The Martian (Harry Gregson-Williams)

In Brief:

In The Martian, Matt Damon finds himself stranded on Mars. Using only disco music and potatoes (the "nassty chips" so cruelly rejected by Gollum), he devises a way to survive until NASA can bring him back to his home planet of Neptune. (Isn't that what the "N" in NASA stands for?)

Director Ridley Scott doesn't stick with one composer, but he still formed relationships with a few. Though Scott notoriously rejected parts of Jerry Goldsmith's score to Alien (and Universal subsequently rejected Goldsmith's entire score to the American release of Scott's Legend), he did manage to stick with Hans Zimmer for six films and Zimmer apprentice Marc Streitenfeld for five. Though the scores from the latter composer were unremarkable, Prometheus did boast a captivating main theme by Harry Gregson-Williams that overshadowed the rest of Streitenfeld's score. Gregson-Williams had worked with Scott on 2005's Kingdom of Heaven, the best score in a Scott film since Goldsmith's Legend 20 years earlier. Now, Gregson-Williams returns to the Scott fold, providing The Martian with a hypnotic, entrancing, and ultimately triumphant score.

Gregson-Williams generally has two sides: the propulsive, electronic sound he's used for his seven films with Ridley's late brother Tony (such as Spy Game, Man on Fire, and Unstoppable) and the lush, full-bodied orchestral idiom of Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, the first two Narnia films, and (with John Powell) Chicken Run and Antz. His score for the Martian mixes elements from both. Captivating and, at times, thrilling electronics nestle comfortably alongside rich orchestral melodies and precisely written tunes for solo instruments. The electronic sounds range from more modern beats to optimistic-sounding 8-bit elements. The simple main theme, versatile enough to evoke different moods on different instruments, infuses the score with an aspirational quality throughout its running time. Although individual cues such as "Making Water," "Hexadecimals," and "Crossing Mars" feature remarkable orchestral/electronic build-ups, the dramatic arc of the score as a whole, slowly building to its cathartic conclusion, proves even more impressive.

There's no single cue to match the glorious (though somewhat melodically derivative) cues "Shenzou" (1:30-4:45) and "Gravity" (2:45-end) from Steven Price's score to the similarly themed--you guessed it--Gravity, but The Martian is a stronger score overall. Though not as crowd-pleasing as Gregson-Williams's Sinbad, Chicken Run, or Team America: World Police, this score boasts an impressive array of sounds and colors, both electronic and acoustic, to please the ears.

Playlist-Worthy Tracks:

Emergency Launch
Making Water
Hexadecimals
Crossing Mars
See You in a Few
Fly Like Iron Man

Analysis Begins with Anal:

Mars: A synthetic rumble leads to tinkling piano and electronics. The synthesizer then opens up the soundscape, evoking an ethereal quality. The main theme, a desolate yet aspirational tune for electric guitar, enters. A low string variation of the theme is framed by bubbling low synth.

Emergency Launch: The cue opens with a bass beat with ominous low string swells and a see-sawing phrase that recalls Jerry Goldsmith's Alien score. A stylish, somewhat "pop"-like string ostinato leads to ominous brass. A string chorale with answering brass blossoms to an emotional statement of the main theme with subtle choir. Eerie choir and strings lend an otherworldly tint to the end of the cue.

Making Water: A buzzing synth leads to rippling harp over an upbeat, charmingly old-fashioned-sounding synth beat. A propulsive string ostinato enters, the main theme growing on strings and horns over snare-like percussion. Gregson-Williams deftly creates a sense of momentum, adding new electronic elements, orchestral instruments, and volume as the cue progresses. In some ways, this cue resembles Daft Punk's score to Tron: Legacy, a score on which Gregson-Williams consulted.

Spotting Movement: Fluttering synth ostinatos transform into a more beat-like pattern, flitting around the stereo field. The bubbling low synth from the opening track returns to round things out.

Science the S*** Out of This: A low ostinato on what I can only describe as low wind chimes precedes a variation of the main theme variation on low strings. Propulsive synths, calling to mind Gregson-Williams's work on the Metal Gear Solid video games, enter near the end.

Messages from Hermes: An echoing electric violin phrase floats over a delicate synth bed. Desolate French horn perfectly evokes the Martian landscape (though what do I know; the scene could be of Matt Damon doing the macarena).  Piano slowly ekes out the main theme.  Strings rise, leading to an energetic, almost rousing ostinato with wide intervals.

Sprouting Potatoes: (Boil them, mash them, stick them in a stew.) Science-y synths and guitar lead to expressive solo cello. Strings play an optimistic motif based on four notes.

Watney's Alive!: We had science-y synths in the last track--well, now we have static-y synths. Piano attempts to form shape of main theme. The last 30 seconds pick up the pace with propulsive electronic rhythms.

Pathfinder: And now we have queasy synths. Chime-like sounds play as the piano again tries to find main theme.

Hexadecimals: More video game-y 8-bit synth, including rippling cascades, features here. A lush electronic crescendo recalls Henry Jackman's superb score to Wreck-It-Ralph (and the title track in particular).

Crossing Mars: Processed electric guitar plays the main theme over a lonely string bed. French horn and strings play a variation of the main theme in a warm, almost Americana style. The theme and instrumental layers slowly keep building and building, female choir finally entering as one of the final developments. Unlike Making Water, this track uses mostly orchestral elements to propel the momentum forward, but the effect is just as invigorating.

Reap & Sow: Sneaky Metal Gear Solid-like synths enter before turning in a completely different direction with a cello statement of the main theme. A bass drop (or whatever you call that thing that turns up in so much dubstep music) leads to a driving string ostinato and echoing trumpet phrases.

Crops Are Dead: A female voice keens an elegy (for the crops?) Bassoon takes over, finally "sobbing" out the main theme before female voice ends the cue.  The whole track is almost like a duet for soprano and bassoon, lending a quiet sincerity to the score that one wouldn't expect in a tent-pole movie.

Work the Problem: A synth noise in this cue reminds me of Robyn Miller's eerie score for the computer game Myst. A techno rhythm enters, complete with ramp up (like a less brash version of Gregson-Williams's music for The Equalizer.)

See You in a Few: Solo piano starts the cue off, sustained synth chords providing harmony. A harpsichord-esque instrument slowly plays the main theme. Piano then picks up the theme, allowing it to slowly develop over the course of the cue. Choir enters, preceding a beautiful string swell. Male choir comes to the fore before rumbling synth takes over, but the choir soon fights back as the percussion starts an invigorating rhythm.

Build a Bomb: A synth pulse makes its way around the stereo field. After a questioning, 4-note rising ostinato, the strings start to build, slowly ascending in pitch.

Fly Like Iron Man: Low bass sounds rumble under an echoing two-note flute phrase and a subtle ticking rhythm.  Dissonant brass herald a dramatic crescendo from the whole orchestra. A rapid-fire string ostinato under brass suddenly changes gears to an 8-bit-ish synth rendition of the main theme. Full orchestra, including triumphant brass and male choir, releases the tension that has been building up for the whole score. As the score closes, female choir enters, strings ending with a quiet nod to the three final notes of the opening movement of Richard Stauss's Also Spake Zarathustra (AKA the 2001: A Space Odyssey opening and closing music.)


[Linked Youtube videos are not my uploads.]