Thor

Film Facts:

‘Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor’ (Odin, Thor 2011). Thor was one of the FOUR films which have been officially identified as the foundation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Stellan Skarsgard (Dr Erik Selvig) and Natalie Portman (Jane Foster). Thor was a film which explained the MCU’s origin story for the Norse God which was directed by Kenneth Branagh. The screenplay was written by Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne and the cinematography was led by Haris Zambraloukos.

 

The story was based on the Marvel Comics version of Thor, written by three legendary pioneers of the comic industry Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby. Thor was nominated for a number of awards, bringing both seasoned performers and upcoming performers to the screen. The film depicts the journey Thor takes from a spoiled and selfish kid in Asgard before his Father Odin banishes him to earth where he begins to learn the values of a true king. The OST was written by Patrick Doyle and was nominated for two awards, bringing about an identity to Thor, which would span over the ten-year journey the MCU had just embarked on.

Track Facts:

Composer: Patrick Doyle

Label: Buena Vista & Marvel Music

Award Nominations:

ASCAP Awards – Top Box Office Films (Won)

World Soundtrack Awards – Soundtrack Composer of the Year

Release: April 25, 2011

 

The Jam

Thor was one of the four founding movies which launched the MCU with Chris Hemsworth becoming the character of Thor and in turn, Patrick Doyle was responsible for the musical identity of the Norse God. Doyle is a diverse composer, writing music for a range of various films, most famously having a strong partnership with Kenneth Branagh in many of the Shakespearean films he directed, and so here it was no surprise that Branagh and Doyle teamed up for this new thrilling, comic-book-inspired adventure.

Doyle begins with ‘Chasing The Storm’ which swells in orchestral energy generating a mysteriousness of the world beyond what we know as Earth as he introduces what I describe as an ‘awe-inspiring’ theme. The track moves into a string ostinato and drives the opening scene where Jane Foster and Dr Selvig quite literally chase a storm which turns out to be the Bifrost, building to an excellent crescendo, igniting the story of Thor. ‘Chasing The Storm’ brings about an energy which viewers can latch onto from the very first scene. This continues into the ‘Prologue’ track as the voice of Anthony Hopkins retells the origins of his homeworld Asgard, setting the scene for the protagonist.

‘Sons Of Odin’ is a track which accompanies the scenery with precision as the audience is introduced to Asgard in all of its glory. The score really builds the character of Thor in the way it introduces strong instrumentation and creates a signature sound for Thor; in tracks such as ‘A New King’ and ‘Ride To Observatory,’ we have this consistent sound while still bringing the mood down to a more reflective and relaxed segment. I will note that Thor did not get his own signature theme throughout the film, rather an overall sound or development.

Considering this is a Marvel film, Branagh brought a good sense of darkness to the screen particularly in the Battle of Jotunheim where Thor and his accomplices face Laufey, the King of the Frost Giants (a good reference to Norse Mythology). Doyle writes an authentic three-part musical journey in ‘To Jotunheim’, ‘Laufey’ and ‘Frost Giant Battle’ which builds the tension from start to finish. These three tracks used not only the entire orchestral landscape but also provided an underlying synthetic pulse, a fantastic and subtle combination of sounds to make this feel like an authentic battle and build the tension.

The scene to follow turns to Odin who banishes Thor from Asgard as a result of his foolish actions and in turn, Thor learns about the value of a true leader. During this scene, Doyle writes a very well balanced piece which both emphasises the dramatic scenery and also brings about the recurring ‘awe-inspiring’ theme providing not only the hint for redemption but also consistency for Thor’s character. ‘Crisis in Asgard’ and ‘Odin Confesses’ changes the mood of the soundtrack dramatically as we learn about the history of Loki and the truth behind his adoption which Odin reveals to him. Doyle draws back on the instrumentation and successfully creates a sombre tone throughout these interactions which are an example of ‘Cinema Reliant Compositions’ (CRC), allowing for a focus on dialogue and emotion.

Doyle utilises similar tones and progressions in tracks throughout the film when Thor isn’t swinging Mjolnir around. This type of writing I found to be a little lacking but consistent with the overall direction of this soundtrack which is primarily sparse and free-moving, although at times it feels as though these tracks had room for more development and innovation. That being said, tracks such as ‘Urgent Matter’, ‘Loki’s Lie’ and ‘My Bastard Son’ allow the screenplay to dominate the particular scene as it needs to.

Doyle’s strength in this soundtrack is highlighted by ‘The Compound’ a track which brings many different energy levels and compositional devices in this fast-moving scene which acts as a turning point for the entire film. Doyle begins the track with a classic ‘breaking-in’ vibe which utilises the strings as the driving force behind the scene. Doyle pushes the energy forward and brings it back using the percussion instruments for accented beats and increased tension as Thor breaks in the compound and takes on a number of seemingly useless security guards. Although the track becomes lost in fighting background sounds during the mid sequence, Doyle eventually moves into the ‘awe-inspiring’ thematic direction when Thor is reunited with Mjolnir. Tactically, Doyle just as quickly turns this into a sombre strong-based arrangement as Thor realises he is unworthy of lifting the mighty hammer. In the same light, ‘Brother’s Fight’ and ‘The Destroyer’ sticks to the heavy use of percussion and widespread instrumentation, while ‘Thor Kills The Destroyer’ transitions well into the recurring sound of heroism, as viewers witness Thor in all his glory as his powers and traditional suit return to him, signifying his worthiness.

Doyle is known for his versatility in film scores and this is no exception. As the emotion changes in the film Doyle adapts his score development which complements the emotion on screen; ‘Science and Magic’ is a perfect example of this, for as Jane and Thor discuss the Nine-Realms over a warm fire, Doyle develops a subtle love theme which sadly does not grow into a distinct theme of itself. Doyle’s best emotive score is ‘Letting Go’ as Loki physically and mentally let’s go of his brother and Father to descend into the blackness of space at the end of the film’s climax. The use of the arpeggios on the strings and the stinging emotion from the intervallic progression works brilliantly in this scene as it moves the film towards its end.

Doyle finishes off the soundtrack nicely with ‘Can You See Jane’ which touches on the love theme between Thor and Jane and the connection they developed throughout the film. This score also emphasizes the relationship which Thor has with his Father Odin, as the cello takes the lead and brings a genuine warmth and calmness to their exchange and their relationship. This track takes the audience back outside of Asgard through the original space sequence which took place at the beginning of the film and into the credits. ‘Earth to Asgard’ is the final written score in the soundtrack which is similar to the ‘Prologue’ track, scored with the same instrumentation and progression. I am assuming that during the editing process both scores were used as Odin explains the history of Asgard at the beginning of the film.

 

Soundtrack Send-Off:

Doyle’s score for Thor is one which caters to many different emotions and provides a wide instrumentation and some beautiful segments of film music. I think overall the MCU lacks a definitive theme for each individual character and this is no exception, however with the universe being as diverse and populated as it is, presents its own difficulty. Doyle did not provide a definitive theme for Thor rather a thematic product through tracks such as ‘Chasing The Storm’, ‘Leufey’, ‘Science and Magic’ and ‘Earth To Asgard’, designing balanced and appropriate musical direction for a God being who spends his time on earth.

Doyle is specific in his focus from the beginning of the film in the world of Norse Mythology to Thor’s adventures on earth as the difference in approach was clear, however, the soundtrack does become lost at times and falls into the background during the ‘Marvel-type’ fighting scenes or the villain exchanges, something I believe is a holistic problem in the MCU. The score which Doyles has written provides both mythological energy and also a relatable human element in this sparse and well-rounded soundtrack.

TFMJ Pick Of The Lot: Track #1 – ‘Chasing The Storm’

TFMJ Rating: ★★★