DreamWorks Pictures’ ‘War Horse’ original soundtrack review

Sony Masterworks has released the Original soundtrack to DreamWorks Pictures’ War Horse, a classical score of splendor and serenity. War Horse, directed by Steven Spielberg, is based on a young adult novel by the British author Michael Morpurgo, first published in the United Kingdom in 1982. The heroic journey is a story of loyalty, faith and persistence despite being set during the First World War. The story begins with the extraordinary friendship that forms between a horse named Joey and a young man named Albert, as Albert tames and trains him to work on his family’s farm. After they are forced to separate, the film follows Joey as he moves through the war, touching the lives of all that he meets, and Albert who will stop at nothing to find Joey and bring him home.

The classical music that John Williams has composed and conducted for this film is not just magnificent, it is stimulating. His music plays throughout the entire film from beginning to end, whether it is in the forefront or running faintly in the background. He has a way of creating instrumental music in a lyrical style, in which the notes fit each individual emotion and scenario as it flows from scene to scene. It is absolutely remarkable how the music tells the story even without the visuals. Somehow it finds a way, even during the most gruesome scenes, to give listeners hope and feel at peace.

The opening piece is called “Dartmoor, 1912,” named after the British landscape that according to Steven Spielberg, “inspired John Williams to compose a score of such beauty and quiet majesty that one might think the earth was speaking through him.” The piece is a compilation of soft flute sounds complemented by an orchestra of uplifting and triumphal sounds from violins to trumpets to chimes, as it introduces the setting and characters to the audience. The most interesting aspect is that when the piece reaches its uplifting melody, it becomes almost youthful and imaginative.

The entire score is undeniably a masterpiece; however the pieces that accompany the turning points throughout the film were most captivating. The piece, “Bringing Joey Home, And Bonding” is quite unique because it transitions effortlessly back and forth from a disappointing, amusing tune of trombones to another soft rendition of uplifting flutes. The trombones accentuate the mother’s disappointment in her husband for buying a horse too small to plow the farm and then the uniting of forever friends. In “Learning the Call,” the piece’s striking tempo streams from gentle and soft flute playing to high and upbeat sounds, matching Albert’s tenderness toward Joey to get him to learn and his excitement when he does.

The pieces “Plowing” and “Ruined Crop, and Going to War” exemplify one of the greatest motivational turning points in the film. “Plowing” begins dreary with deep, low and long drawn out tones to illustrate Albert’s tiredness and frustration as he attempts to plow his father’s farm with Joey. The piece suddenly shifts projecting loud clashes and fast buoyant sounds as Joey successfully plows the land, conveying Albert’s belief in him when everyone had none. However, the following piece, “Ruined Crop, and Going to War” shifts back to the slow tempo and somber, yet lovely sounds, when all of the crops on the farm are ruined and Joey has to be sold to a soldier going to war in order to keep it. Halfway through the piece, the mood lightens and the delicate sounds of the trumpets and drums are mesmerizing. The trumpets alone exude a sound of success and bravery as Joey and Albert say goodbye, leaving nothing but Albert’s dad’s war scarf around Joey’s neck.

There are many pieces that play throughout Joey’s capture and the war that are simultaneously serene and exciting. One of the most rewarding aspects of William’s scores, especially during these particular scenes, is his interchange in sounds, whether it is from soft to loud, fast to slow, elegant to ominous etc. to fit every mood. For instance, the piece “Joey’s New Friends,” has a slight fluctuation of pitch on many of its sustained merry tones, depicting the scenes where Joey meets and touches the lives of many new people along his quest. The sound of the trumpets and profound, rumbling trombones throughout “Pulling the Cannon,” are rousing, as are the calm violins and other string instruments that appear during the piece in high and low strides. The piece “No Man’s Land” was very distinctive because the beginning sounds faint and fantasy-like, almost hypnotic, and then toward the middle to end the sounds spiral up from low to high, as the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of ‘No Man’s Land.’

When Joey and Albert meet again for the first time, “The Reunion” plays, with soft flutes and elevating trumpets and violins uniting happily as Albert takes each step toward Joey. The sounds in this piece are dramatic and elongated as it moves into “Remembering Emilie, and Finale,” which combines some recurring melodies from throughout the movie to vividly illustrate its ending. These expressive instrumental sounds to welcome them home trail into the final piece on the soundtrack, “The Homecoming.” With its diversity of melody, this last piece, like the first, coincide with one another and the last piece ends just as the first—blissful, triumphant and brilliant as Joey and Albert ride into the sunset.

Overall, the flow of sounds from soft to loud to fast to slow with each scene allows you to feel every raw emotion that the characters feel in the film. The changing melodies during the course of each piece along with the a cappella instruments are perfection. John Williams has such recognizable and at times recurring melodies throughout his score that are always consistently harmonious. It is amazing how when you watch the film you can’t help but envision the orchestra sitting proudly in a pit below the screen. John Williams' music brings War Horse to life.

John Williams has written some of the best-known scores in film history, including Star Wars, Superman and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, over almost six decades and has had a long association with director Steven Spielberg.

Please see below for the complete War Horse soundtrack list:

1. Dartmoor, 1912
2. The Auction
3. Bringing Joey Home, and Bonding
4. Learning the Call
5. Seeding, and Horse vs. Car
6. Plowing
7. Ruined Crop, and Going to War
8. The Charge and Capture
9. The Desertion
10. Joey s New Friends
11. Pulling the Cannon
12. The Death of Topthorn
13. No Man s Land
14. The Reunion
15. Remembering Emilie, and Finale
16. The Homecoming

War Horse will be released in theatres on December 25, 2011.