Babe

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

The world was captured with an imagination when one little pig started to talk, began to do sheep herding and controlled by a kind heart and a lovely personality it became one of the movie's biggest capturing blockbusters. It took an Oscar for it's stunning visual effects and one of the reasons why I loved that movie so much was Nigel Westlake' entertaining score. Using "If I had Words" from Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 and known for its variations on other multiple classic songs, it is simply one of the reasons why this soundtrack listens so good. Nigel Westlake's powerful score did not only do wonders in the movie, but captures your interest outside of it. Its just a shame that almost each track has dialogue included. But any person that enjoyed the movie must know that these dialogues are story telling or the key phrases of the movie. And even if they are found during the tracks, they somewhat succeed as the score's magical selling point. The orchestral and immense powerful version of "If I Had Words" starts this score with 'This is a Tale ...', everyone will enjoy such a powerful and exciting version. One of the movie's most hilarious scenes is when Babe and Ferdinand the Duck sneak into the house to steal the alarm clock supported through pizzicato strings, of course perfectly entitled 'Anorexic Duck Pizzicato'. 'Pork is a Nice Sweet Meat / Away In a Manger' is one of the few times the score sounds really dark. It supports then also a disturbing moment on the farm. 'Round Up' is the fanfare of the two sheep dogs performing their natural habit and job and it is really an impressive piece.

'Babe's Round Up' by then is somewhat more magical and heroic when Babe shows how it supposed to be done. 'The Cat' perfectly catches everything that supports the character, the jealous cat gets a nice villain theme and portrays clearly the cat's evil thoughts. We get a nice Irish / Scottish sounding version of "If I had Words" when Hoggett shows Babe a lesson or two in dancing, once more very simply entitled 'If I Had Words'. And the last exploding version of Saint-Saens' well known piece is found at the end, 'That'll Do Pig, That'll Do'. I can simply point out that Babe is fun. It's such a storytelling fable where all the emotions (positive and negative) are scattered throughout the music's heart and soul. Nigel Westlake perhaps used a very unoriginal approach with the movie's main theme, it nonetheless works terrific. As said before, Babe has enough dialogue to supports the score. But sometimes these narrations can truly enlighten the scope of the soundtrack with this magical quality. It will especially please those that saw the movie several times but on the other end it might annoy those wanting to hear the music without those interruptions. Babe is firmly quoted a pure artistic pleasure. Fully orchestral it presents emotion and above all a fine storytelling piece of music. Both the movie and the score succeed in capturing a tiny place in your heart. And for that purpose it received a good rapport. Storytelling, even if we speak musically is all about injecting emotions into the human heart and Westlake achieves it with great flair.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. This Is A Tale ... * (1.47) Excellent Track

2. Fairground * (2.06)

3. I Want My Mum (0.51)

4. The Way Things Are (1.57)

5. Crime And Punishment (1.28)

6. Anorexic Duck Pizzicato ** (0.53)

7. Repercussions (1.40)

8. Mother & Son (2.06)

9. Pork Is A Nice Sweet Meat / Away In A Manger (2.52)

10. Christmas Morning (1.41)

11. Round Up *** (2.00)

12. Babe's Round Up * (1.38) Excellent Track

13. The Sheep Pig (1.26)

14. Dog Tragedy (1.31)

15. Hoggett Shows Babe (0.56)

16. Maa's Death (0.52)

17. The Cat (1.41)

18. If I Had Words * (1.15) Excellent Track

19. The Gauntlet / Moment Of Truth (1.40)

20. That'll Do Pig, That'll Do * (1.34) Excellent Track

* Uses If I Had Words (Saint-Saens, Symphony No. 3)

** Variation of Pizzicati from Sylvia of Delibes

*** Variation of Lyric Piece No. 28 (Spring) of Grieg

Total Length: 32.06

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