The Thin Red Line: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Soundtrack]

The Thin Red Line (Related Recordings), Hans Zimmer | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 12, 1999)
• Original Release Date: January 12, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: RCA Victor
• ASIN: B00000GV6B
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,338 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #79 in Music > Imports > Soundtracks

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Hans Zimmer, trying to avoid war-movie clichés, accompanies the dramatized carnage at Guadalcanal with a weepy and wistful score. Like the Terrence Malick film, the music, with its sad violins and underscored orchestra, invokes a war that is more introspective, a fitting backdrop to the often purple poeticisms in the voice-over narrations. Zimmer provides occasional adaptations to the American folk hymn "Christian Race," but his overall effect is much more otherworldly. Instead of the earthier martial themes associated with warlords or heroes, this is the soundtrack to a melancholy Valhalla, a story seemingly told by battlefield casualties who are already angels. Less predictable is a brief closing track (written by Francesco Lupica) strangely titled "Sit Back & Relax" that sends out a surreal "cosmic beam." --Joseph Lanza

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to know if it contains your favourite track..., February 9, 2002

By 

"b-y-r-o" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Thin Red Line: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Audio CD)

Lots of other people have written critical things about the score so I'm just going to list all the tracks in detail and tell you exactly what you get and don't get - because this soundtrack does miss out a lot.

This will only make sense to you if you are VERY familiar with the film.

1. "The Coral Atoll"

This starts with the quiet, barely audible synthesized sounds from the opening of the movie. It then builds up into the loud sustained organ chord which accompanies the opening shot of the crocodile. It is not quite as long the one in the movie and the chord opens up a little more suddenly. It then goes into the quiet stirring strings and harp sequence which is used over the shots of the village and the flashback of Witt's mother dying. After that you get the low, choppy, scary string sequence used for the shelling and when the officers are talking on deck. After that, the music calms down into that static music sequence with the low strings and bells - also used on the ship. It ends with a shortened version of the "Christian Race" theme used for the cabin sequence.

2. "The Lagoon"

This opens with a vocal section not used in the film. After some bassy synth and chimes you get a man singing a very peculiar, ghostly, wailing chant. This quickly passes and links into the main Lagoon track. This is the track used at various times in the film such as when the troops are rushing about to get into the transport boats, when Woody Harolson dies after "blowing his [rear] off" and the river scene at the end. You get almost the full thing. There's just a tiny bit cut out from when the Japs start going after Witt. This is replaced by more of the two-tone string theme.

3. "Journey to the Line"

The full track used for the traumatic American assault on the village occupied by Japs. The clock ticking is much more quiet than the one in the film but it builds effectively. The whole thing is very dramatic but the bells and drum beats have been made quieter on the CD. The string section at the end is much longer than the one in the film and slower. You don't get the quick trumpet cue for when the Jap starts talking back to the yank soldier or when he looks up at the birds (but who would want that anyway?)

4. "Light"

This is the love theme used in the long sequence when Elias' character leaves on the plane, the shot of the soldier having a fit, when Bell thinks of his wife and also when the airfield is blown up. Added neatly onto the end of this is the other (full) version of "Christian race" which is sadder and has bells in the background (used for the scene with the young dying soldier).

5. "Beam"

The Jon Powell track for when Bell is alone, thinking of wife while he approaches the enemy to get recon info.

6. "Air"

This is the brief bit where Witt is being chased by japs at the end of the film. It includes VERY loud (but infrequent) crashing drum beats and the track is extended by extra synth piece which rises up to a long deafening chord at the end (that last bit was not used in the film).

7. "Stone in my Heart"

Not used in the film. It's the main "two-tone" theme with string riffs in the background - makes me think of a soldier running or something. Shame it wasn't used in the film. It's brilliant!

8. "The Village"

Not used in the film. The same theme as above but without the riffs and happier. It has a bit more of an individual theme at the beginning and a few places in the middle, but nothing memorable.

9. "Silence"

This is a lower-pitch version of the sad theme used in several places in the film like the bit where Bell fanaticizes about his wife in the bathtub. It follows the last track, which was major and happy with an effective changing of chord and tone which is minor and really sad. It ends with the rumbling synth piece used when the soldiers are traveling away from Guadalcanal and you see the shot of the island disappearing into the distance from the boat.

10. "God U Tekem Laef Blong Mi"

The only village chant on the CD. This is the one with orchestra accompaniment used at the start of the end credit roll.

11. "Sit Back and Relax"

Not used in the film. A weird sequence of synthesizers which is as close as you will get to the music used for the combat scenes.

What you don't get is:

- The nice organ/string version of the main chant used in the village scene at the beginning

- The two main village chants (you can find those on the Melanesian choirs TRL CD)
- Any of the other versions of Christian Race. This really annoyed me because the one I really wanted to hear was the really beautiful string/harp one used in the end credit roll. No sign of it anywhere (this is a shame as it could have stood as a main theme like Adagio was for Platoon). Infact there are 5 versions of Christian Race in the film. This CD only has 1 and a half!
- The drum sequence for the beach landing.
- The clock-ticking sequence used when the soldiers are walking through the jungle and hills.
- The cosmic beam music used for the battle sequences
- The bit where Penn gives morphine to the dying soldier.
- The REALLY moving theme used for when Caviezel is talking to Penn in the field and in the empty house
- The music for Witt's death
- All the other short, bitty cues... If I haven't mentioned it, it's not on the CD!

I hope that all made sense to you and has been helpful. I don't want to put you off buying this CD as the music it has is still excellent. Well done Mr. Zimmer!

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking and Moving, November 22, 1999

By 

Dan Cox (Kingsport, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Thin Red Line: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Audio CD)

Terence Mallick seems to do no wrong in the movie world. His latest take on WWII is a film called The Thin Red Line. Hans Zimmer was asked to write another brilliant score in his career, and boy did he come through. Zimmer's ability to create an emotion with music is absolutely breathtaking. In The Thin Red Line score Zimmer carries a very slow moving, almost throbbing, melody that amazingly recreates the emotion you experience during the film. Once again Zimmer has written a native tune that is sung by village folk just off Solomon Island in the movie. This song goes well with the rest of the soundtrack in that it is redundant in melody, but his use of different instruments and dynamics make this song moving emotionally. I can not really compare this score to any other movie score, not even by Zimmer himself. This is the most unique score he has written and you won't be disappointed. Hans Zimmer takes you to the Solomon Islands and throws you on to the battlefield. He makes you experience the long days of heat, the horrible act of war, and the beauty of life that is so often forgotten. After listening to this soundtrack, you will sit there thinking to yourself for hours trying to understand how beautiful this music really is. Prepare to let you mind be swept away in a very dark, poetic score by Hans Zimmer.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zimmer's most understated score yet., March 26, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Martha's Vineyard, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Thin Red Line: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Audio CD)

I purchased this score album without ever having seen the film (and as of yet, still haven't) simply on the reputation of its composer alone. A longtime fan of Zimmer's work, I had come to expect rollicking action scores and powerful percussion, none of which were to be found here. Instead, I found a thoughtful and moving score with very little resemblance to any of Zimmer's previous works. Particularly touching were the climactic "Journey to the Line" and "Light" with its glorious harp ostinato. An incredibly well-composed and well-recorded disc (in HDCD, no less!), this is some of the most relaxing and thought-provoking music I have heard in a long time (yes, relaxing music from a war movie!). Fans of traditional Zimmer may be disappointed, but those who have an ear for a more mellow score may want to give this one a listen.