1 |
The
Beginning |
2 |
Beat On The Battle |
3 |
Just Offensive Attack |
4 |
Precious
One |
5 |
Hill
Of The Refugees |
6 |
Closing In Upon The Enemy |
| 7 |
Previous Day |
8 |
Tricky
Mischief |
9 |
A Hero And A Boy |
10 |
Decision
For Justice |
11 |
In
Loneliness |
12 |
Battle
To Battle |
13 |
Blood
Color |
14 |
Beyond
The River |
15 |
RED
CLIFF (Theme Song) - alan |
SOUNDTRACK REVIEW:
Boys will be boys – most guys would be prefer an action
packed war movie score, just like how they would be gleefully
excited over an action packed war movie. And as far as such
Asian epic films go, the last time we remember hearing such
scores would be Tan Dun’s lyrical soundtrack for Hero
(2002) directed by Zhang Yimou and Chan Kwong Wing, Peter
Kam, Leon Ko and Chatchai Pongprpaphan’s coolborative
effort for Peter Chan’s The Warlords (2007). Both original
compositions mesmerized us in some ways, so we were looking
forward to Taro Iwashiro’s music for John Woo’s
ambitious blockbuster. And thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint.
There
are 65 generous minutes of music on this album, which opens
with three heart thumping tracks. "The Beginning"
sets up the mood for the exhilarating action cues to follow
with a catchy introduction followed by majestic strings and
brasses, while "Beat On The Battle" pumps things
up with seven minutes of grand percussions and brasses. If
your ears haven’t been strained by the thunderously
strident music, coming up next is "Just Offensive Attack",
which gives you another six minutes of invigorating music
filled with heavy percussion beats.
Following
that is a series of gentler music (we think this marks the
appearance of Li Chiling’s gentle Xiao Qiao in the movie),
which allows listeners to take a breather. "Precious
One" is a smooth, if not outstanding cue showcasing an
ensemble of woodwinds and strings. "Hill Of The Refugees"
adds a melancholic touch to the soundtrack with its tragically
beautiful brass orchestrations. As the track name indicates,
"Tricky Mischief" is a playfully bouncy tune which
is stress free, tension free and anxiety free to listen to.
Another highlight of the soundtrack is the solo Japanese transverse
bamboo flute performed by Michiko Akao, which makes a gorgeous
entrance on "A Hero And A Boy".
Performed
by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, the music on
this soundtrack may not leave much lasting impressions upon
first listen, but the thrilling action cues may just leave
you breathless. After fleeting between loud and soft cues,
the album ends with the grand "Beyond The River",
which acts as a prelude to the second part of the movie.
Oh
yes, there is also the obligatory end title song "~Red
Cliff~" performed by newcomer alan. Her breathy vocals
may please listeners who had a little too much music to digest
before this.
ALBUM
RATING:
 
Recommended Track: The Beginning
Review
by John Li
|
