In a strange inverted trend, Shyamalan’s films became progressively worse, while Howards music for them became progressively better.
Try “The Egg Travels” and “Across the Desert” from Dinosaur and “The Crystal Chamber” from Atlantis. The three films Dinosaur (2000), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and Treasure Planet (2002) have some of his best work, but can be a bit loud and overblown at times. The work Howard did for Disney animated movies in this time is outstanding. Howard experiments here with rhythms of motifs that would become a recognisable part of his style later on. Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) has some of Howards best and most dramatic work, like the cue “Tarawa”. The cue “The Wedding” is a standout from Wyatt Earp.īefore getting into some Shyamalan scores of the early 2000s, I would like to highlight some of Howard’s scores concurrent to that same period. After that came a number of overwrought Kevin Costner films, Wyatt Earp (1994), Waterworld (1995) and The Postman (1997) which were stepping stone works for the composer. The tone of these scores is mostly charming and accessible, with occasional beautiful choral work. Some early highlights of his career include Flatliners (1990), The Prince of Tides (1991) and Dave (1993). He scored a lot of comedic dramas that did not as yet display the gravity and artistic voice of his later work. James Newton Howard made his name as a film composer in the 1990s. Sometimes an entire album is more than the sum of its parts. When regarding a film score, then, there are different moments on the album and different iterations of themes to notice. The end credits music is often an encore or a selected suite of the themes.
James newton howard 12 years later full#
The climax of the film often corresponds with a final iteration of the musical themes in their full power and glory, as if the themes like organisms grow fully into their own. Then, throughout the “album” that is created from the material, the themes return in different variations and combinations, which can be very playful. The first cues introduce the themes for the first time. A film score is made up, usually, of a handful of themes and leitmotifs that correlate to elements in the film, like a love theme, a danger theme, a theme for specific characters or a main theme for the franchise. The structure of film scores is also not exactly what is traditionally found among classical music. I recommend the documentary Score: A Film Music Documentary (2017).
James newton howard 12 years later free#
Add to that the free incorporation of any kind of rock, jazz, electronic or world music to their compositions to muddy the definitions, and it is easy to see that film scores sometimes just can’t seem to find their place, audience or recognition. And since most composers use old and established techniques from the Romantic period of classical music, their film scores are often not seen as adding anything significant or innovative to the classical canon and therefore ignored from that angle. Complete scores are sometimes written in haste or thrown in the waste bin during production. Composers are honored by the Oscars, yes, but that is a very flawed platform. Liking film scores is like fighting for the underdog sometimes. I will first say something about film scores in general and then about Howard’s early career leading up to his Shyamalan scores.Ībout the nature and place of film scores One thing I cannot abide is for a composer to put his/her heart and soul into the creation of a beautiful piece of music, only for that music to be attached to an absolute shit film and so losing the recognition for all the work and mastery that has gone into it. The music is written for the film, yes, but the music in itself is capable of telling a story.
Film music is its own art form and can be regarded and experienced as separate from the film it is attached to.
It is for that very reason that I would like to highlight the music written for them, because a film’s music tends to get buried under the general dismissal of a film as a whole. I know Shyamalan’s movies are widely ridiculed and I mostly agree with the criticism directed at them. Especially some scores for movies directed by M. I would like to focus on a couple of film scores by composer James Newton Howard. I am not used to reviewing music so I hope that I get the terminology right.
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