dreadful soundtrack



Mike Oldfield might be a talented musician and I don't mind experimenting with the soundtracks of war movies, but this one is just too much. The nervous electronic score in this one set a strange mood for me which at times didn't fit into the context at all - although there were some good scenes with excellent ambient music, the anticipating and frightening tunes with preceded some of the scenes were way too strange.

The movie was great, but at times the music strangled the story a lot. Oldfield's score sounded like a bad imitation of Kubrick's "Clockwork Orange" soundtrack, which in my opinion is pure perfection, considering the awkward feel of the story - an outstanding example of a good soundtrack. Further, Kubrick's great Vietnam movie, "Full Metal Jacket" also had perfect music.

It's my opinion anyhow.

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Absolutely agreed. There were two scenes in particular (if you exclude the screeching used to draw attention to at least one tense scene) when the music actually took me out of it, and I laughed. The music is, at best, like that of an MST3K feature film.

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It was a bit weird coming in way too loud and electronic-like. Could have gone for a more orchestral approach or no score at all.

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Thorpe89

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[deleted]

Yes and welcome to 2009 - home of Gladiator-like scores.

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Thorpe89

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I'm in the middle of it now and I keep thinking the exact same thing. It just doesn't work at all. This movie so far has a lot of potential but there a few little things that just don't work, and the soundtrack is one of them.

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Disagree. The jarring parts were actually using versions of instruments that are traditional to the region, cymbals and what not. What you might find bad is actually a note of your own ignorance.

Nothing beats the music used at the helicopter evacuation, and the excellent ending theme.

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I don't think it's fair to take that opinion, label it ignorant, and discard it. So regional instruments were used. So were western instruments. The type of instrument isn't the only important aspect of the score. I found it intrusive, unnecessary, egotistical and overbearing at some points, too. With music, it often comes down to personal opinion and experience. Now that you've taken away his 'ignorance' do you think the OP will like it now? Unlikely. And the beauty of music is, none of us are wrong.

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I put it down to an Electronic form of the local music as well. Even though it didnt suit my taste does not mean it was out of place. Im sure it probably "rings a bell" with Cambodians or people in the region.

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The music was pretty bad at times, only had a problem with the electric music though, everything else was fine, and at times great, but the electric was terrible.

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[deleted]

I personally loved the music. Although, it was quite surprising the very first time i watched the movie, it totally fits the mood to me. It somehow connects you with the very characters as you're suprised and could feel disturbed. It felt like a special experience to me that always reminds me that very scene.

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[deleted]

Completely disagree, jebelesstoss (except the part about Oldfield being a talented musician). Yes, the score was disorienting and jarring at times -- in a movie intended to jar and disorient!

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"Disagree. The jarring parts were actually using versions of instruments that are traditional to the region, cymbals and what not. What you might find bad is actually a note of your own ignorance. "


Synthesizers are traditional to the region?


The soundtrack and Waterston's heavy-handed approach were the only drawbacks to this otherwise great film.

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Agree with OP, too bad this movie was made in the early 80's. And then again, it had a special feeling to it just because of that.

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I like goats.

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I agree with the OP. My husband and I saw this film for the first time last night, and there were at least three times where we looked at each other and commented on how strange the soundtrack was and how it didn't fit the action. We've been watching movies together for 26 years, and this is the first time that a soundtrack has "taken us out" of a movie.

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