THE UNTOUCHABLES (by Ennio Morricone) [Movie Soundtrack]

SUMMARY:                                 RUNNING TIME: 39 Min.

Released by A&M Records in 1987, this orchestral score was composed and conducted by Ennio Morricone.  The orchestra isn’t identified.  In 1988, the album won a Grammy for Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television.

            Title:                                              Time:

1. The Untouchables (End Title)                      3:12
2. Al Capone                                                  2:56
3. Waiting at the Border                                   3:45
4. Death Theme                                               2:43
5. On the Rooftops                                           2:35
6. Victorious                                                   2:10
7. The Man With the Matches                          2:47
8. The Strength of the Righteous (Main Title)    2:26
9. Ness and His Family                                    2:45
10. False Alarm                                                 1:10
11. The Untouchables                                         3:04
12. Four Friends                                                2:51
13. Machine Gun Lullaby                                  7:01

REVIEW:

If there wasn’t before such a genre as ‘epic noir,’ then Ennio Morricone effectively creates it with The Untouchables.  The polar opposites of timeless heroism and ruthless evil are a pendulum coming to life through the magic of Morricone’s baton. 

Balancing idealistic motifs for Eliot Ness and his squad doggedly pursuing their crusade against Chicago’s shadowy underworld, Morricone delivers with operatic precision and a drastic sense of contrast.  Case in point: his score masterfully narrates the film’s most indelible sequence – i.e. the “Machine Gun Lullaby” train depot shoot-out. 

However, in an unforced gaffe, these thirteen tracks come in haphazard order.  Regardless of the album producers’ reasoning (thematic variety, perhaps), the film’s dramatic intensity is off-kilter hearing these music cues so far out of sequence.  Still, Morricone’s ultra-stylish score is worth exploring, as it’s an enticing advertisement for watching the movie.

PACKAGING:

The tracks and their running times are listed on the case’s back cover.  The tracks are also listed on the disc. The insert is the bare minimum: some miniature film stills and the primary film credits.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                             8 Stars