Average Rating: 5.00 Rating Variance: 0.00 Objectivity Score: 15% (Not Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicJames Newton Howard The VillageThe Village soundtrack is an incredible display of simplicity. At any one time, it is hard to hear more than five musical voices, even though the music as a whole is more gripping than many scores composed with a massive, even excessive number of parts. When first listening through The Village soundtrack, many key elements of its composition are apparent. An utmost tranquility is found through sustained string notes, while a stirring optimism is conveyed by quick, sixteenth-note arpeggio accompaniment. These feelings are made even more striking when put in contrast with the other distinctly eerie themes used in the later portion of the film. These two themes are combined brilliantly in the middle of "The Gravel Road", where they transition into one another without skipping a beat. This soundtrack is exceedingly easy to listen to. With other soundtracks, there are definite tracks in which the score looses momentum, usually during a 'talking heads' scene when music isn't highly important. The Village does not lag or slow down -- with the exception of "Will you Help Me?" -- and changes in style an extravagant amount of times, often in the middle of a track. The Village is an example of strength through simplicity. The films basic plot line is, like most Shyamalan films, very suspenseful, but Howard doesn't take advantage of percussion to convey this eeriness to the listener. Instead, he uses piano, violin, and flute to convey this mood. Not only is an ominous feeling achieved, it is achieved beautifully, using wildly unconventional means. The only time Howard uses his drums excessively is in the first forty seconds of "It is Not Real". The fact that, up until then, his percussion had been scarce allowed this brief usage to be extraordinarily highlighted. This soundtrack is not 'action packed', but is composed in such a way that will calm you with its tranquility every time. You won't get Star Wars fun, but you will get an incredibly well composed score.
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