Orchestrated by Ashley Irwin

Conducted by Nick Glennie-Smith

Produced by Nick Glennie-Smith and Malcolm Luker

Release Date: May 14, 2002

          Columbia/Legacy
   

     Whenever a film has the capacity to move me emotionally, it instantly becomes one of my favorites. Such films are rare, but We Were Soldiers instantly became one of my favorites for that reason. From the striking visuals, the powerful screenplay, and Nick Glennie-Smith’s wonderful score, the film simply works on many levels. As such, listening to this score again for the purposes of this review has recalled many of my impressions from the film and has left me with a desire to see it again, which is what any film score worth its salt should be able to do.

     Why does Nick Glennie-Smith’s score work as well as it does? The music isn’t overly heroic or exciting. There isn’t a horn blaring main theme, and it’s heavily percussion-based with a few stylistic choices throw in to represent the Vietnamese setting. It may be that the music is so much a part of the cohesive whole that is the film itself that makes it work for me album-wise. But what Nick Glennie-Smith seems to be doing with this score is to tackle the subject matter with the same emotional punch that Zimmer used in The Thin Red Line. While the route taken is quite different, the end result seems to match up pretty well.

     We Were Soldiers is more “conventional” of a score than The Thin Red Line. It has a full orchestral sound with very little of that usually evident digital tampering (which would have severely hindered its effectiveness). There is plenty of militaristic percussion that powers the low end of the score and plenty of horn wailing that evokes the pathos of war. There are some more unique moments, however. The sounds of the NVA Base Camp include guttural wailings that tend to disassociate itself from the rest of the score. Still, when the lyrics of The Mansions of the Lord come into play as the music begins Flying High, the real power of Glennie-Smith’s score takes off.

     A score for a film that must be experienced to be fully appreciated, We Were Soldiers probably falls a bit flat for those who haven’t seen the film. So do yourself a favor. See the film and then snag a copy of the score. You won’t be disappointed.