Customer Reviews

Crash

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This movie truly moved me when I saw it earlier this year and I remember walking out of the theatre remarking to my friend how I could feel the music that accompanied it and how I was going to buy the soundtrack when it came out. I purchased the soundtrack and have been listening to it almost non-stop - it is beautiful, provocative, and moves you. Mark Isham did an amazing job finding the right type of music to accompany such a powerful movie - and also set the music apart - to stand on its own. My favorite tracks are "No Such Things as Monsters", "Crash", and "In The Deep." Wonderful music - wonderful movie.

There's a particular scene in the movie "Crash" that literally left me breathless when I first saw it. On this soundtrack, it is the scene that goes with track 10, called "A Really Good Cloak." Those who have seen the film probably already know which scene I'm talking about. In listening to Mark Isham's score by itself, months after haveing seen the film, I ran across that track again and found that it had the same effect on me. Just listening to the music, I became short of breath, I got chills down my spine, and at one particular point, I felt the sting of tears first welling in my eyes, then spilling down my cheeks. I was seeing that scene from the film again, as clearly as if I were watching it all over, and feeling the same thing as before. All because I was listening to this beautiful, haunting music.

After I gathered myself a little, I tried to imagine that same scene with different music, or even with no music at all. While I'm sure it would have still been a powerful moment in the film, I don't think it could have ever been so affecting, so purely poignant, as it was with that particular piece. Clearly, Isham crafted that piece meticulously for that scene, with just the right mix of wonder, awe, and beauty to bring the viewer (and listener) right to the point where I was. Quite frankly, anyone that can listen to that piece and not have it affect them at all...well, they're made of sterner stuff than I.

The thing is, the whole CD is sort of like that. The music is excellent on its own. It is ethereally beautiful in a way that we rarely hear anymore. Vocals float up out of sweeping electronic harmonies, singing words I don't comprehend but can nevertheless feel and glean meaning from. Strange, slow rhythms counterpoint with dark ambience to create rich and complex moods. Truly, just in terms of composition, this is heady stuff.

But when it comes down to it, this is still music composed for a film, and in this case, it is the music that made the film such a good one. The same film with different music simply would not have been as powerful or as affecting as it was with Isham's score. The music is married to the film and to the story it tells, and like any good marriage it manages to elevate the film to something higher than it might otherwise have been.

What Mark Isham did with the music for "Crash" is nothing short of remarkable. He has created music which can evoke moods and feelings all on its own, but once brought together with the visual medium of film, it suddenly takes on more depth and meaning, while adding depth and meaning to the film as well.

The music was made because of the movie... but in the end, it was the music the made the movie as good as it is.

The best score of the year! Mark Isham who composed the music did a wonderful job narrating the multiple storylines through a beautifully crafted score. He captured every emotion by creating a mood that extended the characters depth. I was very moved by the film and the score puts me right back in that moment. In this day of big budget movies and scores it is refreshing to hear music that actually heightens the movie experience. This CD also features the song "In The Deep" by Bird York (the great piece that plays over the final montage) along with one of my favorite all-time songs "Maybe Tomorrow" by Stereophonics. If you liked the film you will LOVE this CD. FYI, There is also an "inspired by" album that is as equally moving. WOW - they got it right twice! Nice one.

When I saw the film Crash, I kept repeating to my girlfriend throughout "what wonderful Music". The music by Mark Isham easily stands on its own though. like Brian Eno and composers of that type, the music is best played during relaxation or study periods where you're free to let the music carry you away. 6, 8,10, and 13 are my favorites (gauranteed to move you), and Bird Yorks "In the deep" and the Sterophonics "maybe Tommorow" (steller songs themselves) round out the disk. A must buy!

Mark Isham has quite simply created some of the most beautiful and perfect music ever for a film. The soundtrack is a potent and vivid reminder of the exquisite visuals from this amazing movie. If track #8 and/or track #13 do not create an out of body experience for the listener, you'd better check your body. And Bird York's haunting "In the Deep" is a mesmerizing vocal capturing the very essence of both film and soundtrack. A must- hear cd from a must-see film. Highly recommended.

Mark Isham's score for 2005's Oscar winner for Best Picture, "Crash" is easily one of the best soundtracks to have been released in a while. At times it reminds of the job done by Cliff Martinez with "Traffic": a bit sinister, but full of emotions; dark, but touching; with ambient sounds that get in your head, much like the movie it serves as a musical background to.

You could say that "Crash" operates as well as it does on so many levels partly thanks to the music that makes some of the scenes transcend in an unforgettable way. In particular, it sets the tone and serves as a unique backdrop to the moments of redemption of most of the characters, preserving them in a way that will last through time, as in the case of "Flames" which accompanies one of the movie's most dramatic moments.

In short, this is an amazing soundtrack to an amazing movie and the best soundtrack of 2005!

Crash should be required viewing for all. The soundtrack surely added to the emotional intensity of the film. The track that caught my attention most was "Negligence" which I immediately identified as music of the German mystic Hildegard Von Bingen. But I do not see the song credited to her. Maybe it's just a good clone? Maybe copyrights from composers of the 11th century are up for grabs, but nonetheless, it was definitely channeled by Hildegard; equally as sacred and equally haunting. If you liked "Negligence" try listening to "Sequentia" or "Vision." My favorite being "Vision" as I can appreciate Souther's musical arrangements.

Mark Isham's score for "Crash" easily rates as one of the most powerful and evocative one's committed to celluloid. The music and the images onscreen are interlinked and that which is so powerfully rendered on screen is brilliantly imprinted in the mind by the music, which serves to underline and punctuate. From pure electronic soundscapes to ethnic tinged vocals and whalings, Isham is triumphant at every turn. Santaolalla's beautiful score for "Brokeback Mountain" bespoke of the heartache of that extraordinary film, but Isham's music has a co-starring role. Awesome music for an awesome film. I seriously doubt that the film would have impacted me as much as it did had not the score been so exceptional. If you haven't seen the film, rent/buy it today and if you have no interest in the film but want to hear some really moving and memorable music, check out this CD. It's incredible.

Mark Isham's quiet score, using a variety of serves to enhance the movie "Crash" rather than to intrude upon it. Much of the music comes across more as a collection of sounds -- much like a tone poem -- and lingers behind the scene of the film, such as the title song "Crash" and "Hand in Plain Sight." They add to the sublty to the emotionally charged film. Other tracks employ a solo female voice, giving it almost a Middle Eastern feel which, for me, always seems very ethereal. Songs such as "Flames," "Safe Now" and "Saint Christopher" make great use of this quallity. A few songs do add to the urgency of certain sequences in the film, such as "Siren" which picks up the pace by adding more drums and driving rythms. But they never overpower the film. Two other songs -- "In the Deep" performed by Bird York and "Maybe Tomorrow" from Stereophonics -- copmlete this amazing soundtrack.

After watching the movie, it was really inspiring and the music was just absolutely amazing. I bought the soundtrack and I play it all the time in my CD player. My favorites are "Crash," "No Such Thing as Monsters," "Sirens," "A Really Good Cloak," "Sense of Touch," "In the Deep," and "Maybe Tomorrow." If you haven't seen the film already, I highly recommend it 'cause it makes you think about the issues surrounding racism. Afterwards, get the soundtrack...the music is definitely moving.