The Patriot

Soundtrack

Hollywood Records, 2000

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 11/30/2000

Let me ask a rhetorical question here: Has John Williams ever written a bad movie soundtrack?

I plead a little bit of ignorance here; after all, I'm not as schooled in film soundtracks as AlwaysJB is, and I didn't get into Star Wars like Al has. But I do know that Williams is one of America's premier composers, both in and out of film, and could well be one of the 20th Century's most unheralded classical-style composers.

The latest exhibit in this case is the soundtrack for The Patriot. While it is occasionally difficult to stay focused in the music itself, in general Williams delivers another absolute winner.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Punctuating the power of this soundtrack is the appearance of violinist Mark O'Connor on two tracks, "The Patriot" and "The Patriot Reprise". His contribution not only adds an emotional thread to the music, but it also helps to place the listener in the time frame of colonial America, just as all hell was about to break loose. If I had one wish for this soundtrack, it would have been that O'Connor's talents had been used more than just on two tracks.

For the most part, The Patriot keeps the listener feeling like they're standing on the edge of the battlefields, watching the action from a safe distance. Selections such as "Redcoats At The Farm And The Death Of Thomas," "Tavington's Trap" and "The Burning Of The Plantation" all carry a power that rises above pure emotion.

The only drawback to such a collection of works is that sometimes it's hard to keep the listener reined in on the music; their minds often may drift as if they were in the film themselves. While my thoughts didn't always head that direction (I think I was watching the Thanksgiving Day football games at the time), I did find myself occasionally losing focus, and especially near the end of the disc, the music tended to blend together into a pleasant enough mass.

Williams should not take this as a point of contention, though; he was hired to create a period piece with orchestral richness, and he most certainly delivered the goods on The Patriot. I still occasionally enjoy popping this disc into the CD player when I want to escape the everyday rush and feel like I've gone back to a simpler time. Williams should hold his head proudly when it comes to The Patriot, for he's done his job well... but then again, that's par for the course for Williams.

2000 Christopher Thelen and "The Daily Vault". All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Centropolis / Hollywood Records, and is used for informational purposes only.

Rating: A-

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© 2000 Christopher Thelen and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Hollywood Records, and is used for informational purposes only.