The Village [SOUNDTRACK]

James Newton Howard (Composer)

Product Details

• Composer: James Newton Howard
• Audio CD (July 27, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Hollywood Records
• ASIN: B0002IQJSC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,749 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In the wake of his Sixth Sense triumph, young director M. Night Shyamalan shrewdly marketed himself as a marquee draw, a thriller auteur in the vein of Hitchcock and DePalma. In the process he's also run headlong into one of Hollywood's truest adages: There's no such thing as a sure thing. But while his tale of an isolated hamlet ringed by mysterious, threatening 'others' met with tepid reviews and disappointing box office, it also underscored another filmmaking truism: So-so films can still be blessed with magnificent musical scores. This hauntingly beautiful, yet thoroughly contemporary orchestral soundtrack by James Newton-Howard distinguishes itself at every turn, becoming a clear standout in the ongoing collaboration between the composer and Shyamalan. While similar fusions of minimalist and post-modern musical influences can sometimes seem not much more than hollow intellectual exercises, Newton-Howard inhabits his hypnotic arpeggios and droning rhythms here with an evocative undercurrent of the mysterious and mystical. The composer leans heavily on solo violin to conjure a mock folk tradition of indistinct origins, wedding it to a contemporary classical sense that's as seamless as it is distinguished. -- Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Darkly Enchanting & Elegant Score, July 29, 2004

By	lipschtik (In A World Of My Own) - See all my reviews

While I have been very anxiously awaiting the release of M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village", I was pleased to have been able to pick up the soundtrack on the day it appeared in stores. I have come to expect great things from James Newton Howard, as he possesses a true gift of being able to infuse so much character, emotion into each film that he composes for. His insturmentation/orchestration here is lush~ripe with a beautiful, haunting faerie tale-like quality that also evokes feelings of pure dread and fear in several instances. There is a genuine charm and quaintness to the music that really captures the spirit, isolation of the village and its inhabitants. I have no doubt in my mind that once I see the film (which will be soon!), this score will enhance the excitement for me on a whole new level....I have not been able to listen to much of anything else since purchasing it!! :-) This is one of the best movie soundtracks I have heard in a long time...if you appreciate a gorgeous, heady listening experience, don't pass this up!!

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deserved the Academy Award, June 1, 2005

By	N. Winemiller "bunny hugger" (Finger Lakes region, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

People seem either to love or to hate "The Village," but it seems that few can deny the power and beauty of the film's soundtrack. I absolutely love it, and I was disgusted when it didn't win the Oscar. It was certainly the most deserving, I think, both because of how much it suited the movie so well (I'd argue that it "made" the movie) and because it's just a masterpiece. Very moving, lovely, wonderful, and memorable. Hilary Hahn, an up and coming young violinist brings her extensive classical music talent and skills here, and they are used marvelously. This soundrack is a masterpiece!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous!, August 6, 2004

By	Stacey Peterson "closet literature/film analyst" (MN, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Even if you were disappointed by the film (I for one was not, but I won't go into that here), it is impossible to say negative things about James Newton Howard's score. The more I hear of Howard's work, the more impressed I am with his versatile and unique style to film scoring. Where most composers seem to exhaust every resource both within the orchestra and beyond, Howard reminds us that film music is meant to complement, not cover up, what is happening on the screen. However, the triumph of his score to "The Village" is that it not only works perfectly in the film, but is a joy to listen to on its own as well.

While there are the expected bursts of the percussive and brassy to reflect the tension of the film, most of the score focuses quiet and sensitive orchestration under a solo violin, played to perfection by Hilary Hahn. The wide range of emotions expressed, from subtle anxiety to the beauty of hope, is incredibly intimate and seamless in it's transitions, and is sure to tug at anyone's heartstrings. It's is a must-have for any film score collection.