Kingdom of Heaven | Harry Gregson-Williams

Kingdom of Heaven | Harry Gregson-Williams | To me the film is a masterpiece

classical music:

Kingdom of Heaven

	Kingdom of Heaven Harry Gregson-Williams Sony, 2005 average customer review:based on 59 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Filmmaker Ridley Scott has long been intrigued by historical events and their contemporary echoes, a fascination that evinces itself again here in the violent tale of Balian of Ibelin (Orlando Bloom), a Jerusalem blacksmith who rallies his people against foreign invaders during the Crusades of the 12th century. Breaking with a successful modern collaboration with Hans Zimmer that yielded such eclectic riches as Gladiator, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, and Matchstick Men, Scott turned here to fellow Englishman/former Zimmer associate Harry Gregson-Williams for his new film's music. The composer, perhaps weary of the electronica-suffused action film cliches he's so often been associated with, rises admirably to the occasion with a sweeping orchestral score that masterfully trades on a wealth of disparate historical and stylistic influences. Gregson-Williams echoes the film's religious and cultural conflicts via the tense musical axis at the soundtrack's core, one that sets the invading Church's medieval choral ecclesiastics on a collision course with the ancient Arabic modalities of the film's hero. The resulting score may occasionally trade on hoary Hollywood romantic traditions, but the composer infuses them with such bracing doses of historical/ethnic antecedents?and his own decidedly contemporary instincts?as to create a compelling new whole. Even the obligatory, pop-oriented version of Ibellin's Theme ("Light of Life") by Natacha Atlas shimmers with Middle Eastern-inflected enticement. --Jerry McCulley

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Mesmerizing

It is the type of music that transport you to another time and dimension. Excellent music for reading, meditating and making love!

To me the film is a masterpiece

When viewing a film and you feel you ARE THERE *and* have a good story, you have a Masters work.
None of the film betrays Scotts trasparent direction more than his attention to details.
I could have watched a 5 hour version

And the score sounded like a 'seperate' entertainment-likes sitting down to listen to Sibelius-yet it never intruded into the film-and the angelic choir theme was gorgeous

A pleasant, mature score

I've just finished my second listen of to 'Kingdom of Heaven.' Being such a Zimmer fan, it was delightful to hear an entire work by one of his protoges. I need another several listenings to really peel back the layers, but I thought I'd offer up a few initial thoughts.

One can definitely hear the influence of Zimmer in this score, especially in his use of brass and solo vocals. It should be noted that there were similarities between the movies of 'Gladiator' and 'Kingdom of Heaven,' so it should be no surprise that the sound of this movie is reminicent of 'Gladiator.' On a quick side note, I really think 'Gladiator' set a standard for score composition, regardless whether one thinks that standard is good or bad; one need but take a look at almost any epic movie made since then to hear echoes of it's influence.

Despite these influences, Harry Gregson-Williams makes this score his own. I was particularly impressed with his softer touch, as it could have been easy to let the lead out on nearly the entire score, but HGW uses a softer touch, especially in the beginning. I was very happy with his use of choir, in what I believe is a step beyond the often solid walls of faceless sound heard in Zimmer scores. The choral dexterity allowed for a greater emotional dexterity, something needed in the first half of the movie. Brad was right to point out the penultimate track, 'Path to Heaven.' I had to listen to that track multiple times in a row to convince myself HGW hadn't ripped a line directly from Palestrina, Tallis, or Byrd. Regardless, it is a simply ghosty Agnus Dei, similar to what might one might have heard in the late medieval period. I'd say the modulations were a little more complex than was possible for the time - more like those seen in early Renaissance music than in anything just after the turn of the millenium, when these crusades were at their height. In essence for the purposes of the picture and score, such details are irrevelant I believe. I would also have liked to hear more from Natacha Atlas, the singer of the last track - her entire piece lacked a little je ne sais quoi. Perhaps I'm just wishing for a shadow of Ofra Haza, but I would have preferred a song with more vocal range and weight. Maybe I need further listenings.

I was dissapointed with the lengths of the tracks. I realize this might be due to the pace at which the movie moved, or maybe I'm just spoiled by the much-longer tracks of 'King Arthur,' but I only had a brief time to appreciate a theme or melody before it was over. I would have liked to see what HGW could have done in developing some of the stronger portions of this score. This brings me to another point. For all the really excellent parts of this score, especially in the beginning, I felt that several tracks were excessively whispy and passed by my ear almost without notice. I realize a composer's choices are heavily influenced by cinematic plot, but Zimmer has shown an ability to arrest the listener's ear even in the off moments, keeping you solidly engaged in the music first, and the movie second. I would have liked a little more depth to match the impressive breadth.

Overall I was very impressed with this score. HGW shows an ability to form his own voice while using the talents and strengths gained under Zimmer's guidance. Morever, he shows an ability to step beyond some of the aspects that sometimes hold Zimmer's music back from being greater. HGW's only been composing for a little over ten years and I look forward to see how he grows as a composer.

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Kingdom of Heaven CD