The Patriot: Original Motion Picture Score (2000 Film) [SOUNDTRACK]

John Williams (Composer)

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 27, 2000)
• Original Release Date: June 27, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Hollywood Records
• ASIN: B00004U03X
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (111 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,843 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

1. Patriot

2. Family Farm

3. To Charleston

4. Colonial Cause

5. Redcoats at the Farm and the Death of Thomas

6. Ann Recruits the Parishoners

7. Preparing for Battle

8. Ann and Gabriel

9. First Ambush and Remebering the Wilderness

10. Tavington's Trap

11. Burning of the Plantation

12. Facing the British Lines

13. Parish Church Aflame

14. Susan Speaks

15. Martin Vs. Tavington

16. Yorktown and the Return Home

17. Patriot Reprise

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Though Hollywood has long had a love affair with historical epics, it has sorely shortchanged America's own most compelling chapter, the War of Independence. And if this tale of a retiring Colonial hero whose family gets drawn into the war against the British has no shortage of production ironies--being helmed by a German director and starring Australian-raised Mel Gibson--its score is a solid, stirring effort by American John Williams. Largely eschewing typical bombastic epic fodder for a mostly understated score rich in his distinctive writing for brass and strings, Williams's music seeks out the story's emotional underpinnings as much as its battle-scarred action sequences. The haunting main theme here begins as a Celtic-flavored reel for guitar and violin, then wells into strings, martial drumbeats, and full-bodied brass. Much as he did for the Oscar-nominated Saving Private Ryan, Williams paints a mature, alternately abstract and pastoral portrait of armed conflict, often as not reinventing the genre's heroic traditions as he goes. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding! One of Williams' best!, June 28, 2000

By	"dilinator" (Lansing, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

Wow! After getting started into soundtracks by liking John Williams' works, I've really grown fond of James Horner's scores, and have scads of those. I still have liked Williams, but have not payed as much much attention to his scores of late. Angela's Ashes, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List; all nice, pleasant (if not sad) scores, but not the kind that really grabbed me (Star Wars, Jurassic Park Main Themes).

But now along comes The Patriot, and all I have to say is THAT Williams is back here! I was looking forward to the movie, and was quite glad when I found Williams was going to do the soundtrack. I knew it would be something good, but I guess I like it even more than I thought I would. It's very powerful, moving, and patriotic, and takes the listener on quite a ride.

The music is not done with a lot of drums and fife, as one might expect for a movie about early Americana, but instead paints a very grandoise, and majestic picture of the time period, and the country. The middle tracks are the action music, and sound a lot like Jurassic Park or Star Wars action music. But they still have their distinct feel, and are quite driving in nature.

This soundtrack really has all of Williams' styles in it. It has the sad, moving music like Schindler's List and Angela's Ashes, patriotic music like Saving Private Ryan; majestic and triumphant cues like Jurassic Park's theme; and the sustained, bold melodies of Star Wars. In my opinion, this could quite possibly be Williams' best work thus far, and definitely is right up at the top. Long live John Williams!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Patriot: Music for the American Revolution, July 2, 2000

By	James D. Eret (San Diego) - See all my reviews

John Willaims has written so many film scores that it is hard to keep up with his output, but he almost never fails to produce good to great scores for the films. He scores big with his film score for "The Patriot," a giant, sprawling epic that also has a lighter touch of a family caught up in the Revolutionary War in 1776. Willaims manages to avoid most cliched songs of the period, with just a few strains of "Yankee Doodle" and some drum and fife music but this is rare in a score of great emotional feeling, for the families that had to go to war and how war takes its toll on them. Ironically, Williams performs the miraculous by composing music that raises the spirit but shows little bombast, when it would be easy to go for giant effects. Here, on this CD, he writes beautiful music for pastoral South Carolina, the main setting of the film, and then the war themes come marching in, but always he returns to the human story, the emotional rise and fall that perfectly matches the story's narrative. John Williams rarely repeats himeslf. This score reminds me a little of his beautiful musical score of "The River," where a lone modern farming family fights a different war against greed and the elements. Mel Gibson was in that film also. John Williams makes any movie better with his feeling for the elements of the film and the characters. Few composers have had as many "classic" flim scores as John Willams and with "The Patriot," he has composed a score that stirs the blood to action, underscores the human suffering, and wonderfully colors his music with a sense of place and setting. He should get another Academy Award nomination for "The Patriot," and I havn't heard a better soundtrack CD in 2000. A must for all fans of John William's film music, a must for any music listener that loves sounds that touch the heart and brace us for action.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An American Symphony, June 27, 2000

By	Mr. Christian Lauliac (Paris France) - See all my reviews

John Williams has fashioned an evocative and monumental score for director Roland Emmerich's epic on the American Revolution . It should come as no surprise, bearing in mind how Williams truly shines when he writes in his coplandesque, noble americana style (Saving Private Ryan, Amistad, Born on the Fourth of July and JFK). The Patriot soundtrack opens with a splendid, soothing melody for fiddle and woodwinds. This is the family theme: hope, sadness and longing for the wilderness all rolled into a single melody. Its rich, folklike intervals are a treat. The melody quickly swells, taken by the whole orchestra. Epic stuff. Rich, soothing writing for strings. Just what you would expect from the maestro. It then leads to a secondary theme ("The Colonial Cause"): a propulsive grand anthem for the American revolution. Brass, a catchy dance for fifes and drums included within the orchestra. Shades of Saving Private Ryan's "Hymn for the Fallen". But although the former score was elegiac and introspective, this one is a huge symphony. You can visualise the marching soldiers, the thwarded hopes and the bloody battles. Strong countrepoint from the strings throughout. The first cue ends with a third theme: a rich, hymn like statement from the horn section, before a return of the pastoral family theme. And this is just the overture! Action fans rejoice: the action material is aggressive, very rythmic. Serious stuff. "Tavington's Trap" and "Fist Ambush" are prime examples of John Williams' harsh, tense action cues. Williams keeps his large brass section busy. Rich, epic writing. But there is more than just blood and guts: "Ann and Gabriel" further develops the family theme, with an emphasis on solo flute over a subtle harpsichord accompaniement. It climaxes with a lyrical statement by the whole orchestra. Great cue, goose bumps in the air. "To Charleston" is a light, bouncy cue that brings a lighter side to this powerhouse album. Shawn Murphy's engineering is faultless, with a crystal-clear presence of the drums and brass in the action sequences. Great performance by the studio orchestra. The whole 72 minutes album flows very well without a dull moment. I guess epic scores do not come any better than that. This score ranks among Williams's best epic works of the decade, along with Far and Away, Star Wars Episode I and Jurassic Park. He adds another distinguished effort to his discography.