Gustavo Santaolalla - Brokeback Mountain [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
![Brokeback Mountain [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](/images/Brokeback-Mountain-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack-B000BEZQ18-M.jpg)
|
Music CD Cover Artist: Gustavo Santaolalla Edition: Music CD Audio: English (Original Language) Format: Soundtrack CD Release Date: 2005-10-25 Music Label: Verve Forecast Product features:
|
| New | New Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $4.44 | ||
| Used | Used Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $0.01 |
Your purchase is protected by the A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee. Amazon.com automatically transfers your payment to the merchant so you'll never need to pay a merchant directly. Amazon.com A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee covers both the delivery of your item and its condition upon receipt.
Free Music Notes for Brokeback Mountain [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Album
Free Music Review: Talk about overrated ...
Hit: 1 Stars
First of all, this CD doesn't deserve just one star, but the average rating is way too high.
But I wouldn't give Brokeback Mountain more than two stars anyhow.
That said, why is that so? Well, simply because it encourages a trend that I find rather horrifying: replacing original score with pop/rock/country/whatever songs. By giving this, well, this thing that much attention and praise, you kick the traditional, fine and compley art of film scoring right into the balls.
How this lowblow for any classical film composer, in other words any composer who doesn't rely solely on acoustic guitars, could win an Academy Award is way beyond reason and good judgement. The Academy often made more than doubtful decisions, but this year they clearly hit it out of the park. Now understand this: I don't agree with all those people who say that the Oscars aren't about quality anymore, and that the Academy Awards don't mean anything.
I always had the opinion that the Academy doesn't reward the de facto best films of the year (otherwise Spielberg would sweep the Oscars every year), but artists that outdid or reinvented themselves.
And if there is one person that outdid himself last year, it was John Williams. Memoirs Of A Geisha is unlike anything he's ever done.
This musical hybrid shouldn't even qualify for the Best Original Score category. Can the Academy please get their rules straight? Last year, Aviator was disqualified because it was too short in the film (20 minutes); this year, Gustavo Santaolalla writes 13 minutes (!) of score and gets the award?
This decision is maybe the biggest disgrace to the world of film music ever. Pride and Prejudice took on the task of recreating the sound of the time period the movie is set in, and Memoirs Of A Geisha succeeded in combining traditional Japanese music and Western harmonies; and what did Santaolalla? He twangs some guitars and builds bridges between several country songs. That is the big accomplishment of Gustavo Santaolalla?
Give me a break!
Now, this CD might appeal to country fans and folks who liked the movie (which deserved more than this), but for people with musical standards and film score fans, this is the musical equivalent of Waterloo.
IN RESPONSE TO ABOVE (please give me the chance):
I've just read the rather offensive "review" of Brokeback Mountain (CD) above, in which a guy replied to my review. First of all, I find it pretty unfair to attack someone personally, knowing that this person can't respond or defend himself (alas this unconventional message; he doesn't share his e- mail address).
Secondly, I do have the Tan Dun scores he mentioned, and yes, Geisha is different from them, that's the point of an "original" score.
Thirdly, stating I'm no film music lover because I supposedly have none of the scores he's mentioned (which isn't true) is absurd, and any person with a consciousness would apologise for that.
Fourthly, demanding 1000 $ for a score doesn't make it good.
Fifthly, nowadays anything can be called "art". If a tin full of beans is art, Santaolalla's score certainly is. The question is: which art can be considered higher? Is it the light guitar scoring, or is it the fine and compelling balance between Europe and Asia that lasts 90 minutes? Everybody can answer this question for himself, but one thing is clear: Santaolalla could write a score like Brokeback Mountain any given day, whereas Geisha is unique amongst Williams' and other composers' work, inspired by the picture and inseparable from it.
Geisha is hands down the most inspired work Williams has done since Schindler's List, whereas Santaolalla just got attention because his star was hitched to Ang Lee's wagon.