Haunted Soundtrack Review
Composed by Debbie Wiseman
Haunted, based on a James Herbert novel, is a low-budget British ghost story from 1995 starring Aidan Quinn as paranormal 'debunker' David Ash, grief-stricken over the death of his sister, Juliet, at a young age.
Resilient to any notion of the supernatural, he's called to a sprawling country pile by an old woman who claims she has spook problems. Soon though David has issues of his own when he falls in love with the mysterious Christina (Kate Beckinsale). Then there are of course the inevitable twists in the tale...
Gorgeous, melancholy Soundtrack
Although hampered by shoddy effects and oddly numerous body-double shots, Haunted is still entertaining, forgoing terror for the most part and focusing on the slow-burning romance between David and Christina, as well as his feelings of regret over his sister's death. And this is where Debbie Wiseman focuses her attention with the score, one brimming with gorgeous melodies yet all the while tinged with sadness.
Piano solos and Orchestral Melodies
Wiseman is one of an elite few female film composers working in the industry today, having focused her attention on British cinema and TV dramas. However, her work here is accomplished enough to rival even the biggest Hollywood artists.
Many composers would be happy to knock out just one memorable theme. For sure, Haunted has one: the utterly breathtaking centrepiece for Juliet. Grandly melancholic, it's the heavenly bridge connecting the start and the end that seals it as one for the ages. Hesitant initially when performed on piano and other instrumental solos, it builds to majestic heights in the latter stages, the theme acting as an epiphany of sorts for the David character.
Influence of the ParanormalHowever, Wiseman isn't one to rest on her laurels, either always developing the central theme or introducing new ones. 'Underwater' opens the album with spooky woodwind writing and further concessions to the supernatural come with the spellbinding high pitched choir in 'The Ghost Appears' and 'Spirits in the House'. Interspersed are a colder 'Minuet' for the temptress Christina and a swooning 'Lovers' theme that emerges out of the George Gershwin classic 'But Not For Me'.
The ghost theme eventually dovetails with Juliet's in 'Together Forever', with the finale of 'Hand in Hand' and 'Haunted' offering the rendition of the main theme that has been promised throughout the score, the aforementioned bridge, now on strings, rising to stunning heights.
Wiseman is a superb ComposerWith nary a dull moment or a wasted note, Haunted deserves a place among the classic melodrama scores. Indeed, it's probably the anonymity of the film that has led to the music being overlooked. However, both Wiseman and her work deserve the widest recognition possible: with every track constructed with such grace, care and intelligence, it can't come more highly recommended.
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