Exotic flavours: part 6

Title: Ming, ragazzi! (Mr. Hercules against karate)

Year: 1973

Composer: Carlo Savina

In the 70s a number of comedy-crossover films were made also in Italy. Ming, ragazzi! belongs into this category. The story takes a Bud Spencer-Terence Hill -like duo to Hong Kong where they have to rescue a son of a Chinese restaurant owner held hostage by a local karate school. The composer for the project was a bit unexpected, Carlo Savina, who I associate more with dramas or historical epics for which he offered soundscapes more suitable for a concert hall than film score. This is easily one of the lightest and most ‘easy-listening’ his work ever got but still provides some interesting textures and musical devices.

In a typical Savina fashion, the score is pretty monothematic. The main theme heard in Titoli is a longlined tune with that 70s glitz but with some hints to the oriental melodies in its opening phrase. The theme goes through the full orchestral glamour phase and then moves to a more comedic section with car honks. Seq. 3 is a longer reprise of the theme’s different sections which are all over the place, sometimes comedic marches, sometimes sentimental elegies and finally more in the style of 70s ‘travel music’ with glorious string flourishes. A fun, fast beat style version of Seq. 4 is perfect for a comedic fight sequence and it even ends with some oriental terror. Full ballroom muzak version Seq. 5 is a complete departure from the comedy and surprisingly well-composed for such a silly comedy film. More straightforward comedy returns in Seq. 14 after a musical saw and organ glissandi. Finale is another collage of styles from restaurant tunes to menace eventually growing into a joyous, orchestral crescendo.

The oriental aspects of the score are quite stereotypical. They start to appear prominently from Seq.6 onwards with pizzicato strings accompanying the main theme. Seq. 7 has woodwind and organ effects with pentatonic progressions over a steady, menacing bassline. Slower, sinister progression opens Seq. 9 which then turns into the score’s biggest action cue with stabbing, irregular string rhythms reminiscent of Stravinsky’s Rite of spring. The ominous harpsichord and gong are bouncing between twisted and comedic main theme variations in Seq. 12 offering a fine contrast between the two styles but perhaps being slightly too distracting.

Besides these two, there are other kinds of musical styles presented as well. Seq. 2 is a laid-back beat tune that ends with organ effects straight from a Savina horror project. There are also some muzak tunes for lobbies or a restaurant setting. Seq. 8 is an instrumental for a solo clarinet but there are also two vocal cues sung in English. The first one, Seq. 10, is a cheesy love song for an unnamed male voice for a background listening but midway it changes into a fast-paced samba before reprising the previous styles in an instrumental version. The better song for a female voice (again unnamed) of Seq. 12 begins with a long instrumental introduction that then abruptly turns into a breezy bossa arrangement for the vocals.

Ming, ragazzi! is perhaps the most easily accessible Carlo Savina score I’ve heard but its ever-changing, ‘mickey-mousing’ nature prevents me from fully embracing it. It perhaps diverts too far from the composer’s usual unique style and hence becomes more anonymous and plain in comparison to his other work.

Rating: ***1/2

Tracklist:

1. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 1 - Titoli) (02:25) ****

2. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 2) (01:35) ***

3. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 3) (04:52) ****

4. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 4) (02:39) ****

5. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 5) (02:38) *****

6. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 6) (01:28) ****

7. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 7) (01:56) ***

8. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 8) (02:15) ***

9. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 9) (03:23) ****

10. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 10) (05:50) ***

11. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 11) (01:41) ****

12. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 12) (04:54) ****

13. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 13) (04:57) ****

14. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 14) (01:16) ***

15. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 15) (01:33) ***

16. Ming, ragazzi! (Seq. 16 - Finale) (02:12) ****