The Book of Eli – Soundtrack Review

In the film, The Book of Eli is a post-apocalyptic religious themed yarn, and one of the key things that I enjoyed from the film was the score. Atticus Ross isn’t a name one recognizes yet, as his only real score was from New York, I Love You. The Hughes Brothers must know something, since they chose him to score their film. In this score, Ross uses lots of atmospheric ambiance. Long, haunting strings, often soothing make up most of Ross’ score. But deep within, his associative ties to Nine Inch Nails pops up, as we’re treated to some interesting cues.

Melody fills these cues, and if one called this soundtrack post-apocalyptic ambiance, I’d say they be 100% right. The film really doesn’t offer up scoring for action or scenes (outside of “Solara Violated” and “Carnegie’s Demise”), so don’t expect a that type of score. Ross really just focused on mood, almost zen-like much like Eli himself (Denzel Washington). “Panoramic”, “The Journey”, “Safe”, “The Passenger”, and the closer to the soundtrack “The Purpose” offer fans some interesting compositions.

The film has action, yet Ross’ score is very action oriented. One key issue I have is that he really doesn’t get too revved up and really let loose. His NIN ties might confuse some into thinking the score will be more industrial fused, as say Marilyn Manson’s score for Resident Evil. Only at times, though, do we get a few cues like that. But I can’t fault Ross, and how can we since we weren’t in the production meetings. The score ties nicely into the film, once seen. But for a purchasable piece of music, I tend to look at scores solo, meaning away from the movie experience. In that regard, The Book of Eli score is a calm, moody piece of work, something that can be played in the background when doing something else. Atticus Ross is a name I’ll be looking forward to listening too in the future, as some pieces of music are forged into my memory from this hybrid orchestral/industrial score.

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