For each character, Ottman devised a distinctive theme. Thus, for example, for the religious and kind Nightcrawler, he devised a profoundly spiritual theme with sweet, gentle undertones, whereas he created a darker theme to indicate the potential for evil in Pyro.

Sponsor Message.

Ottman utilized a similar approach in Tim Story's Fantastic Four (2005) and its sequel, Fantastic Four, The Rise of the Silver Surfer (also directed by Story, 2007), providing individual themes for each of the primary characters and interweaving them in the course of the narrative. Based on Marvel comic books, these films conventionally would have been scored in a more lighthearted way. Instead, for these films, Ottman created melodic, richly symphonic music that not only enhances the action but also makes viewers aware of the frustrations and loneliness experienced by the characters.

Ottman demonstrated his ability to create music of epic grandeur in his work for Singer's Superman Returns (2006). Because John Williams' score for Superman (1978) has been accorded iconic status by film music critics and fans, Ottman regarded Superman Returns as his most difficult and stressful assignment.

Ottman paid tribute to Williams by retaining his theme for the title sequence, but he composed nearly two hours of highly original music for the rest of the movie. For action sequences, Ottman managed to create action themes that are at least as exuberant as those produced by Williams, while featuring more complex orchestrations. In accord with director Singer's emphasis on Superman's frustrated love for Lois Lane, Ottman also devised many haunting melodies that eloquently express unrequited longing.

Ottman justly considers his music for Shane Black's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) to be one of his most significant achievements, along with Incognito. For this tragicomic neo-noir mystery, he developed a jazz-influenced score that recalls--but does not imitate--such classic scores of the 1960s as Henry Mancini's Charade (1963) and James Barry's The Ipcress File (1965). Complementing the shifting moods of the movie, Ottman's cues are alternately comic and dramatic. However, he consistently infuses the score with wistful undertones that add profound emotional depth to the film.

Conclusions

In conveying a "longing tone" in his scores, Ottman seeks to acknowledge the isolation and other difficulties experienced by gay people in a world. His insistence on "scoring against the grain" can also be regarded as an affirmation of his identity as a gay man.

Because he creates melodic scores that enhance narratives, Ottman is regarded as the heir of Jerry Goldsmith and other leading film composers of earlier generations. However, his music is not imitative, and it is distinguished by great emotional and orchestral complexity. Still a young man, he undoubtedly will continue to develop his music in exciting ways in the coming years.

Since cinema began, Hollywood has been fascinated with finding ways of representing homosexuality.

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual film directors have been a vital creative presence in cinema since the medium's inception over one hundred years ago.

Queer characters were a crucial component of the film noir landscape, part of the genre's challenge to complacent American values.

The monsters of horror films may frequently be read as mirrors of societal views of homosexuals as predatory, amoral, perverse, possessed of secret supernatural powers, and threatening to "normal life."

Classical music is an important component of Western culture to which glbt people have contributed significantly.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons have had tremendous influence on popular music, though some musical genres have been more receptive to a homosexual presence than others.

No matter how great her contribution to the world of comedy, Ellen DeGeneres will probably be best remembered as the first lesbian to star as a lesbian on her own network television show.

Arguably the finest Shakespearean actor of his generation, Ian McKellen was the first British subject to be knighted after publicly revealing his homosexuality, an event that proved more controversial within the gay community than in the mainstream.

Film director and producer Bryan Singer overturns standard narrative formulae and develops complex characters; he consistently emphasizes the fluidity and ambiguity of identity categories, including those pertaining to gender and sexuality.