BRAINSTORM (1983) - James Horner - Soundtrack Score Suite

So the question is this: when one of the two lead stars of your film dies in an accident shortly before the completion of principal photography, do you can the film permanently and collect upon the actor's insurance, or do you make the necessary rearrangements to release the film to the public anyway? The 1983 Douglas Trumbull film Brainstorm had much more going for it than simply the publicity of actress Natalie Wood's death in a boating accident in 1981. The plot of the science fiction thriller postulated about the ethical implications of a mechanical invention that records the sensory experiences of one individual and allows for the playback of those feelings to the brain of another person. This technology not only attracts the most intense scientific minds but also the attention of corporate and government interests. The situation gets complicated when one of the scientists realizes that she is having a fatal heart attack and records the last moments of her life, leading to speculation about whether another person feeling those end of life recordings would also die or, more fantastically, learn about what happens upon death. The idea behind the plot is universally admired, but the execution of it yielded a finished film that concentrated mostly on the machine itself and marginalized the characters. A creative combination of varying film sizes and vibrant special effects were dazzling, an expected feature given Trumbull's own credits in that area (2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Bladerunner). Ultimately, however, Brainstorm is only remembered for Wood's death and the speculation about co-star Christopher Walken's involvement in that incident. While the producers of the film sought to scrap the entire venture and collect the insurance, the contract for the film gave Trumbull the ultimate say in the matter. He re-wrote a handful of scenes, changed a few camera angles in revised shooting, and dedicated his finished product to Wood. The two-year delay and the publicity surrounding the post-production and accident controversy couldn't save Brainstorm from the fact that it had flaws in its character setup, but at the very least it accomplished the goals of making the audience think and allowing one last glimpse of the popular Wood on screen. Trumbull was so distraught by the entire production that he never directed a Hollywood film again.
Almost as a sidebar at the time, Brainstorm also gave a 30-year-old composer an opportunity to expand his horizons in the science-fiction genre. Outside of his work on B-rate sci-fi schlock, James Horner was really only known for his incredibly surprising score for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan at the time. His assignment to Brainstorm allowed him to redefine similar sounds and conjure new ones for both the ethereal and horrifying elements of mechanized telepathy. Unlike the Horner projects to follow (with a more family-oriented tone of orchestral majesty and vintage jazz), Brainstorm is a work that very strikingly alternates between the grandiose mystery of the concept's possibilities and the horrors of its downside. Thus, Horner's score sways dramatically from gorgeous choral harmony to excruciating symphonic chaos frequently and sometimes violently. Even in the score's moments of beauty, there is a sense of raw brutality lurking in the secondary performance elements (and therefore the tone of the composition). Because Brainstorm does contain a love story, Horner offers a lovely crescendo of melodramatic choral progressions that eventually develops into a curiously baroque theme for strings and piano.
The horror and thriller elements in Brainstorm are truly where the score's heart resides, and it is in these moments that a collector of the composer's works will find both the most interesting and exhilarating material. As previously mentioned, the horror cues in Brainstorm are extremely frightening. Horner employs "organized chaos" in three cues to allow certain parts of the symphonic ensemble and choir to follow linear lines of harmony while the rest simply pluck, bang, strike, blurt, and puff in seemingly random, atonal performances.
On the other hand, Horner's more cohesive action elements in Brainstorm are the true treat of the score. Full fledged brutality with ripping snare drum, banging chimes, and extremely harsh brass rhythm-setters is heard in "Race for Time." The latter cue's forceful personality, emulating both Goldsmith's sense of conspiracy from Capricorn One and Horner's own raw rhythms representing Khan in Star Trek II, is nothing less than a highlight in Horner's complete career filmography.
(http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/brainstorm.html)
Overall, Brainstorm is an admirable score that remains a daunting challenge on its only (short) album. Something has to be said for the nervous, menacing energy that Horner stirs in this work, even if it is truly insufferable in its most thrilling explosions.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• James Horner
• Brainstorm
• Christopher Walken
• Douglas Trumbull
• Natalie Wood
• Louise Fletcher
• Soundtrack
• Science Fiction
• Score
• Suite
• 1983

[Nrvous68]

Everything that James Horner was AND became as composer IS here. You can hear all his scores from movies before and after this one. I mean ALL the scores. Especially "The Abbys"...I think he is right up there with John Williams, John Barry and Maurice Jarre. Absolute Genius.

[psykilll]

@sweetpeariot Also, it's refreshing to see someone defend her talents as an actor, rather than solely her looks. My intention wasn't to convey she was merely an attractively hot lady. Kudos to you for highlighting what was really important; her talent.

[psykilll]

@sweetpeariot You are correct in your comments. You should not be offended by it though. She was indeed a great talent, and someone who left us FAR before she should have gone. It was a great tragedy in what happened to her. My comment still stands though as I believe she was incredibly attractive and from what I hear, a great person in real life. I do not consider myself shallow and I do not base who someone is on looks alone. I just felt like commenting on her looks at that particular moment.

[sweetpeariot]

@psykilll I find it rather sad that you choose to label someone whose talent we should remember as "hot" in such a manner. What about her talents? Those say way more about her as a person than her looks.

[teccec]

This has always been an extremely powerful film for me. My wife had never seen it until I recorded it a couple years ago, I played it back tonight after she again didn't remember it (not as much in to movies as I). Its uncomfortable to watch, especially the heart attack and end scenes, and music to me reminds me very much of The Abyss, which also has uncomfortable/stressful moments. Its too bad this film isn't more widely respected, I think the story/cinematography/music are outstanding.

[psykilll]

Amazing pictures and sound. Natalie Wood was soooooooo HOT! R.I.P Natalie. :(

[5DeadlyRecords]

I don't know if you are responsible for that insightful write up Schnurpselbacke1, but if you are - hats off to you sir, hats off to you. If you are not writing in some capacity socially/professionally, you are squandering your blessings.

One.

[sunsfansam]

Hello, not sure if you are familiar with this movie. If you are, anything you know about the photo that begins at 8:30? I don't recall any scenes from the movie of them walking on the beach. I remember reading there was a scene cut which had them together on a boat. I guess it's possible that this scene on the beach may have been part of that sequence.