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Demetris, Hans is not saying anything about this score, because he is on tour right now and is not on the promotional channels for this film. Not because he doesn't like it. He just doesn't have the time to properly talk about it. He might have not liked the process as even at the last minute things were still being worked out (and in fact that's when Lorne Balfe came in to finish supervising the project, as Hans had to start rehearsing the tour).

I am not saying that this was a philosophical decision as in "that's what I'm gonna do this time, let's go all Husserl/Merleau-Ponty/Heidegger or whatnot". I'm saying that it's a continuation of an approach that he had to philosophize about 20 years ago and which got confirmed in a non-philosophical way (Ridley Scott's not all that academically educated) on Black Hawk Down. So what was definitely discussed on a very deep level in case of The Thin Red Line as Hans worked with (for even!) a professional philosopher on it and spent the better part of a year on that (which ended at least one fruitful collaboration with him, namely with Tony Scott). Ridley wanted an internalized hell on Earth for warfare in Black Hawk Down. So, being his two first real war films, Hans has developed that approach as being his own. He is very well-read though. I remember asking him a question about Wittgenstein, a philosopher who Malick almost wrote his PhD on, and him not only telling me he loved it (Wittgenstein is not among the most accessible writers, mind you), but also recommending me another book on him.

What I'm saying is that Nolan being more or less inspired in Malick (the Cooper farm scenes in Interstellar sometimes look like a combination of Days of Heaven and, slightly, Tree of Life). Hans wasn't probably specifically told to go that way, but discussing, as Nolan pitched the film to the studio, "VR without headset" (which explains why the score is omnipresent, even), it was pretty much automatic how they would go about it, given their shorthand developed in earlier collaboration.

I disagree on the sound design bit. Too many rhythmic patterns to dismiss it as not being "real" music. It's even more tonal than people say (and frankly, Hans is not exactly educated enough to go "full avant-garde", even in Black Hawk Down he relegated that to his orchestrator who reportedly had to explain the players how to play some bits, hence his credit as "orchestral anarchy"). The quality of the music may be debated, but it's, still, music.

A British newspaper described the score to Dunkirk in their review as "sounding like a freight train full of cutlery crashing into a fireworks factory."

As for the end-credit string cues, they come in welcome after the ticking intense mayhem of the whole score. But if you ask yourself to remember and hum anything, any theme motif something off that lines in the end, you'd be in trouble. It's just smooth synthy sounding string lines one after another, sparse chord processions. Now go and pop the thin red line in and compare for huge difference

Try the bleak trumpet motif in Shivering Soldier/end of the last track. It kinda explains what kind of memorability they aimed at.



Early next week is all I can say. My brother is coming for a day or two and that day or two impacts when I will see it.

NP: Lights, Camera, Music! Six Decades of John Williams

New in my collection. The only music here that I didn't have before in any other form was the overture to Mr. Chips and the Yorktown March from Midway. Anyhow, I imagine that for younger collectors this CD contains many more treasures that they did not have so far in their music library.
The album is very well put together, performance and recording are stellar. This album is a great listening experience. Highly recommended for any fan of the maestro.

The finale from Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull - the last 14 seconds is arguably the best thing about the whole movie!

Fine score indeed. I really enjoy the movie too.

He, he....we seem to have 'opposite day' today, Timmer.

Pompeii? Both the score and movie are guilty pleasures for me. Pure, perfect popcorn.

Though I was really blown away by the looks of Pompeii and how they achieved that.
The Making Of is really worth watching.

Many qualities with that film. I wrote my review here (it's in Norwegian, so if you're really curious, you'll have to run it through Google Translate):

http://montages.no/2014/05/drivende-for … i-pompeii/

danny elfman - the circle

thor have you listened to this wholly electronic 90's style electronica thingy? i think it will be down your alley

I think you mean up your street. I don't think I want to know what's down Thor's alley...

But it wasn't all electronic - given the presence of orchestrators....

dario marianelli - agora

such a powerful movie and score, loved every bit of it and often revisit (the score). heartfelt use of female vocals (which are not in a cliched way for once) and tender strings, performing the 2 powerful and touching themes plus some fascinating and lush arrangements for orchestra and choir. And duduk is nice too, again without overdoing it or in a cliched way. Compare all the elements in this score, how they come together coherent , meaningful and well-metered ,not in a excess. Very much unlike to the same media used in a generic RC score i miss Marianelli, it's been since 2012 and anna karenina that i've heard something this good and inspired. He's kinda out of form i feel. Or is he struggling to find space for orchestral works in this electronics' crap - often dominated field? if you hear the latest philippe rombi (philippe rombi ffs!) score you will understand what i am saying

n.p. Dario marianelli - eat pray love

Such a sweet, romantic orchestral flair for such a passable movie. I love it when the score is so much better than the movie cause at least we get offered a treat at the end! We got something out of this then hate, hate Julia Roberts btw.