Customer Reviews

Lord of the Flies

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

 

 

I love this soundtrack. It makes me feel like I'm on the island with the boys when I here it. I like the way the first song seems innocent and mischevous, and where the last song is agressive and violent. A Must Buy

I think this score was very good. Not knowing what to do for the music, coming from a book could be hard. Using one wrong thing could wreck the movie.

Philippe Sarde was the right man to compose this movie's soundtrack. He's not Hans Zimmer, but he is talented. Very much so, as his work here illustrates. I'm no expert on just what goes into making a soundtrack, nor do I know all the terms for what is used to make one. But I do know that a good soundtrack or its absence can make or break a movie. There are some films which are not all that good, some are even bad, that are at least worth mentioning because of their soundtracks. So having a proper soundtrack matters a lot, as does who you ask to compose it.

So while I may not know the right terms, I do know: this soundtrack, fit to this movie, works as it was meant to.

There are only ten songs on the list, but they are well-utilised through the film. Unlike some soundtracks, this one more or less plays like you're watching the movie with only the music. Not quite- the music doesn't play in every moment of every scene- but they appear in the movie as they are listed. I don't know the names of the instruments used by Sarde, but they were the right ones. A children's choir plays a role in some songs, which is a nice touch since the center of the film is children.

The list is as follows:

1. Lord of the Flies (3:54)
2. The Island (3:24)
3. Demons (3:05)
4. Fire on the Mountain (2:49)
5. Cry of the Hunters (5:19)
6. Last Hope (1:04)
7. Savages (4:04)
8. After the Storm (6:15)
9. Bacchanalia (3:33)
10. Lord of the Flies (Finale) (3:24)

This isn't quite so outstanding as some Hans Zimmer soundtracks I've heard, but as I said before these songs are well made and fit the movie superbly. Favorites of mine, if I had to pick out one or two, were "The Island", which gives a serene feel to the scene(s) where the boys fully discover how empty the island they've landed on is, and "Bacchanalia", which plays as the savages seek to destroy Ralph towards the end of the film. Those in particular do a great job of setting the mood for the scenes they're in.

This soundtrack is frustratingly rare. Here on Amazon, it is difficult to find one at all, and seemingly impossible to find one for under thirty five or forty dollars. But having finally been able to listen to it, I can say that while the rarity and price will turn some away, it is worth the trouble for those who are persistent in trying to find a copy.

The only "original" thing about this soundtrack is the modern orchestration of the Livre Vermeil de Montserrat and the cantigas de SAanta Maria, medieval masterpieces of of songs and music dedicated to the Virgin Mary. To even imply that this music is any way Philippe Sarde's own original composition is as misleading as the liner notes included with this cd, which make absolutely no reference to the Livre Vermeil or the Cantigas. If there's any beauty to the melodies found on this soundtrack recording then that beauty is directly attributable to and originates from the medieval musical compositions which were "scavenged" (and in some ways "raped") from the original without even so much as a word of credit! Good work Philippe sarde BUT SHAME ON YOU!