I'm not much of a soundtrack buyer, though there are exceptions. I absolutely loved a tribal song in "Thin Red Line," and bought the soundtrack based on that one song. It was a mistake though. The rest of the soundtrack was just slow & moody - effectively building the atmosphere for the movie but depressing to listen to. (In my opinion.)
All that said, I made the same decision again for this soundtrack. I loved the last movement they played in the movie & couldn't get it out of my head. Thus, I took a plunge & went for the soundtrack.
What I found was a true musical gem. It does have some of the mood building scene pieces that "Thin Red Line" and other soundtracks employ. However, interspersed with this are some old folk melodies & delightful bits of Corelli, Bach, & Boccherini (to name a few). I was delighted to learn how much I enjoyed classical pieces highlighting the violin & cello. Most of what I listen to tends to be full orchestral pieces, but I definitely want to look more into this type of music.
All the more so, I feel deeply that the balance of mood-building pieces, folk pieces & classical pieces capture the spirit of the books & the movie in unexpected ways. It swings from low, somber tones to light & hope-filled pieces to joyful dancing tunes...effectively showing the constant triumph of the sailors' spirit over their frequent danger & despair. Yes, there were many dark times, but the same instruments that create the dark atmosphere suddenly pull together in a new score, turning around an oppressive situation. I find listening to the sound-track to be very soulful but also hopeful.
My one criticism is that they often cut short the classical pieces. Perhaps this is for the flow of the entire soundtrack, but I do long for more. Overall, however, I definitely recommend this soundtrack.
