By Mark Sung Jul 11, 2005, 17:13 GMT
Based on the H.G. Wells novel, the movie follows an American family’s fight to survive an alien attack on Earth. Nothing seems to stop the alien invasion as they spread terror and death across the planet.
The score is effective in capturing the mood of the story, conveying the suspense, fear and horror of the threat which occurs. Like the movie the score is dark and apart from the few quiet moments, the tracks often evoke feelings of dread and despair.
Although the action motifs are dramatic and complex, there isn’t actually a main theme or memorable recurring motif. The score opens with mysterious ‘Prologue’ which includes a short narration by Morgan Freeman introducing the story.
Low pitched string rhythms together with the use of single brass notes in tracks such as ‘The Intersection Scene’ and ‘Escape from the City’ are used to great effect to reflect the terror and chaos caused by the impending danger.
Tracks such as ‘Reaching the Country’ and ‘Ray and Rachel’ provide some softer moments in the score with its use of gentle sting sections and distant female choral voices.
The nearest thing to a structured theme can be found in the track ‘The Return to Boston,’ with its strong brass motifs and militaristic percussion rhythms.
The track ‘Escape from the Basket’ is probably a good example of how the score works better in the movie than purely as a listening experience. The first six minutes of the nine-minute track consists essentially of some soft chords without much else happening.
A fragile piano solo piece in ‘The Separation of the Family’ is used to underscore the emotional scene from the movie as well as a motif to convey the human side of the story.
Accompanied by a French horn, the fragile piano piece appears again later on in the score in 'The Reunion.’ The track also includes another narration by Morgan Freeman which brings the story to a conclusion before the score finishes with the contemplative yet foreboding ‘Epilogue.’
The result of William’s work on War of the Worlds is an interesting science fiction horror score which successfully works to enhance the terror and chaos of the onscreen events. However with no recognizable or memorable recurring themes, the score may require the listener to take some time before they can really appreciate its complexities. Without the accompanying visuals of the movie, the score is not something that everyone will find immediately enjoyable.
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AntPJul 13th, 2005 - 12:17:35
This soundtrack really grew on me, it got better the more i listened to it. At first it seemed quite dull and boring, but i see loads of qualities in it now. This is a better than average Williams attempt.
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