The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974).
http://www.destgulch.com/movies/p123/
A gang of hijackers, Mr Blue, Mr Brown, Mr Grey and Mr Green, hold a New York Subway train to ransom. “We are going to kill one passenger a minute until New York City pays us one million dollars.” With only an hour to pay up it’s a pulse pounding race against time.
Walter Matthau heads a great cast including Robert Shaw, Jerry “serenity now!” Stiller and Woody Allen regular Tony Roberts.
It’s a real ‘New York’ movie, lots of hilarious grouching and wiseacre-ing. I love all the subway staff’s accents, “This is the Noive centre…” indeed.
The movie looks lovely courtesy of French Connection and Exorcist cameraman Owen Roizman.
The Soundtrack by, Francis Ford Coppola’s then brother-in-law, David Shire is one my favourite ‘things’ ever, never mind pieces of music.
From the CD liner notes:
“In his search for a solution Shire remembered the twelve-tone method of composition. In its most basic terms twelve–tone composition involves choosing a tone row which consists of all twelve chromatic pitches. If the composer decides to use the entire row in the music at one time (as opposed to breaking it into smaller pieces), he must use the pitches in the order in which they appear in the row. Once a pitch has been stated and left (meaning the next successive pitch has been sounded) that pitch may not be returned to until all the other pitches have been stated. This technique would allow Shire to compose music that was highly structured, but without a firm tonal center – organized chaos in music.”
What this translates to in reality is the most rhythmic, jazziest, funkiest damn music you ever heard! It’s so exciting, it makes you want to go out and fight crime right now!
Main Title MP3.
Money Montage MP3.
http://www.destgulch.com/movies/p123/
A gang of hijackers, Mr Blue, Mr Brown, Mr Grey and Mr Green, hold a New York Subway train to ransom. “We are going to kill one passenger a minute until New York City pays us one million dollars.” With only an hour to pay up it’s a pulse pounding race against time.
Walter Matthau heads a great cast including Robert Shaw, Jerry “serenity now!” Stiller and Woody Allen regular Tony Roberts.
It’s a real ‘New York’ movie, lots of hilarious grouching and wiseacre-ing. I love all the subway staff’s accents, “This is the Noive centre…” indeed.
The movie looks lovely courtesy of French Connection and Exorcist cameraman Owen Roizman.
The Soundtrack by, Francis Ford Coppola’s then brother-in-law, David Shire is one my favourite ‘things’ ever, never mind pieces of music.
From the CD liner notes:
“In his search for a solution Shire remembered the twelve-tone method of composition. In its most basic terms twelve–tone composition involves choosing a tone row which consists of all twelve chromatic pitches. If the composer decides to use the entire row in the music at one time (as opposed to breaking it into smaller pieces), he must use the pitches in the order in which they appear in the row. Once a pitch has been stated and left (meaning the next successive pitch has been sounded) that pitch may not be returned to until all the other pitches have been stated. This technique would allow Shire to compose music that was highly structured, but without a firm tonal center – organized chaos in music.”
What this translates to in reality is the most rhythmic, jazziest, funkiest damn music you ever heard! It’s so exciting, it makes you want to go out and fight crime right now!
Main Title MP3.
Money Montage MP3.
Labels: Crime Movies, David Shire, Movies, MP3s, Owen Roizman, Seventies, Soundtracks, Taking Of Pelham 123, Walter Matthau
posted by Will Kane at
3:52 AM
6 Comments:
Darn tootin! When I watched this recently, it really struck me just how much a funk soundtrack works to rachet up the tension. Especially one this good!
Shame on me that I still haven't seen this...
R.
I can watch Pelham again and again just for those wacky New Yawk accents.
More Jerky Boys than the Jerky Boys themselves!
i went out and rented it after reading your comments on the soundtrack.
GREAT movie. fantastic widescreen photography. i was very happy with it, indeed.
dnay
Gesundheit.
Great quotes from David Shire; you're spot on about the score, with that huge 12-tone riff that permeates it. Squealing, nervous, full of energy. For me, it's only bettered by his circual, pentatonal work on The Conversation.
Hey Tom,
'Just spotted your comment about Pelham and David Shire.
Yep, 'The Coversation' score is excellent, like Erik Satie playing Scott Joplin.
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