Film Facts
‘With great power, comes great responsibility (Uncle Ben, Spider-Man, 2002)
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002) was a breakout comic book film, and one of the first films released by Marvel in conjunction with Blade and X-Men before Marvel built the MCU into what it is today. This was the first Spider-Man film that told the story of the young Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and his journey from a modest nerd to the web-slinging hero of New York City.
Parker, a mild-mannered high achiever, lives with his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) next door to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), the love of his life. A high school field trip has Parker going through an unexpected change as the result of a bug bite from a genetically enhanced spider, resulting in acquiring super strength, sharp reflexes, an ability to climb walls and a web that shoots from his wrist.
“With great power, comes great responsibility.”
With these famous last words spoken to Parker before the tragic death of his Uncle Ben, Parker decides to use his newfound abilities to become the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man we’ve all come to know and love. He even acquires a nemesis in the form of the Green Goblin, an evil alter-ego of Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe), father of Parker’s best friend Harry Osborn (James Franco). The cast assembled were well chosen, with strong performances as each of the classic comic book characters. Tobey Maguire leads as Spider-Man, supported by Willem Defoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris.
Spider-Man (2002) was directed by Sam Raimi, based on the screenplay written by David Koepp which was adapted from the original source material given to us by the legendary Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Raimi manages to tie in a well-known story with an action-packed pace and some darker elements to give balance to an evolving hero’s story.
The soundtrack was written by Danny Elfman in partnership with Pete Anthony. Elfman is a prolific composer in his own right, whose work on Burton’s first two Batman films was recognised as some of the most profound music written for a comic superhero movie in recent memory. Anthony is known for his work as a conductor/orchestrator in many film scores and is in high demand across the film industry to this day. Elfman brings his quirky and energetic style to this film, with a strong theme for Spider-Man, which in my opinion remains the strongest theme to date. Elfman brings the entire orchestra to life in this film with the addition of a choir ensemble, providing a strong foundation for the soundtrack and the character of Spider-Man. Raimi and Elfman have teamed up again with Marvel Studios for Doctor Strange PII
Track Facts
Composer
- Danny Elfman
Label
- Columbia
Award Nominations
- Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA – Saturn Award, Best Music (Won)
- BMI Film Music Award (Won)
- Grammy Awards – Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (Nominee)
- SFX Awards – Best SF of Fantasy Film Music (Nominee)
- World Soundtrack Awards – Best Original Soundtrack Of The Year (Nominee)
Release
- 2002
The Jam
Softly, patiently.. The first lingering note of the violin is played to begin the ‘Main Title’, and we slowly take our first step into the world of Peter Parker as Danny Elfman cuts right to the core of Maguire’s character in offering mystery, darkness, determination and inspiration. Elfman will always inspire me with his focus on rhythm and harmony, and his own individual quirkiness and style. The ‘Spider-Man’ score is one of the best examples we might find in Elfman’s extensive soundtrack portfolio. ‘Main Title’ acts as a blueprint for the remainder of the score, as many elements from this introductory piece are used and recycled throughout the soundtrack. “The core of the orchestra might be the same on almost every film score that I do.. Certain groups of string, brass and woodwind players, and then I’ll make adjustments depending on the film, and in Spider-Man I definitely loaded more towards the Brass. I knew it was going to be very percussive, brassy score.. Most of the percussion is coming from my own, everything from trash cans to pots and pans to Northern Indian drums and African Drums and everything in between going. The orchestra itself will be relatively traditional” (Danny Elfman in Behind The Scenes: Spider-Man – Composer Profile: Danny Elfman, Columbia Pictures, 2002)
I believe Elfman’s strength as a composer is to combine his skill in contemporary music, with the demands of music for film and media. ‘Costume Montage’ combines the instruments of the orchestra along with everyday instruments, found in contemporary music. The score here lightens the mood and focuses our attention on what Peter perceives to be cool or necessary to attract MJ’s attention as the ad’s of cars and prize money move by the montage, bringing forth a great vibe. ‘Revenge’ offers more breadth and room, allowing for harmonic development for the emotive journey Peter undertakes in this particular sequence. The score begins with slow percussive elements, and a number of supporting instruments, mostly atmospheric, leading up to the death of Uncle Ben, leaving Peter to decide whether to stay with his Uncle or chase down his killers. As Peter turns around to chase the criminals down, Elfman turns on the heat quickly, using the horns to push the energy up. Elfman incorporates a number of synthetic sounds into the segment of the track as well, as the layers build and work with each other.
‘City Montage’ fades in with soft strings into the ‘Power and Responsibility’ theme, something that Elfman designed as a split theme for the character of Spider-Man: “Peter Parker and Spider-Man had two different themes I used.. I used one for Peter Parker and one for Spider-Man. That was a little bit of a process I went through with Sam” (Danny Elfman in Behind The Scenes: Spider-Man – Composer Profile: Danny Elfman, Columbia Pictures, 2002). City Montage develops from this initial theme into a highly melodic score which keeps the feeling of the Spider-Man score central, however, it rises and falls as the camera moves from scene to scene, as Spider-Man swings around NYC, saving citizens and stopping criminals like a seasoned pro. ‘Alone’ is a reflective track where Elfman lays off the percussion instruments and allows for a sparse and harmonic conversation between the soft timbre instruments of the orchestra.
‘Specter Of The Goblin’ is unique in many ways, as Elfman is selective in his choice of instrumentation with a focus on percussion while bringing in small dissonant cluster tones with the strings. The piece is manic, it’s fast-paced and energetic, evoking the craziness that Norman Osborn is undergoing since his experiment at the laboratory. Elfman’s understanding and willingness to explore a range of percussive instruments give the soundtrack variety and emotional variance. This track does end with a strong showing from the brass instruments before ending on a heroic note at the transition of the scene. ‘Parade Attack’ is one of the standout tracks, moving through what was a well-executed scene, including pinpoint cues from Elfman, managing to evoke a number of emotions. The ostinato on the strings give us the impression right away that something is about to go down, and as the percussion and brass join the march of the riff, the Goblin begins the wreck havoc, at which point Peter pulls back the buttons on his shirt to reveal the Spider-Man costume, again, very well executed aurally and visually. The score remains consistent, moving the energy levels in parallel with the action on screen, however, the ending of this particular track is wonderful. Elfman brings in a vocal choir for this ending segment as Spider-Man saves MJ at the last moment, swinging her around NYC to a safe point. The way in which Elfman seamlessly but meaningfully switches the emotive energy is world-class.
‘Getting Through’ is the ‘love’ theme, albeit quite melancholy, as is the relationship of MJ and Peter Parker. It works hand in hand with the theme while treating the complexity of their relationships appropriately. The rubato at the end of phrases, and the lead of the woodwind and string instruments soften the dynamic between the two characters on screen while offering mystery; we are left wondering if their love for each other will work or not. The following track ‘Final Confrontation’ is of course the showdown which has been building since the second act of the film, between Spider-Man and Green Goblin. Elfman is consistent here, using the small string motifs in support of Spider-Man; the sound of slinging webs. Opposite to this is the established Green Goblin theme, heavily centred on brass and percussion in a great show of strength. Elfman pulls back on the dynamics and then pushes them sky-high as both Peter and Norman go blow to blow, eventually rounding this confrontation off with Elfman’s ‘Power and Responsibility’ theme, a truly appropriate and perfect way to end this track.
TFMJ Pick
The Film Music Jam’s pick for this soundtrack is ‘Farewell’. This particular track encompasses the many themes Eflman has designed which occur at various points of the film, creating a reflective and deep score. Elfman begins the track the same way he begun the ‘Main Title’, with a simple drawn-out note played on the strings allowing the additional instruments to creep in slowly, however, instead of focussing on rhythm and energy as he did in the ‘Main Title’, the harmony opens up into the ‘Power and Responsibility’ theme. This is ONE half of Peter, the confused teenager, who is still grappling with the responsibilities which have been thrust upon him. The track centre’s on the string family as the love theme becomes the focus, emphasising the complicated lives of Peter and MJ, and their evermore complex love for each other. The ‘Love Theme’ rises and falls with a lovely harmonic progression as Elfman backs off on the dynamic level, before powering into Peter’s second theme, which brings us right into the ‘Main Title’. Here, he has chosen and accepted his life, he is.. Spider-Man. During this final scene, we see Peter accept his responsibility as Raimi reflects “When Peter Parker finally becomes Spider-Man by the end of the picture and accepts his responsibilities.. Responsibilities that come with great power.. I hear the music finally soar, in a complete theme. When the chorus kicks in, it’s just very moving to me, and I feel that he has fulfilled his destiny. (Sam Raimi in Behind The Scenes: Spider-Man – Composer Profile: Danny Elfman, Columbia Pictures, 2002). The way in which Elfman builds this score up from a small string harmonic pattern, slowly releasing this into a wide rhythmic and harmonic space and then moves the score into the Spider-Man theme is meticulous. This track summarises the superb, complete score Elfman has designed.
Soundtrack Send-Off & Rating
The Spider-Man (2002) OST fit’s Raimi’s aesthetic and Maguire’s portrayal of Spider-Man to perfection. Elfman designed a number of central themes and used this as a foundation for the remainder of the score, offering a consistency rarely found in superhero films. Elfman’s quirky tendencies are prominent at the start, as the ‘Main Title’ brings forth many intricate rhythmic patterns. Elfman separated Peter Parker and Spider-Man, moving between the two themes at different times during the plot, eventually bringing them together. As soon as we hear the ‘Main Title’ we already gain insight into who Spider-Man is, as we can imagine the web-slinger moving from building to building without even seeing it yet.
References
Behind The Scenes: Spider-Man – Composer Profile: Danny Elfman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFBgziTe3tw)
Danny Elfman Interview (2002) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvQVqhBjLfU)
Danny Elfman Interview: Oz, Sam Raimi, Burton, Batman & more (https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/danny-elfman-interview-oz-sam-raimi-burton-batman-more/)
TFMJ 