Customer Reviews

Tears Of The Sun

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Director Antoine Fuqua brings to the screen "Tears of the Sun", a film similar to "Behind Enemy Lines", "Black Hawk Down" and "Bat 21" all winners, but the difference is Bruce Willis, Tom Skerritt and Monica Bellucci a very strong cast for this action thriller. Now enters Hans Zimmer, the directors choice for composer ~ who once again takes us on a classic musical journey ~ this time into African rhythms, beautiful solos and choral arrangements. Varese Records along with behind the scenes music-people like Steve Jablonsky, Lisa Gerrard, Heitor Pereira, Lebo M., Andreas Vollenweider and Jim Dooley send chills down our spins with this (should be) award winning score album.

A couple of stand outs ~ "YEKELENI PART 1/"MIA'S LULLABYE", this theme could make time stand still, it's that beautiful ~ "THE JOURNEY/KOPANO PART III", the final track has the "Zimmer Signature" all the stops are pulled out with brilliant orchestration, outstanding arrangement and total blow your mind performance ~ gotta love it!

This CD can stand own its own for listen ability ~ musical style of "Lion King", "Thin Red Line", "Gladiator", "Black Hawk Down" and "Power of One" if you enjoyed any of the mentioned, this score's for you and did I mention this is a keeper.

Total Time: 46:38 on 10 Tracks ~ Varese Records 302-066-457-2 ~ (3/18/2003)

Hans Zimmer has been one of my personal favorites for a long time. He seems to have a nack for the action sequences of movies, definitely noticable in The Rock.

The Tears of the Sun soundtrack has an African theme to it, which i tend to like. However, Track 9: The Jablonsky Variation is perhaps the best track on the cd. As with most soundtracks you can watch the movie in your head, even if you haven't seen the movie. That is espicially possible with this track. You can feel the despair and time running out and then at the end of the song (the napalm from the f-18 jets) you feel deeply saddened. The emotion to this song is incredible. I highly recommend this soundtrack to those who enjoy Hans Zimmer's work.

Much like Hans Zimmer's music for "Galdiator" his score for "Tears of the Sun" could be described as "soundtrack by committee." This is not to suggest that it does not work for the film, or as a soundtrack recording. Indeed, it is both effective and enjoyable on both counts. Credit must be given to Steve Jablonsky, Lebo M., Lisa Gerrard, Heitor Pereira and Andreas Vollenweider as well, however. That said the musical score is amazingly cohesive. The unifying thread is the vocals of Lebo M. This is a somber and often reflective score to an equally serious film. Both the plight of Africa and the frustration of the West are clearly portrayed on the screen and in this music. At times the music is a desperate, wrenching plea for sanity. Zimmer and Lebo were part of a very successful colaboration with "The Lion King," and this effort is at times a reminder of that great achievement. The emotional climax of the film, and the score, does have an unmistakable "Lion King" moment (only the rock is missing). Nicely produced and packaged by Varese.

I was very eager to get my hands on Hans Zimmer's only cd release since Spirit. Knowing that this score would be very much like the Power of One with a war element included, I felt that I would thoroughly enjoy the music. And that I did. The first feeling I got was a sense of awe as Mia's Lullabye filled my ears. Then sadness as the strings of the Heart of Darkness track began. The longest track on the album, strangely titled 'Small Piece For Doumbek And Strings' is one of the best. The pace and volume of the track changes through its duration, with a very emotional cue around the 7.00 minute mark. Under the forest calm offers some fairly un-interesting minimalistic score. Carnage offers a very chaotic build-up and then cools down. Track 6 acts as an interlude to more emotional music in track 7 and track 8 - Cry in Silence starts off in chaos with the same music as in Carnage, and very similar to Black Hawk Down. Track 9 is simply brilliant, an emotional bulid-up to chaos to a fast tempo action cue, but the best is yet to come. Track 10 is Zimmer's 2003 masterpiece. In a build-up to theme not dis-similar to final tracks in Beyond Rangoon and Black Hawk Down, the Mother Africa style track is simply breathtaking, spanning 8 minutes, with Lebo M. featuring heavily. This is a must have for Zimmer fans, for any score music fans with some spare cash, and for anyone who enjoys African chants and the like, if not just for track 10. The only disappointment here is the short-ish length. But as long as we are getting Zimmer's score released onto cd, we have to be happy.

This is an exquisitely beautiful and powerful piece by Lebo M., Hans Zimmer, Steve Jablonsky, and Jim Dooley. They deftly combine gripping classic African rhythms and vocals with subtle classic European underpinnings. An immeasurably enjoyable and brilliant work of art.

I have to say, I didn't know what to expect from this score. Had it been released in the mid-to-late 90's, I would have expected a blustering action score with several Media Ventures-style anthems. But then Zimmer did something different than usual with "Gladiator", and did something WAY different with "Black Hawk Down", not to mention his somber work on "The Thin Red Line." In the past few years, it's been hard to figure out what to expect from Mr. Z. WHat he gives us a here is a blend of many of his trademark sounds. The African influence from "Power of One" and "Lion King", Lisa Gerards's vocals from "Gladiator", the sad strings of "The Thin Red Line", the harsh electronics of "Black Hawk Down", and even one of Zimmer's famous action anthems. Zimmer is listed as the primary composer, but there are many contributions to the album from Lebo M, Steve Jablonsky, Jeff Rona, and others. The aspect of "Tears of the Sun" that impresses me the most is the production work. Just listen to track four and marvel at the array of ethnic and unique sounds Zimmer thrusts into his massive soundscape. To date, this is one of the best-produced albums I've heard. Like "The Thin Red Line", it's more about atmosphere than themes, but there are themes here. The main theme is inspirational, and is heard best in tracks three (on strings), six (with a male choir and Lisa Gerard), and especially track ten (as a joyous song celebration led by Lebo M with an African choir). Also impressive is the action piece heard in track nine, a relentlessly agressive epic that's preceded by a lovely and (much as I hate to use this cliched word) haunting orchestral prelude accompanied by Gerard's voice. There are parts of "Tears of the Sun" that may sound harsh to the ears on a first listen, but this is an album that you can't help but appreciate and admire, whether or not you like it. Zimmer fans all ready have it by now, but everyone else may want to listen to the avaliable sound clips before deciding to purchase it, as this sort of score is an acquired taste.

The score features some great music by Zimmer - he never disappoints me. The trouble I had with this CD comes from the African chanting. I'm very big on music from movies like this, and the chants interrupt the flow of the score. Kopano Part II is so sad sounding if you can ignore the chanting. That piece would be so much better without it. Honestly, it sounds like a retarded person wandered into the recording studio and stole a mic. Lebo M. literally just yells over the music. It takes away the emotion, in my opinion.

4 stars for Hans; I had to dock one for those annoying chants.

With all of Zimmer's music, you are there, not at the concert but in the field. The music is always amazing. If you liked Black Hawk Down and the Thin Red Line, you will like this cd.

Wow! Once again he comes through with another amazing score to a great movie. A must for Hans Zimmer fans! If you only got the final track, it would be worth it. A classic "Zimmer sounding" song

I have always been a Bruce Willis fan. So where on God's earth was I when this film was made and showing in the theatres? It must, surely, be one of the best movies he's made. I had no idea it even existed. I bought the DVD from a small Gameforce in Saint Louis, Missouri. And that only because it starred Bruce Willis.
I am a South African living in America and have been starved of good African music for a while. As a Lebo M fan, I was totally surprised to hear, what I was sure was his wonderfully passionate voice coming through the theme music at the end of the movie. WHAT A DELIGHT!. I sat glued, watching the credits as they rolled, being so sure that was Lebo M's voice. The last I heard from Lebo M was his CD "Deeper Meaning". It brought back wonderful memories. I have read through most of the reviews and was amused at Lee from San Fransico's review. However, I suppose if I didn't have the African heritage, I would, most probably felt the same as Lee did. But Lee, his voice BELONGED in that song. Lebo M is at his most passionate best at the end of the film with the African Poetry theme. You don't have to have been born and raised in Africa to appreciate passion in anyone's voice, but it was that passion that drew me to Lebo M in the first place a few years ago. He is highly underated, as far as I am concerned, in the African music field. The movie gripped me to the core and Hans Zimmer's spectacular score was riveting. It finished the film wonderfully for me. But it was Lebo M that polished it. I hope this artist, who is also well known for his disco type style of music, which I don't like, goes a long way in the world of movie soundtrack for this type of movie. I think it's time I listened to "The Lion King" soundtrack too. I think I'm getting old. I have missed some good music and some good films since I came to live in this wonderful country called America. But, I hope it's OK that I get homesick....just every once in a while.
The story line in this film has prompted me to recommend a book written by a black American journalist, Keith B. Richburg, called "Out of America". Anyone who doubts the veracity of the violence portrayed in this movie should read this book. One of the last things he says in the book is "Thank God my ancestor got out".