The main theme is a melancholy and atmospheric piano feature in 6/4 that has a hypnotic quality. Jarre went for sadness instead of horror in his approach and the movie itself is a gloomy sort of nightmare, suffused with sorrow.

This release contains the album presentation as well as the original film soundtrack. "High Fever" has wooden flute and pizzicato strings combining with percussion and sustained chords that shold please Angelo Badalamenti fans. It's a long piece that builds nicely.

"Descent to Inferno" starts with some sounds of terror and dread, with pulsating bass part, ominous low drones and metallic clanging before returning to the lush atmosphere of the previous track.

The main theme is then reprised in the lovely "Sarah", and then extended with impressive tenderness and lyricism, alternating with some more dread-inducing sonorities.

A lot more of this ominous atmosphere starts off "The Ladder", which does also include some lighter, more uplifting writing, braided together with dark, cloudy tones. This might not be one of Jarre's more dramatic score but it's absolutely one of his most beautiful and haunting.

The album release concludes with Al Jolson singing "Sonny Boy".

The film score has mostly the same music but presented in separate, shorter cues instead of miniature suites, and with more repetition. All of it is great to listen to.