Courage Under Fire

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

This score can fall under the category "tried and tested". What if you tried some of the best moments of other scores in particular releases and tested their ability to entertain the crowd. Horner has become controversial for doing it all his life. Courage Under Fire indeed took a lot of courage if you see it in the way of listening first to Titanic, then to Courage Under Fire. But people seem to forget that this was the first tested formula and it expanded further in Titanic. People all loved the result and no one bothered to mention that Horner once more borrowed the material of another soundtrack. Of course fans will see this either good or bad. I always saw it good for the picture, bad for the originality, controversial for those listening to it. Courage Under Fire either way does the movie in all the cases justice. This score by Horner has two things in common, both with treasured Horner efforts Titanic and Glory. The second is another film directed by Edward Zwick, the director of this particular movie. 'Hymn' starts this score on a soft, gentle, memorial note with a wink towards Glory. Things become really standard Horner sounding with 'Al Bathra / Main Title' were the material almost entirely would resurface in Titanic. No doubt it works in both contexts but it sort of makes Titanic the lesser original composition, you know the particular soundtrack that made Horner big outside Hollywood.

And things become better when Legends of the Fall re appears in 'Courage Under Fire' accompanied under the drums that made Glory big. Titanic's pounding tension returns in 'Monfriez's Suicide' and the same for 'Night Mutiny' with the music that accompanied the Titanic's collision scene. Either way you look at it, controversy isn't a small word in Horner's vocabulary but offers nonetheless the best possible mix for a motion picture. It seems in the end that the music works in a lot of movies of all genres and sizes. The score ends with an almost 15 minute long suite 'The Medal of Honor / A Final Resting Place', bringing Glory memorial hymn sounding moments to the fore and offering a nice final. For 54 minutes, Courage Under Fire is a nice listen but this score simply sounds repeated, tried, tested, offering the true Horner fans nothing much of a challenge if they have the most of Horner's scores in their possession. This doesn't mean that it becomes boring or bad but just plain unoriginal. I feel myself enjoying and disproving what Courage Under Fire brings but Horner fanatics might see it as the listen they sometimes need. For the casual fans though, if you have what this score offers of material already on disc and will go no matter for the kill, then I would advice not to use your patience on Courage Under Fire.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Hymn (3.39)

2. Al Bathra / Main Title (10.12)

3. Friendly Fire / Ilario's Story (3.06)

4. The Elegy (3.45)

5. Courage Under Fire (6.38)

6. Monfriez's Suicide (3.21)

7. Night Mutiny (2.57)

8. The Betrayal (3.09)

9. Playing Back The Tape (2.54)

10. The Medal Of Honor / A Final Resting Place (14.49)

Total Length: 54.38

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