Regular Columnists

Artist: Rachel Portman
Album: Hart's War (Soundtrack)
CD Review: Hart's War is the new Bruce Willis movie that takes place in a WWII POW camp with Willis as the highest-ranking officer whose personal mission is to escape and blow up the neighboring munitions plant. But this is not Hogan's Heroes. There is no laugh track set against heroism, honor and courage in the face of personal sacrifice for the good of all people, these days.

Famed composer Rachel Portman, who won her Oscar for Emma, and scored even bigger hits with Chocolat and The Cider House Rules, comes at us again with a full orchestral score that is quite impressive, subtle and lush with strings and solitary horn and generally more of a gentle feeling than kettle drum war movies will recall. The opening ‘Final Salute’ sets that tone of the aforesaid honor and courage just fine.

But frankly, even halfway through the first listen, the soundtrack seems to be quite ordinary, in line with a lot of other ‘salute & intrigue’ type scenarios. No, not the Under Siege kind, which has a Copeland & James Horner bent. But the ever-popular John Barry ideal of less is more.

That’s all well and good, and a great sound itself of course. But I’m tired of it. I want the Next sound to arrive – and soon. I want the ’00 decade to find its own voice. If it’s steeped in writing tuneful melodies rather than an underscored collection of whole notes, that’s fine with me. If it turns industrial or more like a rock opera from The Who, combining rock and strings, good. But as swell as Hart’s War is, I’m ready for something different, even before I was a third of a way through this cd.

But! For those who are happy with the current state of movie music, and love the ‘wide open spaces’ style of composition, and like hearing instrumental plotting going on, you’re going to love this one. Rachel’s on the ball, and continues to prove herself as one of the finest composers around. It’s good to see the boys have some competition now in their all-male world.

www.universalclassics.com
www.hartswar.com