By Mita Tate
Tim Burton’s darkly comedic biography Ed Wood was a light-hearted tribute to an eccentric man who is considered by many to be the worst director in the history of film, Edward D. Wood Jr. What made this movie so amazing (other than the constant thrill of watching Johnny Depp’s eyebrows mug for the camera for two hours) was Howard Shore’s perfect accompanying score. Mixing elements ranging from traditional film music with the theremin-tinged, haunted exotica sounds of band leaders such as Martin Denny and Les Baxter, Ed Wood’s score truly captures everything the real Wood stood for and tried to accomplish with his films. If Wood had access to major movie studio funds, this is more than likely exactly what he would have chosen as the musical backdrop to his bmovie masterpieces.
The “Main Theme” to Ed Wood is a perfect amalgamation of Ennio Morricone and Perez Prado. The Afro-Caribbean, Latin Mambo-style drumming mixed with the eerie sounds of the theremin not only make it haunting in the vein of 60s giallo scores, but also extremely kitsch in a mondo lounge, Ricky Ricardo way. The themes used in this piece are carried on throughout the entire duration of the score.
The triumphant fanfare of “Ed Takes Control” is used in the scene where Wood realizes he must not let anyone stand in way of his dream and must march forward. Shore is able to capture this moment perfectly with militaristic-style percussion and a vibrant brass section representing Wood’s sheer determination to not let Hollywood ruin his vision. “This Is The One” is one of the more emotional as well as traditional pieces of the score. This is the Howard Shore that we all remember from Silence of the Lambs and The Lord of The Rings Trilogy. The use of the theremin here again is very subtle and unlike other tracks, where it is used in a kitschy way, here it is as beautiful as when Clara Rockmore performed her classical theremin variations around the world.
Besides being a film score, Howard Shore’s Ed Wood stands as a modern day tribute to the forgotten yet colorful past of the space age, tiki-a-go-go world.
