Beyond Borders

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

James Horner ends the year on a high note, with 4 scores being released within a matter of months. One of those releases is Beyond Borders, and the movie didn't exactly promise many viewers a great time since it didn't sustain enough buck at the theatre to earn back Jolie and Owen's presence. Martin Campbell returned back to his solid composer of duty, James Horner while he could have easily gone to James Newton Howard, who scored Vertical Limit. But I think Horner was a good choice since its more an emotional love story if you will then a cinematic tumbler, and Beyond Borders proves this also in the score. Its however a different attempt due to certain aspects concerning its story and naturally place. First of all, the story revolves around 3 different parts of the world, and so the score follows this with 3 different musical approaches. This makes the score diverse in its instrumentation and in tone but also distinctive from certain other Horner scores, not directly moving to other styles or even themes which makes the score somewhat original overall. Yet a funny aspect of this score, which could have made an authentic impression due to its instruments is the added synthesizer. In many parts, a synthesizer is added in giving it a certain kind of extra touch, and while it works it is a surprising move to add a synthetic element to what could have been an authentic score overall. Of course the flutes and the famous Shakuhachi is being drawn in by Horner, as too a lovely children's choir and it is this move that makes the main theme of Beyond Borders just a bit more memorable. 'Ethiopia I' brings the main returning theme with lovely children's choir and it makes much more impact then when its not with added choir, like in 'Ethiopia III' when it almost sounds like Millennium with its synthetic tone. 'Ethiopia II' brings some loud flutes, percussion and solo voices in a mix that works along with the whooshes of the synthesizer.

Part 2 or Cambodia is a bit more synthetic and at times reminded me of Graeme Revell's Tomb Raider, which everyone hated. Now, for Horner they make an exception but I think the synthetic element doesn't work here. Especially 'Cambodia II' is a loud synthetic whoosher with added native instruments giving it authenticity. Now the question is why don't dish the synthetic element! It almost feels partly ethereal with the whooshes but the rest sounds to abrasive and weird during the bells and the rumbling piano, it simply doesn't click. Even the effects at times sound like bird cries (5.00), which perhaps was the effect to start with. 'Cambodia III' luckily is much easier, with the main theme of the first part returning (sans choir) and even direct quote by quote string movements from Bicentennial Man. And who knows does 'Cambodia IV' present its second part theme with piano and even ethereal tones (4.00) straight from Apollo 13, just think about the moon music with vocals and forget the vocals. The third part and track 'Chechnya I' presents the previous Cambodia theme on ethnic flutes and further adds bells and synthetic strings in a bizarre yet working mix. A change of pace does come forth in 'Chechnya II', where crashing pianos and bells heighten the tension with the real strings making it more unsettling, while the 3 note main theme of Signs appears briefly in the background during it, it nonetheless adds a theme performance of the theme which appeared always synthetic during tracks 6 and 8, anyway it sets it rather firmly. 'Chechnya III' presents the theme of this land on lounge piano while 'Chechnya IV' ends with the actual main theme being performed with again the choir, to give it a full circle complete kind of feeling. Together Beyond Borders presents unique feelings and a rather beautiful main theme, but then I ask myself that the synthetic element doesn't disturb much, it however interrupts the flow of the second part good and especially the 10 minute track is a serious letdown. The flutes, the bells are good touches but the synthesizer only adds brief sparks to the whole show, making Beyond Borders special in its tone but not in its voice. Its especially a score that pleases in begin and end, but misses highlights to make it work. Beyond Borders is different, which might make the fans of Horner just a bit more curious then other times.

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Tracks

Single Disc

Ethiopia

1. I (2.14)

2. II (6.15)

3. III (2.12)

4. IV (4.13)

Cambodia

5. I (2.41)

6. II (9.56)

7. III (3.26)

8. IV (4.51)

Chechnya

9. I (6.16)

10. II (4.41)

11. III (2.22)

12. IV (6.15)

Total Length: 55.35

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: James Horner ===