After walking out of Zak Snyder's stunningly engrossing movie, Sucker Punch, a couple of things struck me immediately. For one, I didn't immediately know how I felt about the movie. It was so much like a video game in one respect, so theatrical in another, and so over-the-top it was hard to process. My mind almost hurt from trying to pin point that one starting point that was needed to help begin the processing. The second thing that was most apparent was just how important the music from the film helped to create this visually stunning and immersive world. The music really helped to act as a voice to the scenes, almost an odd narrator of sorts, one that speaks not in words and phrases, per se, but in musical lyrics of old, mixed with music that was both in your face, and some how completely essential.
Okay, so that being said, one needs to ask, how is the music in this movie? Or more importantly, what is the music in this movie?
The soundtrack is made up of re-imaged versions of older songs. There is nothing that is original to the film. This choice is very dangerous, as people will always have opinions of how a remake of a song should be handled. There are purists who believe that there should never be a remake of anything and that it was perfect the first time, and then there are people like me, who find remakes to be interesting at times, frustrating at other, and confusing at other points. I think that a remake can either show the strength of the original, or help to expand of some of the moments that stood out and maybe fix others. In any case, remakes are, as stated earlier, a dangerous road to go down.
Since Sucker Punch is such a specific film, it needed a specific soundtrack, and from the moment it opens you know that this movie is going to offer something different.
The opening song is a redo of the 80's song "Sweet Dreams," originally sung by The Eurythmics. This is no 80's version, though. No, what we have here is a mixture of sadness and discontent, of loss, and of hopelessness. It's beautiful, while it pulls us into a dark place. It is sung by the movie's star, Emily Browning, who has a wonderfully fitting voice for this film. Once the organ kicks in, the mood is complete, and you are lost in song. In the film, this song plays over the opening scenes of sadness and despair. It's perfect.
Following that is a kind of re-packaged version of Bjork's "Army of Me". It is very similar to it's counterpart, in part because it is also sung by Bjork and keeps the same rough riffs that kicked within that version. It does however, add a bit of a musically interlude to add to the scene it is used for. This music acts as a slowing down of the moment and melody, long enough to then come back and blast you again. It is very successful. And this is coming from a person who doesn't like Bjork at all.
Next up is "White Rabbit," here sung by Emiliana Torrini. This is a dream inducing track, it almost like this song is floating above you tempting you to come with it, down the rabbit hole, as it were. It's funny, because it's not unlike the original in that regard, which is filled with 60's dreamy music as well. This version somehow retains that feeling, while playing within the bounds of the film, and it also adds a bit of a musical interlude for the film scenes, before coming back for its final kick. The original was sung by Jefferson Airplane.
"I Want It All/We Will Rock You," is actually the one exception to the full on remake takes on the album. This is more of a remix that takes these two classic songs by Queen, who are featured here, and fuses them with the rapping lyrics of Geddy. It is a bit off putting, at first, but then it does grow on you, because it uses the mixture of these songs to give it that kick! It's actually powerfully effective. However, it's not everybody.
"Search and Destroy," sung by Skunk Anansie is up next. I wasn't really familiar with this song, having to seek it out on Youtube. It was sung by The Stooges, and it's not bad. Not my favorite song, to be sure, so this remake, to me, is a much more successful take, simply because it does take what is there and applies the dreamy improvement. It still is not my favorite on the soundtrack, but it fits the film like the proverbial glove.
Another one that I had to seek out was "Tomorrow Never Knows," sung by Carla Azar. Now, apparently, this was sung by The Beatles, and it retains the strangeness of the original, as this is one of those Beatles' songs that feels like it could have been written during a very nice drug trip. At least, that's how it sounds to me and whether this is true or not, I don't know. This track is kept that way, as it already feels dreamy and kind of slowed down. Good stuff here.
One of my personal favorites, because I love the original song, is "Where Is My Mind," sung by Yoav and Emily Browning. The Pixies gave us this wonderful tune, it plays at the end of "Fight Club," to massive effect. Here is such a dreamy and reflective version, it brings a tear to my eye. It's almost a ballad for lost dreams and lost hope. And yet, unlike "Sweet Dreams," it feels oddly hopeful. This song feels like that much needed sunlight, slowly clearing away the fog. In the end, it does add a huge amount of kick, to one up itself and give us that final goodbye, before going back to its quiet roots. It's powerful.
And then we come to my favorite song off of this album hands down, "Asleep," sung by Emily Browning. The Smiths brought this song of reflection and loss. It is so sad but it feels like we are completing a journey, and starting a new one with a sense of hope and caution. Emily's voice is almost angelic here, like a siren asking us to follow. I'd do so in a heartbeat, if it meant feeling as free as this song, this version, promises.
The final song is the one oddity here, simply because it doesn't fit with the rest of the albums songs and their interpretations. "Love Is the Drug," sung by Oscar Issac and Carla Gugino, is a playful song, one that you would seemingly encounter in a lounge show. You expect this to be the part of the show where you have a chorus come out in sequent gowns and then start dancing. Somehow it works, but, again, feels really off being on this soundtrack.
Alright, so I have covered a lot of ground here. This is what I want you to take away: I feel that this is a very successful soundtrack, filled with new, and in most cases powerful, take on old songs. It might be debated for years, or it might fade into obscurity. For the moment, however, it gives us something different, and that's where it succeeds.
--MGS
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