Birdman and Whiplash are both enhanced by their percussion-laden scores.
We dig into the music of both of them…
This article contains spoilers for Birdman and Whiplash (including Whiplashs ending)
What makes a great drummer?
While the two share an instrument, though, their answers to that question couldnt be more different.
ForWhiplash, it mostly seems to boil down to one thing: how quickly can you drum?
Can someone clean the blood off my drum kit?
we hear J.K. Simmons teacher, Fletcher, demand a few seconds later.
The album groups things into clear groups: original songs, original score and familiar standards.
Within the film itself, things unfold in a very different (and equally deliberate) order.
Justin Hurwitzs score sets the mood with a chirpy overture, full of dancing saxophones and parping trumpets.
But its not all blaring big band numbers.
And what of the titular track?
Birdman, on the other hand, is full of it.
They recorded 60 or 70 takes of those improvised segments, which Inarritu then used for timing during production.
Are they something only heard in his head?
Soon, scenes with other characters are scored by the drums too.
In the sanity stakes, everything is suddenly up for grabs.
It feels like the polar opposite toWhiplash.
ForBirdman, jazz is about expression.
What makes a great drum soundtrack?
Jazz needs soul, and both films have it.
But its also about timing.BirdmanandWhiplashnever miss a beat.
