Customer Reviews

MILK

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

 

 

The "Milk" soundtrack is excellent. The music is perfect for the movie. I love the music of the seventies. I grew up listening to this music.
I absolutely love the tracks "You Make Me Feel Real" and "Rock The Boat". These are great classic dance tracks. Another highlight is the track "Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone. This is a great track to bring people together. Hello Hello is an easy going song that makes me feel good. I love Danny Elfman's score especially his beautiful Harvey's theme. I also like the sax solo at the end. It is very relaxing. I love the tense dramatic sound of "Gay Rights Now". "Prelude Number Seven" is such a peaceful instrumental track. I love the angelic choir sound of "The Kiss" too.

wow I saw the movie and went out to get the soundtrack...gave me the chills, HISTORY repeating itself....the religious rights with their bigotry will never leave the LGBT community alone....THIS MOVIE its value and the right timing is just one of those things when everything falls into place. The cast and score is just wonderful...>GREAT JOB Gus

Danny Elfman has created a beautiful score for this film.I'm pleased that they put plenty of the score on the CD and didn't fill it with pop songs used in film that are available elsewhere.

Although many people nowadays will not know his name, Harvey Milk remains a hugely important figure in American political history. As the first ever openly gay man ever elected to public office in the United States, Milk served one term as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the late 1970s, and was responsible for passing a stringent gay rights ordinance for the city, before being assassinated by fellow city supervisor Dan White in November 1978. Having already been the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, `The Times of Harvey Milk', in 1984, director Gus Van Sant's new film charts the life and death of a man who has since been labeled `a martyr for gay rights' in dramatic narrative; the film stars Sean Penn as Milk, Josh Brolin as White, and features Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna and James Franco in supporting roles.

Milk is Danny Elfman's fourth collaboration with Gus Van Sant, after To Die For, Psycho and Good Will Hunting, and the second of these to result in an Oscar nomination for the erstwhile composer. As one might expect, Elfman's score portrays Milk as a noble, tragic figure in American political history, but thankfully stops short of all-out deification, instead recognizing the flawed, uncertain, human side of Milk's character, while still acknowledging the hugely important legacy he created for the accession of gay rights in California.

Anyone who has experienced the development of Danny Elfman's musical style over the years will understand what I mean when I say that Milk falls most assuredly into the `modern' end of his writing. Gone are the days of big, dramatic themes and beautifully icy orchestrations; the new Elfman is closer in tone and style to Philip Glass than his old self, and as such Milk follows that style, relying heavily on repeated note clusters, undulating rhythmic elements, and a generally introspective tone, albeit one which is augmented by a number of prominent solo instruments, notably piano and saxophone. The "Main Titles" are a perfect example of this new voice in his writing, consisting as they do of oddly-metered glassy textures and mourning violins, with the saxophone hooting sonorously over the top of it all.

Cues such as "Politics is Theater", "The Debates" and "Anita's Theme" further engage in the textural similarities with Glass, almost comparing the political shenanigans that take place behind the doors of power to the endlessly churning wheels of a cog, or the innards of a clock, relentlessly repeating and on-going, but never truly seeming to make much progress beyond the machinations of the process itself. Once in a while there is a curious, but hugely engaging fusion of his newly-embraced minimalism with the rampaging brass ebullience and choral daintiness of early scores such as Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands that makes for intriguing listening. The more dramatic elements of the score are characterized in cues such as "Gay Rights Now!", which introduce a tempestuous ostinato for timpani, glockenspiel and strings that adds a sense of urgency and excitement to the score, while remaining rooted in its minimalistic tendencies.

The theme for Harvey himself, as heard in "Harvey's Theme 1" and "Harvey's Theme 2", is warm and comforting, with soothing brass chords and a gently dignified string backing, which makes for genuinely attractive listening. Other cues, such as "The Kiss", the lovely "New Hope", the bright "Vote Passes", and the elegiac "Postscript" have an equally upbeat aspect, occasionally even working a boy's choir, a solo trumpet, and choppy, urgent percussion writing into the mix, as well as further distinguished statements of Harvey's theme. The "Main Titles Sax Solo" which concludes the album, is a delightful showcase for the jazz-inflected talents of lead saxophonist Phil Todd.

However, the best music is saved for the climax of the film (and score), in the cues "Harvey's Last Day" and "Give `Em Hope". It is during these cues that Elfman's thematic prowess comes firmly to the forefront of the score, building from a gently romantic piano solo, gradually working in the contemporary rhythmic elements that filter through much of the score, and eventually emerging into a lush, but appropriately restrained rendition of Harvey's theme for the full orchestra which successfully captures the sense of pride Milk's life - and death - instilled in San Francisco's gay community.

I can see how Milk would not appeal to fans of Elfman's earlier scores, and how some could even go so far as to consider it a little disappointing. It's not a score which has big themes, or even especially big moments of emotional catharsis. It's not even Elfman's best score of 2008 - that accolade goes to his documentary score, Standard Operating Procedure. What Milk does do, however, is further illustrate the increasing maturation of Elfman as a dramatic film composer, with the musical chops to write successful, appropriate, intelligent music across a variety of genres, and for this reason alone comes recommended.

One of my favorite movie sound tracks of all time. Music is moving and descriptive. Danny Elfman has done a superb job creating the right effect for the Milk movie. The sound track is moody, uplifting, deep, sensitive, joyful, and more. Brings back so many great memories of the Castro I knew in the 60's & 70's Play the music all the time.

this soundtrack is great the best of the best amazing great and awesome buy this soundtrack you wont be sorry

Danny Elfman's soundtracks are immensely varied from, "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" and "Sleepy Hollow" to "Edward Scissorhands" and "The Simpson's". If you are familiar with these works, it will give you an idea of how varied and unique Elfman's compositions are. Some of this soundtrack's compositions are brilliantly insightful and moving, while others get lost in the background. Songs like, "Politics Is Theater", "Give `Em Hope" and both "Harvey's Themes" are beautifully written and played, but far, far too short. Most of the other songs sound like filler and deserved more input. To be noted, songs like, "Queen Bitch", "Everyday people" and "Rock The Boat" are more from the early to mid seventies and not directly from this time period, but Sylvester's wild, "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" is almost the anthem for this work and thankfully, the entire song is included. I felt this film deserved more than short mood music, but although it doesn't thrill, it doesn't detract from the film. Its curious that little operatic music was included, as Harvey Milk was such a huge fan. This film may have deserved more, but what Elfman gives is just enough.

I was disappointed to see that the First Choice classic "The Player" which was played in the film twice didn't make it on to the soundtrack. Furthermore, this isn't one of Danny Elfman's finest moments in the score department.

More classic tracks that defined the era would have been appreciated. And if you don't already know "The Player" - you should check it out!!!

This is a must have for those who are gay illiterate or feel threaten by their rights movement. This full soundstrack will make give you a change of heart and realize that gays deserve more rights than any fambloyant chicken flapping their wings at an all star slaughter house...atleast the gays always have a happy ending ....... I say GLAD scored mayor points on this one TOO-SHAAY