Dario Marianelli

Composer Dario Marianelli's (Pride & Prejudice, Brothers Grimm) soundtrack for director James McTeigue's controversial adaptation of Alan Moore's best-selling comic V for Vendetta is a sensuous blend of bombastic action cues and atmospheric vocal pop. With a main theme that riffs on everything from Batman to Gladiator, Marianelli paints a taut, futuristic London with a sea of tympani and brass. Quieter woodwind and string sections help build character but are equally menacing, keeping with the bleak subject matter. Julie London, Cat Power, and Antony and the Johnsons provide some moody lounge moments, but it's Marianelli's show, painting a totalitarian government in the deepest blues he can muster. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide