Clint Mansell's Requiem for a Dream

Clint Mansell's score for the acclaimed film Requiem of a Dream is such a breathtaking piece of music. Many times it makes one wonder what the composers would tell you if you interviewed them about the creative thoughts behind their work. The use of a singer in the forefront singing with a tenor voice gives a spine-chilling start to a fantastic piece. The sound effects and electronic percussion are colorful symbols of film music in the 21st century. When I hear the leery G minor strings combined with that otherworldly voice in the background, I get visions of it being time to abandon all hope on earth like the planet's been turned upside down. Many videos on Youtube have used this piece in their depiction of the events on 9/11. One of those videos was the first place I heard the Requiem and I thought it was spell-binding. It is marvelous with the huge choir beds it has interspersed throughout the score. It is a score of a combatic nature, a race to the end of time. Mansell did a fabulous job in depicting the drama of Darren Aronofsky's film and its epic changes throughout the plot. Later, this film and its score would become a cult hit recognized by many.