Director David Fincher called upon his last project's collaborators Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and producer Atticus Ross to score his latest film with their signature industrial, dark ambient and drone sounds. The result: nerve-jangling music that fits perfectly with the themes explored in the film.
On the soundtrack to “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, Reznor and Ross let themselves wander off into waves of sounds. The original score packs nearly three hours of music in three discs, not all of which was included in the film. The album opens with A heavy cover of Led Zeppelin's ‘Immigrant Song' with Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeahs (part of the opening sequence in the film) and ends with ‘Is Your Love Strong Enough?' by How to Destroy Angels, Reznor's experimental side-project.
‘A Viable Construct' is one of those rare combinations with a catchy beat set to some jumpy digital effects, with bits of distortion. ‘Oraculum' starts out with a similar style but, given its eight-minute duration, there's much more repetition in a seemingly off-beat time signature that haunts as it wisps away. This strange glued product stands out as a memorable track.
The setting of action is handled by quick, gripping pieces such as ‘A Thousand Details', leading with the electro synth typically reminiscent of NIN while ‘Great Bird of Prey' conjures up suspense at its noisiest level. ‘She Reminds Me of You' seems to exemplify the duo's success. ‘One Particular Moment' sees them take a simple piano tune and make it sinister with an evocative crescendo.
“The Social Network” did not narrate matters as dark as murder, mental anguish and suspense as “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. This film certainly seems to have given Reznor and Ross the liberty to delve into even darker soundscapes than their Oscar-winning score in 2010.
Bottomline: nerve-jangling music that fits perfectly with the themes explored in the film.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Null Corporation/Mute Records
