Alberto Iglesias- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
When I asked my learned friend about film scores to review, he recommended Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I saw the movie, maybe four years ago, and not a lot of it stuck with me. I remembered being confused, then just giving up and letting the plot carry me until the end. I also remember feeling satisfied when (Spoilers) George Smiley took his place at the head of the table, signifying his promotion to Control. It was a good movie, but one that requires several rewatches, which I don’t have the energy for, to understand. This relationship to the movie is perfect, because I can remember bits and pieces, but still concentrate on the music.
The main theme that I know the score and the movie share is control and lack thereof. Again I can’t remember the plot, but I do remember that someone would do something that caused a chain reaction of responses by the rest of the characters. Someone would suspect this person, which makes them send this person to follow him, which makes the first man suspicious, so he goes for a walk, kills a butterfly in a park and causes a typhoon in Thailand. Everybody is running around in their own little hamster wheels, but those hamster wheels are also running into each other.
A lot of times, this score makes you feel like you’re on that hamster wheel. You’re running around, something is chasing you but you don’t know what. Other times, you’re the stalker and you’re hunting someone who might just be around the corner. The one thing these two states have in common is that you didn’t choose any of them. There are no characters, just mood. There is no one in control.
Except George Smiley. George Smiley’s theme features a prominent horn that seems to dictate rather than follow the flow of the music. The music is divided into two sections: the strings, which sometimes play solo, and some other instrument that represents a character or just helps to set a mood. The strings usually set the tempo, and mood of the piece, faster for tenser moods, slower for a more relaxed feel. They represent the hamster wheels. The only time I heard them pause or slow down, to give any other instrument some kind of control, is when George Smiley’s horn was playing. It’s as if the music knew something before the audience: Smiley is the real person in control.
4/5 As my learned friend suggested, this is great background music for working on a project. It energizes you, gives you a sense of urgency. Unfortunately it’s not great for just sitting and listening, since it’s impossible to listen to whilst trying to relax. But as long as you’re moving, check it out.