Battle Of Britain: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD]

วันจันทร์ที่ 29 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2553

0 Battle Of Britain: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD]

Battle Of Britain: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD] Review

It's true, the movie contains some of the most spectacular air combat sequences filmed, but it also has some of the worst--mostly due simply to poor editing decisions. A re-edited version of this fine film would go a long way, for sure!

The "Battle of Britain" soundtrack cd has a lot to recommend. The extra score by Sir William Walton is a welcome bonus! There are many tunes by Ron Goodwin that are standouts as well: beside the main theme there's "Ace High March" which seems to weave elements from the best of proud wwII german and allied marches into a truly stirring yet pleasingly catchy melodic line. Goodwin meant this piece as a tribute to the participants on both sides. I like these kind of soundtrack marches and I think this one ranks right up there with the march from "Force Ten From Navarone" and the one from "Patton" in terms of sheer toe-tapping infectiousness. It's that good! From time to time I still hear it played at football games.

But for me, the jewel in the crown is Sir Walton's "Battle in the Air" (used in the film). Not only is this piece superbly matched to the film, but it even stirs the imgination apart from it. It's written from the POV of the british fighter pilots who must intercept the escorted nazi bombers before they reach their targets. In the music you can hear them jockeying for position, trying to get close enough to the bombers without getting jumped from behind. You can hear the confusion of a dog-fight; the close calls and near misses, the insistent machine gun fire, the ceaseless maneuverings, the brief lulls in the tension puctuated by moments of sheer panic and the feeling of needing to have your head mounted on a swivel as enemy and friendly planes cartwheel through the sky in all directions. It's all here and it all vividly comes together in a tense and adrenaline-charged set-piece that climaxes in kettledrums as a german bomber plunges into the english channel! There are many other good works on this cd but this one is my favorite.