Extracts from ‘Batman Returns’ – lesson 1
Area of Study 3 Music for Film
Task 1: Background information
Read following information and answer the questions:
Danny Elfman (b. 1953) is a self-taught composer and is unusual because of his parallel career as a rock
musician with the band Oingo Boingo. He grew up in Los Angeles and is the youngest son of two teachers.
While at school, Elfman wanted to be a filmmaker. ‘I always thought that some way or other I’d end up in
film, but somehow I ended up in music.’
Tim Burton and Elfman had a close working relationship and collaborated on a number of films including
Beetlejuice (1988), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Planet of the Apes (2001). Of all the films
they have made together, Batman remained Elfman’s biggest grossing film until Spider-man (2002). More
importantly, Batman brought Elfman to public attention and established him as a creditable film composer.
Elfman often scores much of his music around leitmotifs then develops them through the use of variations.
The use of thematic development illustrates Elfman’s influences from composers such as Bernard
Herrmann (Psycho, 1960) from the Golden Age of films. Having established the main materials of the score,
Elfman works through the film chronologically, using the materials he has developed in a manner which is
extremely unmethodical.
Batman Returns (1992) is the sequel to Batman (1989), directed by Tim Burton with Michael Keaton
reprising the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. It also introduces the characters of the Penguin (Danny DeVito),
who tries to take over Gotham City, as well as Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer). It was a much darker adaption
of the cartoon character, certainly when compared with the original film and the TV show of the 1960s.
The darkness of Batman’s past was seized upon by Burton, who created a character with almost a dual
personality – one that had the potential to be both villain and hero. Batman Returns is a classic example of
that duality.
Each of the three main characters – Batman, Catwoman and Penguin – has their own theme. The
Catwoman and Penguin themes are very similar and it could be argued that they are a variation of each
other. However, it is in the orchestration/arrangement of the theme that the differences occur. For
Catwoman, Elfman uses a ‘1960s slinky, bending style of strings’, as well as high string glissandi and
dissonant clusters. The Penguin theme is given a more ‘theatrical’ orchestration using a choir as well as
pipe organ and full orchestra. For Batman, as in the original film, brass is used to identify the theme.
1. Why is Elfman an unusual composer?
He is not conventionally trained (self-taught) and has a background as a rock musician
2. Which famous film director did Elfman have a close working relationship with?
Tim Burton
3. What is a Leitmotif, and can you name another composer not mentioned above, who famously uses
leitmotifs?
A short musical theme associated with a particular character, place etc. It undergoes transformation during
the film, often mirroring the action on screen. Wagner pioneered the use of leitmotif, and it has since been
used by many film composers – a notable example is John Williams
4. When was ‘Batman Returns’ released?
1992
5. Each of the 3 main characters has their own theme. How does Elfman differentiate between the
Catwoman and Penguin themes?
Very different orchestration – Catwoman theme predominantly uses strings whilst the Penguin theme uses
choir and organ
6. Which orchestral family is used to identify Batman’s theme?
Brass
Batman Returns: B.O.A.P Part 1
Listen to the cue and answer the following questions:
1. Which motif do we hear in the opening 2 bars and which instruments play it?
Batman’s theme
2. Which motif do we hear in bars 3 – 6?
Penguin theme
3. What is the overall structure for this cue?
Episodic
4. Is the tonality major or minor? What key are we at the beginning of the cue?
Minor – Bb Minor opening 2 bars then F minor
5. What key do we modulate to at bar 7?
A minor
6. At bar 14 we are in C minor. Describe how Elfman has altered the original motif from bars 3 & 4?
Rhythmic augmentation
7. Which 2 instruments are introduced at bar 18? Describe the rhythm of their parts?
Celeste and harp – play broken chords
8. Describe the texture from bars 22 – 25.
Much thinner than before – octave unison (5 octaves)
9. What key do we modulate to at bar 26?
D minor
10. What performance technique do the strings use in bars 42 & 43?
Pizzicato
Don’t forget to mark this into your score!
