QotD: Movie soundtracks

Listening to the "Da Vinci Code" soundtrack, which has its moments. It's by Hans Zimmer, your go-to guy for ominous thrumming tortured-hero music. He uses the same rhythmic modules he used in the "Batman" soundtrack, and that's a good thing, although if you can't tell if the music is meant for the Son of God or a guilt-drenched billionaire in a rubber suit, you might want to fine tune your modalities . . . ah, there's the religious element. Choirs. It sounds absolutely agonized, though; it's like one long musical apology for the Shocking Truth the heroes are uncovering. Sorry about this, Jesus. At least it's not Enigma. You remember Enigma: moody Euro soft-corn porn soundtracks with sampled Gregorian chants, punctuated by a breathy chanteuse asking questions of the Marquis De Sade. In French, naturellement. "Etes vous . . . diabolique?" Prolly so, yeah; if the coprophilia wasn't a strong enough hint, let me tie you down and prick you with peacock quills dipped in the blood of infants. I think they got sixteen albums out of that idea.

James Lileks, The Bleat, 2006-05-31