The Mercy (soundtrack)
| The Mercy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
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| Film score by | ||||
| Released | 2 February 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 2016–2018 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:36 | |||
| Label | Deutsche Grammophon | |||
| Producer | Jóhann Jóhannsson | |||
| Jóhann Jóhannsson chronology | ||||
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The Mercy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2017 biographical film The Mercy directed by James Marsh. The film score was composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson and released through Deutsche Grammophon on 2 February 2018. Jóhannsson won the World Soundtrack Award for Soundtrack Composer of the Year.
Background
The film score is composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson in his second collaboration with Marsh after The Theory of Everything (2014) which fetched him Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. He compared the film's setting being different in tonality, with respect to their previous collaboration; although having similarities in style, the film went it to a much darker outcome that provided "a more satisfying outcome aesthetically".[1] Marsh felt The Mercy being an interesting collaboration as the story had them immediately in-sync with, both being quite dark and gloomy. Jóhannsson would provide musical ideas even before the film began production as he was inspired by the script.[2] It was also one of the last films he scored before his death on 9 February 2018, the same day as the film's release in United Kingdom.[3][4] Deutsche Grammophon released the soundtrack on digital platforms, a week prior, with a CD and LP versions being released later.[5][6]
Reception
Pete Simons of Synchrotones noted "It’s not quite as melodic and polished as [The] Theory of Everything, but it’s certainly more accessible and more colourful than Arrival [...] there’s an elegance to this score [which] is playful at times, but in a bitter-sweet way. It’s slow and minimalistic, but it’s fascinating."[7] Lillian Crawford of Varsity noted "captured a raw sense of existential dread both unsettling and profoundly moving".[8] Paddy Kehoe of RTÉ News stated " At his best, Jóhannsson was the alchemist of a mysterious, pale beauty that will continue to entrance us."[9]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Flares" | Jóhann Jóhannsson | 1:11 |
| 2. | "Boating for Beginners" | Jóhannsson | 1:34 |
| 3. | "The Good Ship Teignmouth Electron" | Jóhannsson | 2:55 |
| 4. | "Jóhannsson: A Sparrow Alighted Upon Our Shoulder" |
| 2:26 |
| 5. | "Terra Firma" | Jóhannsson | 2:38 |
| 6. | "Into the Wide and Deep Unknown" | Jóhannsson | 2:16 |
| 7. | "Jóhannsson: Good Morning, Midnight" |
| 3:16 |
| 8. | "A Sea Without Shores" | Jóhannsson | 1:31 |
| 9. | "Karen býr til engil" (Remastered) | Jóhannsson | 3:44 |
| 10. | "Innocence" (From Free the Mind) | Jóhannsson | 1:10 |
| 11. | "The Doldrums" | Jóhannsson | 2:12 |
| 12. | "Meditation" (From Free the Mind) | Jóhannsson | 1:29 |
| 13. | "The Horse Latitudes" | Jóhannsson | 3:14 |
| 14. | "Radio" (From Free the Mind) | Jóhannsson | 3:49 |
| 15. | "The Furious Sea of Fogs and Squalls" | Jóhannsson | 1:13 |
| 16. | "Three Thousand Five Hundred and Ninety-One Benches" (From Copenhagen Dreams) | Jóhannsson | 1:49 |
| 17. | "The Captain's Log" | Jóhannsson | 1:49 |
| 18. | "The Mercy" | Jóhannsson | 6:03 |
| 19. | "She Loves to Ride the Port Ferry When It Rains" (From Copenhagen Dreams) | Jóhannsson | 3:03 |
| 20. | "Jóhannsson: The Radiant City" |
| 3:30 |
| 21. | "Jóhannsson: A Pile of Dust" |
| 4:49 |
| 22. | "At 19°41'10.40 North 79°52'37.83 West, Lies the Shadow" | Jóhannsson | 0:55 |
| Total length: | 56:36 | ||
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Soundtrack Awards | October 17, 2018 | Soundtrack Composer of the Year | Jóhann Jóhannsson[a] | Won | [10] [11] |
Notes
- ^ also for Mary Magdalene and Mandy
References
- ^ Noone, Greg (7 November 2016). "Jóhann Jóhannsson tells the story of his favourite film scores". Little White Lies. Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ Franklin, Euan (1 June 2018). "The Mercy: An interview with director James Marsh". The Upcoming. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (10 February 2018). "How Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson Helped Change the Genre Cinema Soundscape". Variety. Archived from the original on 28 March 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ O'Falt, Chris (12 February 2018). "Jóhann Jóhannsson's Fight to Be Visionary, From His Film Scores to His Directorial Debut — Interview". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ "The Mercy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Jóhann Jóhannsson. 2 February 2018. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2025 – via Bandcamp.
- ^ "THE MERCY Soundtrack / Jóhannsson". Deutsche Grammophon. 2 February 2018. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ Simons, Pete (20 May 2018). "The Mercy (Johann Johannsson)". Synchrotones. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ Crawford, Lillian (16 February 2018). "In memoriam: The mercy of Jóhann Jóhannsson". Varsity. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ Kehoe, Paddy (15 March 2018). "Jóhann Jóhannsson – The Mercy". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ Carras, Christi (13 August 2018). "'Shape of Water,' 'Star Wars,' Kendrick Lamar Nab World Soundtrack Awards Noms". Variety. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ Dalton, Ben (17 October 2018). "Kendrick Lamar, late Jóhann Jóhannsson win at 2018 World Soundtrack Awards". Screen International. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2024.