Mutiny On The Bounty (1962/Limited Edition CD Soundtrack Set)
Sound: B Music:
B+
There are composers who go through their careers and even
when they have very long and successful ones, still find challenges that are
once in a lifetime. Bronislau Kaper is
one of those artists. In his over 150
scores, including Battan, Gaslight, Above Suspicion, Naked
Spur, Them!, Lili, Auntie Mame, Butterfield 8, The
Prodigal, The Swan, The Brothers Karamazov and Home From
The Hill (the last few of which are also available from FSM and reviewed
elsewhere on this site), none offers the massive challenge he would face with
the 1962 remake of Mutiny On The Bounty.
MGM was anxious to duplicate the success of their 1959 remake of Ben
Hur. Like that watershed hit, this would
be shot with a huge budget and with the rare MGM Camera 65/Ultra Panavision 70
format.
This was anamorphically shot 65mm large-frame negative
that is the only format that could be considered Cinerama in a single
lens. Like that three camera/projector
format that broke widescreen films in the first place, this format had n very,
very wide aspect ratio of 2.76 X 1. Only
nine films were ever made in this frame and this one was the third. It also marked the change of name from the
MGM version to Panavision. It also came
after Ben Hur in that respect, so they company was betting big time on
the project. We look forward to going
into the actual film at a later date.
Though not as big a hit as Ben Hur, the film still
well enough and many agree that Kaper’s score is one of the biggest
reasons. However, even that could not
help the film recoup its costs, but Kaper’s score is so monumental that this is
the first FSM label score to take up three CDs.
The score is roughly divided into the original music used in the film
itself, covering all of CD 1 and part of CD 2, then you get alternate
recordings covering the rest of CD 2 into CD 3.
Finally, you get bonus versions that include expanded versions of tracks
that appeared on the original 35-minutes-long vinyl version, which originally
appeared in a box with a big book. As I
listened on, the score got better and better, which is also to say that many of
the alternate and bonus versions of the score had tracks that worked better
than what was finally used in the film.
This is an extremely rare opportunity to study a key score that is so
massive that the simplest creative changes can have a profound impact on what
is finally experienced.
Kaper knew that the film would be presented in
multi-channel magnetic stereo with anywhere from 6 to 9 tracks! As a result, he knew there was no way to hide
or twist a score that would be heard with unprecedented fidelity, but yet there
is still some distortion and problems with the analog material recorded at that
time. This CD is presented mostly in stereo and the PCM 2.0 is full and rich,
though has varied sonic limits throughout.
Everything form 6-track magnetic stereo masters, to three-track magnetic
stereo off of magnetically coated 35mm film, to notorious 17.5mm magnetic mono
was remastered to make this grand set possible.
There is harmonic distortion when the music gets loud, though you can
hear FSM tried to keep this from being shrill, strained and strident. However, sound recording was still not where
it needed to be, especially in the stereophonic department where innovation was
still happening and needed to happen.
This turns out to be a very popular score and Kaper’s last
for MGM, though his career was far from over.
As I listened, one score that haunted me was that of Hans Zimmer, for
Terrence Mallick’s underrated remake of The Thin Blue Line (1998). That is considered on of Zimmer’s best
scores, which says something despite some of the formula works he has delivered
for more commercial projects. It is also
vindication of how ahead of it’s time Kaper’s score was in trying to bring a
new naturalism to cinema, perhaps harkened on by Brando’s insistence of
becoming as much a part of the nature around him as he could for the role,
which would affect the rest of his life.
Alone, the original score is massive enough and FSM has
often split scores over two CDs, though sometimes you have had to get another
set to get those tracks. Here,
everything is in one place and this is the most ambitious and achieved of such
releases by the label to date, yet only 3,000 copies are being produced. This is a true must-have for all serious film
music collectors and know that Warner Bros. will only release this on DVD with
Dolby sound. Maybe an HD-DVD version
will have higher-definition Meridian Lossless Packing and multi-channel that
could surpass the sound quality on this CD set, but even that will not have all
this bonus material. That includes the
thickest booklet FSM has issued with a soundtrack yet, very thorough as usual
with 48 pages of great illustrations and text that is one of their best yet,
which says something considering how great the booklets included usually
are. This is why acquiring this title
something to seriously consider while supplies last. You can go to www.filmscoremonthly.com and read
more about it, download some sample tracks, check out other exclusive CD
soundtracks and more on the site.
Serious film and music fans will not be disappointed.
Also see more about the actual film on HD-DVD at:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4786/Mutiny+On+The+Bounty+(1962/HD
- Nicholas
Sheffo
