THE ULTIMATE BlOG TO
Hollywood TOWN!
|
|
Source: Spotify By Sunil Dhokia Introduction He's a composer whose status in Hollywood has only been enhanced with each movie he composes. Thomas Newman is, without doubt, one of the great movie composers of our time. His variety in tackling different types of movies has allowed him to experiment with musical styles that composers don't always veer into. This article will look at my Top 5 Thomas Newman songs (in reverse order) and explore my experiences from these musical masterpieces. 5. 'Big Right' - Cinderella Man (2005) Ron Howard's traditional go-to musical man, the late James Horner did not fulfil composing duties for Cinderella Man (2005). Enter Thomas Newman, who utilises his signature tenderness for crafting subtle, emotional songs. 'Big Right' is a great example of Thomas Newman's ability to supplement, rather than overpower the raw emotions depicted in this case, during the climactic fight between James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe) and Max Baer (Craig Bierko). As the fight enters its final moments, Thomas Newman appropriately dials up the volume of the orchestra that sweeps us emotionally into James Braddock's story as the song ends on an appropriately rousing note. 4. 'Arose' - American Beauty (1999) Thomas Newman is fantastic at adapting his musical sensibilities to fit the movie in question. And there may be no better example than in American Beauty (1999). In the first of a series of collaborations with director Sam Mendes, Thomas Newman captures the joy of Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) seeing Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari) covered in roses on his bedroom ceiling. The dreamlike state of the scene is conveyed with Thomas Newman's use of quirky instrumentation that is a departure from his traditional musical style but is perfectly suited within the context of the scene. 3. 'Rock Island, 1931' - Road to Perdition (2002) In a movie that is in many ways an anti-gangster flick, Thomas Newman establishes the emotional dynamic of Road to Perdition (2002) in its opening scene. As we see Michael Sullivan Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) ride his bicycle through the streets of 1930s Illinois during The Great Depression, we hear Thomas Newman utilising Celtic instrumentation before the musical bridge of the song uses traditional orchestral textures. Both sounds work in perfect harmony with one another as we're immediately invested in the innocence of our young protagonist. 2. 'Coffey on the Mile' - The Green Mile (1999) While The Green Mile (1999) did not reach the heady heights of The Shawshank Redemption (1994), one factor that was consistent between both movies was the music from Thomas Newman. In his second collaboration with Frank Darabont, Thomas Newman opted for a more subtle approach to his writing of the movie's musical material. The 'Coffey on the Mile' song is a perfect example of his ability to combine his signature quieter musical statements with sweeping emotional peaks to the music. For those that have seen the movie, you'll know that the importance of the song to this scene is huge in terms of selling the story's emotional pay-off. 1. 'Shawshank Prison' (Stoic Theme) - The Shawshank Redemption (1994) As Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) makes his way towards Shawshank prison for the first time, we're immersed in the landscape of the prison through Roger Deakins magnificent cinematography. What gives the scene its gold seal of approval though is Thomas Newman's beautiful orchestral 'Stoic Theme' that dominates our senses. Thomas Newman expertly contrasts the dark, harsh environment of Shawshank prison with a song that makes you empathetic for Andy Dufresne's plight as a character in that particular moment. Your Thoughts What are your thoughts on my Top 5 list of Thomas Newman songs? Do you agree with them and if not, what would be your top 5 songs? Comment below as I'd love to hear your thoughts. Copyright for the above songs belongs to Universal Classics Group, SKG Music, UMG Recordings Inc, Warner Records Inc, Epic Records (a division of Sony Music Entertainment) and any other respective owners. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Source: Variety, Alberto Rodriguez and Disney/Pixar
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
About MeMy name is Sunil Dhokia, I'm a movie fanatic and love all things Hollywood. Blog Archives
June 2020
Follow Me
|