Violin Solos by Hilary Hahn

Conducted by Pete Anthony

Produced by James Newton Howard

Release Date: July 27th, 2004

             Hollywood Records

     It must be rough to work on an M. Night Shyamalan film during the stages before James Newton Howard's music is brought into the picture. Shyamalan himself seems to recognize the fact that the reason his films work so well is due heavily to the talent and experience that Howard brings to his scoring of the picture. How effective would The Sixth Sense had been without the haunting refrains of his music? How heroic would Unbreakable have been without Howard's wonderful theme for that film? How nerve-racking would Signs have been without the creeping homage to Bernard Herrmann's work in The Day the Earth Stood Still? We know it, and Shyamalan obviously knows it as well, since The Village marks the fourth collaboration between the two.

     The Village is a different score for a different movie. Departing from Shyamalan's previous films, it is set in older times and offers the same tight-knit feel as Signs, though on a slightly larger scale this time around. It is in this world that Howard provides a score that is just as eerie as his previous works for the famed director, but one that forges its own style and identity through it all. Helping immensely are the mournful refrains of Hilary Hahn on violin. The score is very string heavy, and depressingly pastoral (in a sense that almost approaches baroque) though moments of sheer terror do crop up from time to time (Those We Don't Speak Of). These moments are less effective and sometimes headache inducing. They tend to stand out from the excellent tension that is built simply from the wailing violin and the flowing string passages that work so effectively. At least Howard doesn't pull that out very often, and it more than likely has its place in the film.

     Thematically, Howard has a lot going on in this score, but given the more subdued nature of the music in general, it's never in your face and remains just below the surface where it should be. The themes are just as mournful and wistful as the overall tone and work well in the cohesiveness of the score on album. Given that the music tends to continue the same thought through each cue (aside from the aforementioned horror passages) the themes work towards helping the music retain an identity rather than all meshing together. Things take a slight turn for the supernatural side come The Gravel Road, which is a delightful twist at the middle of the score.

     Ultimately tied to the movie it represents, Howard's score to The Village will undoubtedly work wonders in the film, but as for its effectiveness on album, well, while it's a good score, it seems that a viewing of the film is necessary to enjoy it to its fullest.

1 - Noah Visits (2:35)

2 - What Are You Asking Me? (6:01)

3 - The Bad Color (3:57)

4 - Those We Don't Speak Of (3:59)

5 - Will You Help Me? (2:34)

6 - I Cannot See His Color (1:31)

7 - Rituals (2:01)

8 - The Gravel Road (4:31)

9 - Race To Resting Rock (1:16)

10 - The Forbidden Line (2:17)

11 - The Vote (6:03)

12 - It Is Not Real (3:36)

13 - The Shed Not To Be Used (2:03)

Total Running Time: 42:29