Happy Birthday, John Williams!

Today, we are celebrating the 80th birthday of five-time Academy Award-winning composer John Williams. Lauded as one of the greatest cinematic composers of all time, Williams has found a way to enter the collective public consciousness more often than any of his peers. While I could easily go through his list of work, I'd rather make this a more personal post. I've grown up listening to John Williams, and his work became a part of my life at an early age. I can remember listening to one of his "Greatest Hits" albums on family road trips, and it was from this particular CD that I garnered my initial appreciation for Williams's exceptional talent. My dad is just as taken by each John Williams score, so much so that he has associated a score with each of his three children. In his mind, I was given the score to the 1978 film, Superman, which has become one of my all-time favorites. The fact that this man has scored such iconic films as Jaws, Star Wars, the Indiana Jones series and, more recently, the start of the Harry Potter saga goes to show that he has quite a bit of range, and he is extremely well-respected throughout the Hollywood community. I mean, the man has nabbed a whopping forty-seven Oscar nominations in his career, bringing home the aforementioned five statuettes. There must be something brilliant about him, right? Most recently, we've heard his work in the 2011 films War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin, for both of which he received Oscar nominations. We'll next hear his work in the 2012 film, Lincoln. So, to celebrate his birthday, I've listed my ten favorite of John Williams's film scores, and I've provided a snippet of each for your listening pleasure. Once again, happy birthday, Mr. Williams. I look forward to hearing more of your work in the coming years.

10. War Horse
2011


*****

9. Schindler's List
1993


*****

8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
2001


*****

7. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
1982


*****

6. Superman
1978


*****

5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977


*****

4. Jurassic Park
1993


*****

3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
1981


*****

2. Star Wars
1977


*****

1. Jaws
1975


*****

And now, for your added viewing pleasure, I've included a fan video entitled "Star Wars (John Williams Is the Man)" by Corey Vidal that became an overnight Internet sensation a few years back. I just love this video, and it truly serves as a real tribute to John Williams's composing prowess. Enjoy!

Movie Review: WAR HORSE

WAR HORSE

2011
PG-13


"Can you imagine flying over a war, and you know that you can never look down? You have to look forward, or you'll never get home."
-- Grandfather

War Horse is a 2011 dramatic war film directed by Steven Spielberg that serves as an adaptation of the 2007 stage play of the same name, which in turn was adapted from a 1982 children's novel by Michael Morpurgo. When his father drunkenly purchases a beautiful thoroughbred horse in the hopes that it will plow his fields, Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine) defies expectations and trains the horse, which he names Joey, to do just that. Despite his success, a spot of bad luck forces Albert's father to sell Joey to the army when England goes to war against Germany. The horse is placed into the care of Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston), who takes Joey into the very front of the war against the Germans. From this moment, an incredible adventure begins, with Joey first fighting with the English then with the Germans. At the same time, however, Albert has made it his solemn vow to find Joey and bring him home, no matter the lengths it may take.

(Note: While the above plot synopsis is a tad bit sparse, I think I've conveyed the basic story outline of the film without giving away too many of the plot details. I'd rather not engage in spoilers more than I must in order to craft this review successfully.)

The first thing you're going to notice about War Horse is the beauty of its cinematography. In the film's opening scenes, we're placed in a beautiful English countryside as we (slightly) witness the birth of Joey and the start of Albert's fascination with him. From there, we're gradually taken into the depths of wartime efforts, an area in which we know Spielberg is well-versed (see: 1998's Saving Private Ryan). As the film trudges onward, the cinematography and set pieces become gloomier and gloomier, and the visual aspect of the film helps to create and enhance the mood that the audience should be feeling. It's rare that the visual aspect of a film will affect me so deeply, but with Spielberg at the helm, I should have known we'd be in for such a spectacle.

Fortunately, the rest of the film corrals around this beautiful central aspect and complements it rather well. In terms of creating the mood, I'd have to say that composer John Williams did a stunning job with the movie's score. This is the second Williams-scored film I've reviewed in the past few days - the first was the also-Spielberg-directed The Adventures of Tintin - and of the two, I'd have to say that this one feels more like a Williams score. It's sweeping and truly interpretive of the grandness of this film, and it aids the cinematography in creating the film's overall atmosphere. Here's a little snippet of the opening title sequence, for your listening pleasure:

While it is those two cinematic devices that work most effectively throughout the film, there's still quite a bit to say about the most pressing issues: the screenplay and the acting. Let's start with our storyline, shall we? In a sense, it's a very straightforward story. The audience is essentially following Joey from one locale to the next, seeing his plight as he traverses the European countryside in the midst of the horrors of war. In a way, the film is split into a series of vignettes. As Joey makes his way from one caretaker to the next, the tone of the film shifts as well. As a story, it's a little bit complacent and sappy at times, but I can see where an individual could find an emotional connection. There were moments where I was truly terrified for Joey and his well-being, so in that, I have to say that the film succeeded in crafting an emotional bridge. At the end of the day, however, the sentimental nature of the film was just a tad too much for my personal liking. It just seemed a little too over-the-top and gentle. Then again, knowing that this was based off a children's story might add a little bit of perspective to that insight.

The acting in the film is solid, if not all that spectacular. Jeremy Irvine does well as our film's lead, and his bonding with the horse that played Joey seems terribly genuine, and they work well together on-screen. There are some rather recognizable faces hidden in the swarming ensemble here, and yet, there isn't one particular character who stands above the rest, save for perhaps the Grandfather (played by Niels Arestrup) whom I quoted at the start of this review. Be on the watch for the following appearances in the film:

Peter Mullan as Ted Narracott, Albert's father
David Thewlis as Lyons, the landlord
Benedict Cumberbatch as Major Jamie Stewart, Captain Nicholls's commanding officer
Celine Buckens as Emilie, the Grandfather's granddaughter
David Kross as Gunther, a German soldier
Eddie Marsan as Sgt. Fry, an English soldier

At the end of the day, however, War Horse didn't particularly land that emotional punch that I so expected it to give. Nearly all the positive reviews I've read on the film have mentioned that the film pulls at the heartstrings, but aside from a few fleeting moments, there just didn't seem to be that much depth to the film. That doesn't mean that I found it to be terrible; on the contrary, I thought it was a well-constructed and beautifully-shot cinematic adventure. I only fear that the memory of the film will be as fleeting as the moments of emotion I was able to enjoy during my watching of this movie.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: B+
1.5 Thumbs Up