JAMES HORNER

I just saw THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS and was mightily impressed. I thought I'd share what I also said over at FSM.



THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN THE FOLLOWING!



It's an interesting thing with this film. It's all very touching, with the atrocities of war seen through the naïve eyes of an 8-year-old boy, his friendship with a young jew at the other side of the fence (hints of EMPIRE OF THE SUN here) and a decaying family in morbid surroundings. Yet I didn't really react much untill the devastating finale. The film ended the way it ended, the end credits came on, I went to the toilet, went back, the end credits were still rolling (with Horner's music) and then it suddenly hit me like a brick! I didn't cry, but got pretty darn close. I had to sit down. The sound of Horner's music continued as I re-triggered one of the last images of the film, with the two boys holding hands as gas was poured into the chamber. Strong stuff!

This is a film that lingers on after the screen goes to black. At least it did to me. It doesn't matter that the nazi Germans speak posh British English, you become totally engrossed in the story (that said, I DO think it would have been even stronger had they actually spoken German and had German actors).

Horner's music....well, it was absolutely bloody FANTASTIC! It's the best thing he has done since TITANIC, IMO. There's the gorgeous, wistful, Beethoven-like music connoting the playfulness of the protagonist, played in the beginning and throughout the film. It's incredible how Horner often disregards the dire surroundings since it doesn't FEEL dire for little Bruno, with whom we identify. At most, he "sours" it with some slight dissonance when another harsh reality is revealed to him.

Then there is that final scene when the commandante is running through the camp to find Bruno. Horner accelerates the tragedy and the drama untill he suddently realizes what has happened (he sees the empty barracks). The aching, heartbreaking chords Horner hits us with then is.....well, it's one of the strongest "tragic revelation" cues I've heard since Herrmann's Rosebud-in-the-furnace scene in CITIZEN KANE.

And then there's the repeat of the wistful theme as the camera pulls back from the closed gas chamber door at the end, played in an almost adagio-form. Then fade-to-black and silence before the end credits and the haunting piano music.

My God, this is just pure brilliance and another testament that Horner continues to be at the top of his game.

Sorry for raving on here, but I was completely taken aback by this Horner score. I had heard and read bits and pieces about it, with varying judgements, but tried to avoid most of it to get a "fresh" experience. I don't regret it.