Free Post: My Favorite Soundtracks Part 2 (1970's to Present)

Here we are again; my five favorite movie soundtracks of all time (from the last forty years). The best of the best, the most powerful, meaningful, or downright most amazing soundtracks, all according to yours truly. All of these come from favorite movies of mine, with the exception of number five...

Number Five: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves: Main Theme (Michael Kamen)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5Edkb2Qo9c
I'm not the biggest fan of this film. The plot isn't that bad, the acting (overall) is okay, and it has the man, the myth, the Morgan Freeman. The catch (and it's a big one) - I'm not so sure I dig the whole "American Robin Hood" thing. To put it as Cary Ewes did in Mel Brooks's spoof (Robin Hood: Men in Tights) when asked why the people would follow him: "Because...unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can actually do an English accent." And to be quite honest with you, Kevin Costner lapsed in that regard. A lot. It's even worse than an English Superman; at least Henry Cavill got the accent down. But you can't deny that the theme is amazing. The brassy orchestral piece is just about as heroic as they come. Maybe a bit too heroic for the film's purposes, but not for listening to on a regular basis.

Number Four: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: The Bridge of Khazad-Dum (Howard Shore)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUIZvAe3RBg
Now, you know what they all say when a novel is made into a movie: the book is always better. And, as an individual who has read all of Tolkien's works and seen all of the Peter Jackson-directed films they inspired, I would have to agree. But let's be perfectly honest: Tolkien created entire languages in his spare time. He created an entire history and an entire mythos for his world of Middle-Earth, based predominantly on Norse mythology and Christianity. The characters he created are so complicated and so bound together...the strength of the friendships between all the members of the fellowship still makes me feel warm inside. This is something that nobody will ever be able to capture. And just look at the films - overall, they follow the books very accurately. The plot, although altered in ways, still flows. And the characters are the closest, most tightly-knit, and plain old best group of friends in all the films I've ever seen. Although they didn't quite capture Tolkien, they came closer than anybody could have ever imagined. That's what makes this song so powerful - the chanting you hear in the middle is actually Dwarvish (a real language, created by Tolkien), and the lament at the end is Elvish (again, another Tolkienic language), in a scene where the character's pain is terrible, thanks to some of the greatest acting I've ever seen. And it fits perfectly with the context of the scene. In fact, if you ask me, only one movie soundtrack fits better with an individual scene, and it comes in at number three.

Number Three: Braveheart: Bannockburn (James Horner)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gXApvgxQH0
(For the record, the part of the track to which I refer starts at the 3:30 mark and continues to the end of the video.)
Ah, back before Mel Gibson was completely insane...don't judge the movie by the views of the guy who made it, try to judge it objectively. Everybody had a problem with it; critics complained that the filmmakers used too much artistic license when interpreting historical facts. The English people complained that it portrayed the English people as rapacious, egomaniacal d**kheads (which, in my opinion, is the only fact the movie truly got right). And many more people complained that the scene where the prince of England's (male) lover was defenestrated (thrown out a window to his death) made fun of gay people, when in actuality it was intended to demonstrate the cruelty of the film's main antagonist (and, doubtless, some of Mel's subconscious played a role in it as well). Say what you will about the movie; I think it's pretty good, all things considered. The acting is top-notch; what really draws me in are the nonverbal cues you get from the characters in the film. The relationships between the characters is captured beautifully, and the (albeit inaccurate) plot poses no problems to me. But the ending scene, with this soundtrack...I just think it's perfect. If you haven't seen the movie, I won't spoil it for you...but the acting is just as good as it is in The Lord of the Rings. The character's emotions are tangible, and the scene is tear-jerkingly powerful.

Number Two: King Arthur: Woad to Ruin/Knights March (Hans Zimmer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dJDB1G4z4g
A piece that very nearly made the top spot of my list, from what I feel is one of the most underrated films of all time. IMDB gives it a 6.1 out of ten, and many other sources give it mediocre ratings I feel it does not deserve. For those of you unfamiliar with the film, it's a take on the possible historical basis for the mythic figure of King Arthur, who historians agree was based on a Romano-British leader who fought the invading Saxons after the Roman Empire withdrew from the island. In particular, this film focuses on a unit of auxiliary cavalry stationed at Hadrian's Wall, commanded by a descendant of the real Roman leader Lucius Artorius Castus...known to the native Celts as "Arthur."What makes me angry is the argument that critics use to justify their poor ratings. It's not the relationships between the characters, which are impeccable. It's not the quality of the acting, which (with the exception of some minor parts) is up there with the best. And it's not the plot, even though the historical accuracy is subject to debate. No; it's the fact that this film does not follow the Arthurian legend. And that just infuriates me. That's like watching a movie about the American Revolution and complaining that it doesn't involve the Civil War. It's not supposed to follow the Arthurian legend, you dunces. It's a possible demonstration of what a historical basis for King Arthur might look like. But I digress...the song itself, from the genius of Hans Zimmer, is amazing. Zimmer leads the listener on, fooling them with a series of false climaxes. And around the nine minute mark, he gives you the true climax of the work. But don't you dare skip ahead to try to find it; listen to the duration of the track. You won't regret it.

Number One: Star Wars: The Imperial March (John Williams)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8
Need I say anything?
Fine, I'll say something; this soundtrack, intended as a theme for the Galactic Empire, perfectly fits the greatest film villain of all time. And no, American Film Institute, Hannibal Lector is not a better villain than Darth Vader. Ask yourself, how would a meeting between the two of them go?
"I ate his liver with some fava beans and a...gaack..."
"I find you (inhale-exhale) disturbing."
If you can't figure out what action I'm referencing...I'm sorry, but you don't deserve to live in the civilized world.