The International (soundtrack)
| The International (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film score by | ||||
| Released | February 10, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–2009 | |||
| Genre | Film score | |||
| Length | 60:17 | |||
| Label | Varèse Sarabande | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Tom Tykwer chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Johnny Klimek chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Reinhold Heil chronology | ||||
| ||||
The International (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the film score to the 2009 film The International directed by Tom Tykwer, who also co-scored the film with his recurrent collaborators Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil. It was released through Varèse Sarabande on February 10, 2009.
Background
As with all of Tykwer's films since Winter Sleepers (1997), the music for The International is composed by Tykwer along with his recurrent collaborators and friends Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil.[1] The score consists of electronic and percussive music that is reminiscent of the James Bond music.[1] It is performed by the Berlin Pops Orchestra conducted by Joris Barsch Buhle and orchestrations done by Jonathan Shanes and Gene Pritsker.[2] Heil stated that the music had to be more restrained than Run Lola Run (1998) and not as opulent Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), adding "It’s kind of cool because it’s very different from both of those [...] I think it really does serve the movie."[3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Meeting Schumer" | 1:12 |
| 2. | "Morgue" | 1:28 |
| 3. | "Salinger Comes Home" | 0:30 |
| 4. | "Wexler Meets the Consultant" | 2:04 |
| 5. | "Salinger in Luxembourg" | 2:20 |
| 6. | "Bugs" | 3:05 |
| 7. | "The Calvini Hit" | 6:06 |
| 8. | "Calvini Crime Scene Investigation" | 4:48 |
| 9. | "Security Check" | 2:16 |
| 10. | "Driving Into NYC" | 0:56 |
| 11. | "The Isaacson Files" | 1:52 |
| 12. | "Tailing the Consultant" | 3:46 |
| 13. | "Inside the Guggenheim" | 1:25 |
| 14. | "The Guggenheim Shootout" | 6:16 |
| 15. | "The Consultant's Death" | 1:55 |
| 16. | "On the Way to Moody's Bail Bonds" | 1:32 |
| 17. | "The Wexler Interrogation" | 1:03 |
| 18. | "Ella Leaves Lou – Calvini Headquarters" | 3:15 |
| 19. | "Istanbul" | 2:20 |
| 20. | "Chasing Jonas Skarssen" | 2:56 |
| 21. | "The International – End Title" | 9:12 |
| Total length: | 60:17 | |
Reception
Mark Morton of AllMusic wrote "Tykwer, along with a composing team of Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek, creates a vivid musical backdrop that helps align The International with the visceral mystique of The Bourne Identity and the James Bond film series."[4]
Sura Wood of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Tykwer, Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil wrote the tension-inducing score."[5] Todd McCarthy of Variety "the score by Tykwer, Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil throbs in relatively discreet fashion."[6] A. O. Scott of The New York Times called the score "pulsating".[7] Reviewer based at RTÉ wrote "The sound design comprises a highly individual mixture of electronic music, piano tinkles, primal base beats and tribal music: excellent. In addition, director Tykwer collaborates with Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek, to produce some very effective original music."[8]
Personnel
Credits adapted from AllMusic:[9]
- Ansgar Wempe – Audio Engineer
- Berlin Pops Orchestra – Orchestra
- Bruce Winter – Mixing
- Eric Stonerook – Music Preparation
- Gabriel Mounsey – Arranger, Editing, Electronics, Mixing, Programming, Sound Design
- Gene Pritsker – Supervising Orchestrator
- Johnny Klimek – Arranger, Audio Production, Composer, Editing, Electronics, Primary Artist, Programming
- Jonathan Shanes – Music Preparation, Orchestration, Programming
- Joris Barsch Buhle – Conductor
- Kathrin Jager – Harp
- Lia Vollack – Executive in Charge of Music
- Matthew Bellamy – Composer
- Maurus Ronner – Music Preparation
- Patricia Sullivan Fourstar – Mastering
- Reinhold Heil – Arranger, Audio Production, Composer, Editing, Electronics, Mixing, Piano, Primary Artist, Programming
- Robert Townson – Executive Producer
- Sebastian Trimolt – Percussion
- Tobias Lehmann – Audio Production, Mixing, Producer
- Tom Tykwer – Arranger, Audio Production, Composer, Piano, Primary Artist
Accolades
| Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Soundtrack Academy Awards | Best Original Score of the Year | Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil | Nominated | [10] [11] |
References
- ^ a b "Chance Encounters of the Musical Kind: Electronica and Audiovisual Synchronization in Three Films Directed by Tom Tykwer". Music and the Moving Image. University of Illinois. October 2010. pp. 1–14. doi:10.5406/musimoviimag.3.issue-3 (inactive 22 August 2025). Archived from the original on 2 October 2015.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of August 2025 (link) - ^ Tom Tykwer; Johnny Klimek; Reinhold Heil. The International (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Media notes). Varèse Sarabande.
- ^ Staff, Indy (4 March 2009). "The International Music Man". The Santa Barbara Independent. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ Morton, Mark. "Review: The International [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 21 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ Wood, Sura (5 February 2009). "Film Review: The International". The Hollywood Reporter. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 14 February 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ McCarthy, Todd (5 February 2009). "The International". Variety. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ Scott, A. O. (12 February 2009). "A Bank That Specializes in Payback (and Not the Kind With Interest) (Published 2009)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ "The International". RTÉ. 26 February 2009. Archived from the original on 21 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ "Credits: The International [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 21 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ "World Soundtrack Academy announces Discovery nominees 2009". World Soundtrack Awards. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ "Nominees for 9th World Soundtrack Awards announced". Soundtrack.Net. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2022.