| Pearl Harbor |
| Composed by Hans Zimmer |
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Orchestrated by Bruce Fowler Conducted by Gavin Greenaway Produced by Bob Badami Release Date: 2001 |
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When the first tantalizing tidbits and news regarding this new Michael Bay film first hit the Internet, I was excited. Being a big World War II buff, any new film regarding this tumultuous period in world history immediately catches my interest. With the release of the trailers that made excellent use of Hans Zimmer's Journey to the Line piece from The Thin Red Line, I couldn't wait until the release of the film. I tided myself over with the admirable, if flawed, Enemy at the Gates, but continued to count down to the release date of Pearl Harbor. And as of today, I still have not seen this film. What went wrong? Well, I happened to check the reviews of this film first before I plunked down any cash to go see it. Needless to say, they were not too favorable. Even though I knew the film was being directed by Michael Bay, the same man that gave us the travesty known as Armageddon (which still brings tears to the eyes of the more emotionally-inclined members of the world's population), I was holding out hope that he would come out with something that I would actually like this time around. Even though I haven't seen the film, however, I think I can make a few generalized comments about it from what I have heard from others, and from the problems brought up in reviews of the film. Basically, Pearl Harbor is an attempt to continue the ongoing "Love Story Set Against Historical Tragedy" plot device that served Titanic quite well. The only problem is that Michael Bay is no James Cameron. With the actual attack on Pearl Harbor lasting all of something like thirty minutes, while the film itself hits a three-hour running time, I was really not impressed. Love stories are just not my thing, especially when they are clichéd and contrived as most of the reviews of the film took great pains to point out. Thusly, I took a pass on Pearl Harbor. I'll probably see it one day, but only when I care to. As for the score, given the fantastic success of Zimmer's music in the trailer, and of course the fact that Media Ventures has been the group of choice for Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay since "day one", it was no surprise that Zimmer would be hired to provide the score. Anticipation was high, especially when most of the buzz regarding the film was positive. Zimmer was given a really nice chunk of time in which to come up with the score, and his statements regarding his diligence on trying to develop "a great theme" served to excite the Zimmer fandom and stir up continued interest in the project. So when all is said and done, does Pearl Harbor hold up well score-wise? I would say decidedly so, but not all will be pleased. Given that the music from The Thin Red Line fused so well with the images from the film, it's not wonder that the opening of the score, Tennessee, sounds remarkably similar. This can be nothing more than the "Great Theme" that Zimmer talked about, and while it is a emotionally strong theme, it's not a great one. The score is actually quite laid-back in its composition and it doesn't call to mind what one normally thinks of when it comes to patriotic scores. Even David Arnold's Independence Day far outshines Pearl Harbor for just sheer "feel-good Americanism." The layout of the score for the soundtrack album seems to concentrate more on the quieter romantic moments. Overall, this makes the soundtrack a pleasant listen, but it gives the score a lopsided feel. The few more intense cues are welcome, but material from the actual attack would have been nicer. The opening song by Faith Hill will more than likely please fans of hers, but not being much into that style of music, I found it to be strictly average. There is a good score, and it does have its moments, but if you begin listening to this CD with really high expectations, prepare to be disappointed. If you're a Zimmer fan or you actually happened to like the film, then do pick it up. There are far worse scores out there that you could spend your money on, and for all its flaws, Pearl Harbor is not without merit. ***1/2 |
| Track Listing - Total Running Time: 46:20 | |
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