue begins with hurried flurries of strings, chanting vocals and bursts of brass flaring in a deafeningly dramatic manner, with the full orchestra then continuing in this emphatically gothic vein, led by a thunderous organ and shrill vocals for the next few minutes. After several rather intense crescendos, the music then simmers down for its final moments with wary vocals and strings. The subsequent “Awakening” then relaxes into gentle wonder, with the love/family theme playing ethereally on a gorgeous-sounding violin – again played by Hemsing – with that same instrumental innocence also continuing into “Everything Is New” alongside playful piano notes before moody string-based serenity overtakes for “Elizabeth Meets The Creature”.

The gentle strings from “Awakening” reprise in similarly ethereal style for “Floating Leaf” together with relaxed piano, before a ferocious orchestral intensity arrives for “Fire” as strained strings set a rapid pace alongside shrill vocals, with the determination motif from earlier playing centrally for the first half before the main theme then explodes with dramatic grandeur in the second. The Creature’s theme thunders with similarly grand intensity on now loudly imposing violin for “Creature’s Tale”, though the music then quietens again for the much more relaxed and almost playful “Family Life”. This upbeat mood doesn’t last for long though, as a great orchestral sorrow occupies “A Friend” with high-pitched strings and plinking piano building to an intensely melancholic crescendo. The moody three note motif for the Creature then reprises solemnly in “Recollection”, and also leads into the rather ghostly “Return To The Tower” straight after as the theme plays warily on strings and high-pitched vocals. Hemsing’s lovely violin again reprises the Creature’s ever-forlorn motif in “A Merciless Life”, once more evoking that classical feel before the finale of the score then begins with “Confrontation”; dramatic drums echo in the first few seconds, with sorrowful strings overtaking after before gentle violin & piano-focused ambience settles for the rest of the cue.

A great sense of sorrow is the focus of “Laying To Rest”, with ethereal vocals and quietly forlorn strings occupying much of the track’s three minute runtime until a tense crash of drums suddenly closes it out alongside a wary twinkle from the love theme. Frenetic brassy action then overtakes for the short “Don’t Delay”, with the subsequent “Tent & Dynamite” simmering with moody brass and strings building in both volume and intensity for the first ninety seconds before high-pitched, almost horror-like strings end the track. The music then slows back down for “Forgiveness”, with Hemsing’s now gentle violin leading forlornly for a few beautifully serene minutes before final track “Eternity” closes out the album; lighter strings open the three minute cue, before rumbling drums and rising brass tell a tonal tale of solemnity with just a touch of hope, before the gorgeous love/family theme – once again reprised by Hemsing on violin – then fades the music to a gently tranquil finish.

Overall, Alexandre Desplat’s score for Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein is elegant, gothic and deeply emotional, making it pretty perfectly fitting for the iconic titular story. The orchestral style is very intricate and frankly gorgeous – as per usual with Desplat honestly – and the inclusion of Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing’s talents as well gives the music such a rich and indeed classical-sounding feel that really enhances the score, particularly the more emotional and joyous aspects. In terms of themes, they’re subtle – again as standard for the composer – but certainly present, with the wary main theme for Victor Frankenstein himself (“Frankenstein”) present across the album, as well as a beautifully ethereal love/family theme (“Awakening”, “Eternity”), a moodily morose motif for the Creature itself (“Creature’s Tale”, “A Merciless Life”) and an additional, ever-determined motif that appears aggressively in “Fire” – all of which are intricate and utilised extensively. The Standout Cue for me is the powerfully orchestral seven minute “The Tower” setpiece for the iconic Creature creation scene, but the various aforementioned cues where Desplat’s various themes surge intensely are excellent too. All-in, for me personally it’s perhaps not quite as standout as the composer’s Jurassic World Rebirth earlier this year, but that doesn’t stop Frankenstein from being pretty damned stellar.

Score: 8/10

Standout Cues: The Tower, Fire, Eternity

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