1 |
Defiance Main Titles |
2 |
Survivors |
3 |
Make Them Count |
4 |
Your Wife |
5 |
The Bielski Otriad |
6 |
Bella and Zus |
7 |
Exodus |
8 |
Camp Montage |
9 |
The Wedding |
10 |
Winter |
11 |
Escaping the Ghetto |
12 |
Police Station |
13 |
Tuvia Kisses Lilka |
14 |
Nothing is Impossible |
15 |
The Bielski Brothers/Ikh Bin A Mame |
SOUNDTRACK REVIEW:
You would think that for a World War II movie that deals with Jewish refugees and Russian resistance fighters, you’d get a music score that’s more action packed than this. But with Academy Award nominee James Newton Howard composing the score, you should know better than to expect the typical run off the mill music. With this second collaboration with director Edward Zwick after Blood Diamond (2006), the Los Angeles born composer once again proves that music is a crucial emotional factor when it comes to filmmaking.
The 49 minute soundtrack album generously indulges listeners with its lyrical music featuring violin solos by Joshua Bell, whose performance on the soundtrack of The Red Violin (1998) earned composer John Corigliano an Oscar for Best Original Score. Here, the musician’s talent shines with Newton Howard’s heart aching compositions which are consistently restrained and underwhelming throughout the album.
Opening with the “Defiance Main Titles”, listeners are plunged into a menacingly sinister soundscape that couples with it lyricism and beauty. The heavy orchestrations of strings bring with it a sense of anxiety that is expressively translated into music. The cues that follow, “Survivors”, “Your Wife” and “Bella and Zus” all convey sentiments of hope fused with desperation, which complement the themes of the movie very nicely.
“Exodus”, a four odd minute track is the epitome of a stunning reflection of dedication, sacrifice and optimism brought on by soft woodwinds and lush strings. This memorable cue on the album will evoke heartbreaking images for the more imaginative listeners. More emotions are stirred with tracks like “Winter”, “Escaping the Ghetto” and the lengthy “Nothing Is Impossible”, where isolation, loneliness and solitude seem to trod through these fine musical themes.
Those familiar with Newton Howard’s works will not find this soundtrack album difficult to sit through. Works like Snow Falling on the Cedars (1999) and The Village (2004) featuring violin solos come to mind while listening to this album. Never mind he didn’t get recognized for his collaborative effort with Hans Zimmer for The Dark Knight (2008), because with this affecting score, Newton Howard has garnered his eighth Oscar nomination at the 81st Academy Awards. Let’s hope he strikes gold this time round.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: : (7) Exodus
Review
by John Li |
