John Zorn
Filmworks 13: Invitation to a Suicide

The "Filmworks" series collects John Zorn's works of music for films; it includes soundtracks for independent films and documentaries.

Composers like Morricone, Starling, and Rota are probably among the most recognizable influences in this rather remarkable field (the latest volume released is number 17). It is music that is sometimes delightful even when detached from the film images, which, moreover, are often almost impossible to find. One of the conditions Zorn places on a director interested in his soundtrack is that the soundtrack ultimately remains his property, so he can make a record for his label Tzadik.

This Vol. 13 is probably one of the most fascinating soundtracks he has written. Everything is performed by a small orchestra, cello, bass, accordion, guitar, percussion, and marimba. The accordion of Rob Burger truly plays a leading role here, as a medium intended to evoke the ghosts of tangos and French musettes (a soundtrack that resembles this one, in fact, is from "Amélie," written by Yann Tiersen, though it's much sadder in my opinion). The melodies are sometimes almost spaghetti-western; long parts of cello in an almost classical music style are framed by the wild electric riffs of a Ribot in top form. The use of marimbas in counterpoint with the other instruments is also purely interesting. Complex music, but not difficult at all.

In reality, there are only 4 or 5 tracks recurring throughout the album (Zorn confesses that it's something Morricone taught him; for each film, only one theme is actually needed), but each time the arrangement is so new that it seems like something completely different (in fact, you need to listen to the album a bunch of times to discover the trick). Of the same theme, for example, there is a jazz version for accordion and marimba, shortly after a slow one for cello, and finally another fast punk rock version. I haven't seen the film in question, but you can read the plot in the booklet. The story is about a small-time crook from New York who tries to rob a boss. The heist fails, but for some reason, the boss wants money back. Either he comes up with $100,000 or his father will be killed. Our hero can't think of anything better to do than to plan his own suicide and sell tickets around for the show at sky-high prices. The ending is said to be a surprise.