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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... with reservations if you are willing to tolerate substandard sound quality and only half of the music provided on the original commercial album. Avoid it... if you, like many Indy and John Williams fans, are waiting for proper treatment to be given the score on an expanded, remastered edition. Original Review, by Christian Clemmensen
In The Last Crusade, Williams has lost the magic and sheer enthusiasm of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but has maintained his usual high standard of action writing to such a degree that the score is still entertaining. Williams and Spielberg decided that any extended use of the original march would be a symbolic pushing of the "cheap thrill" button, and thus the only substantial presentation of that theme exists in the customary end credits suite of all the themes from the film. It's easy to understand why the country (and the world, in fact) was becoming tired of the "Raiders March," for it had received endless airtime in concert halls and P.A. systems through the 1980's. But with its diminished role in The Last Crusade, also absent is the charming and exuberant element of the music's impact on the film. By moving further from that addictive flair, the franchise had almost musically recognized that it was tired, a characteristic that wasn't lost on critics and audiences. To compensate, Williams does try to continue the tradition of putting some humor into the mix, though none of the brighter cues in The Last Crusade can still touch "The Basket Chase" from the original film. Williams marks the early days of Indy's adventures at the outset of the film with a playful theme that shares all too many elements in rhythm and instrumentation with his obnoxious Ewok music from Return of the Jedi. Later, "No Ticket" is a more successful play on sharp, deliberate string rhythms in a stand-alone piece. A somewhat humorous, but fascinating cue remains "Scherzo For Motorcycle and Orchestra," perhaps the ultimate chase cue to end all chase cues for the beloved archeologist. Embodying the more formidable Nazi theme for The Last Crusade, this cue is the highlight of the score in its frenzy of action that perfectly merges the sophistication in movement for Henry Jones, the impending danger from the Nazis, and the light-heartedness of Indy's creative methodology. The Nazis themselves received a decent theme in the original film, though. The Last Crusade takes us into the heart of their country and technology, so Williams invents a grand motif in the style of a descending fanfare for their posturing. This theme's integration into both the scherzo and later cues is remarkably handled. The theme for the Grail, or better yet for its mystique, is appropriately ancient in its progression, but is also quite simple, perhaps an attempt by Williams to mirror the appearance of the Grail and its basic representation of goodness. A sub-theme within the mold of the music for the Grail is actually the Henry Jones theme, which is also probably appropriate given that Indy's father is so obsessed with the artifact. Often performed by woodwinds and strings after a statement of the Grail's theme, Henry's theme is sympathetic, but never truly engaging, once again an effective tactic by Williams. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the religious music from The Last Crusade is the lack of consistent use from a choral element. While the choir was an incredibly vital part of Raiders of the Lost Ark's "Map Room at Dawn" cue, Williams allows most of the similarly rendered visuals on screen to pass with only the orchestra. His Grail theme is still effective, but the lack of depth, especially compared to the engaging single choral moment in "The Penitent Man Will Pass," is puzzling. Moreso than in the other Indy scores, Williams seems to introduce snippets of motifs in several places that are never fully realized. In doing so, each major cue has its own personality traits, and some are more effective than others. In the middle of "The Canyon of the Crescent Moon," for instance, Williams utilizes a sudden, soft woodwind solo that is never explained. Two chase cues stand out: both "Escape from Venice" and "Belly of the Steel Beast" rely on propulsive rhythms, though neither seems to build the same steam that we heard in the "Desert Chase" cue from the first film. The cue for the chase in Venice is playful in its instrumentation, though sparse in the depth of those instruments. While "Ah, Rats!!!" intelligently uses whining strings for the rodents, the intriguing part of the music below Venice is Williams' reprise of the Ark's theme from the first film as Indy and Elsa see it inscribed on a wall. On the whole, The Last Crusade is a competent and interesting score. But it lacks the bold enthusiasm of Raiders of the Lost Ark and the exotic attractiveness of Temple of Doom. The lack of choral use, as well the absence of a romance theme for the villainess (Williams rarely lets a score like this go by without giving due time to the sloppy kisses), could make you leave the score for The Last Crusade wanting more. Two important detractions from the score on album are significant to note, because they are factors in some of the problems described above. First, the recording quality of The Last Crusade, especially on the album, is very unsatisfactory. There is no dynamic vibrance to the recording, with the snare drum mixed annoyingly front and center, and with a sound so dry that the effectiveness of the religious climax is sadly flat. Some of this problem could be related to the recording of an 85-piece ensemble in Los Angeles rather than the arguably more accomplished performers and recording studios in London. In several of the most pertinent cues during the latter half, the ensemble sucks the life out of Williams' original ideas with performances that contain none of the nobility or grandeur that the writing demands. The most popular piece for concert performances from The Last Crusade is, obviously, the lengthy "End Credits," but if you get a chance to hear several of the other cues from within the middle of the score performed by other ensembles with more current recording technologies, you will almost always be impressed by those re-recordings. Also a disappointment for Indy and Williams fans is the lack of proper treatment of both The Last Crusade and Temple of Doom on album. The latter never received a full release in the first place, and the hour from The Last Crusade on the commercial 1989 album not only suffers from the flat recording quality, but is also missing almost an hour of music from the film (some of which quite memorable). A late-90's Japanese import of the album offered the same selections, but with improved sound quality. Bootlegs of the complete score began surfacing in 1997, though the sound quality of these, believe it or not, was even worse than that of the commercial product. With over ten years passed since the delightful, expanded commercial release of Raiders of the Lost Ark on CD, The Last Crusade is long overdue for similar attention. ****
Review #2, by Steve Larson
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: (John Williams) I've had the wonderful privilege to listen to a great majority of Mr. Williams' music and I must acknowledge that Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is his ultimate masterpiece. What make this such a magnificent work is that it contains all of the components of a quintessential score: action & adventure, comedy, drama, religion, suspense and even a little romance. As he has done in many of his renown film scores, Williams has been able to manufacture sounds that fit the description of a particular character or object. In Indy's second sequel, John's creative talents allow him to use his repertoire to its fullest capacity. He employs a wide variety of instruments to give each cue a sense of purpose. The movie opens in 1912 Utah with the volatile "Indy's Very First Adventure." From young Indy's horseback dodge from the mountains to his several escapades aboard a circus train, the maestro choreographs each sequence brilliantly with thrilling rhythms. Williams ventured on to produce complex orchestrations for the dramatic high-speed chases, which included the boat and motorcycle scenes. "Scherzo For Motorcycle and Orchestra" is actually heard while Indy and Henry allude a phalanx of Nazi patrol men. The strong Nazi theme, which is intended to signify authority, is originally heard in this piece while a more complete version is provided in "The Brother Of The Cruciform Sword." As Indy and Elsa encounter a plethora of rodents scattered across the catacombs, "Ah, Rats!!!" starts out with a grotesque feeling. When they uncover the tomb of Sir Richard, the Holy Grail theme is played on the harp. After arising from the old library/converted church's sewers, "Escape From Venice" commences. Featuring pizzicato strings, this ingenious track reflects Indy's entanglement with the sworn protectors of the Grail. As he did with the playful "The Basket Chase" from Raiders of the Lost Ark, I'm sure Williams had a lot of fun creating the comical "No Ticket" in the middle of Last Crusade. This particular sequence depicts the process in which Indy disguises himself in a Nazi uniform so he can save his father from being reprimanded by SS Colonel Vogel Oberst. Williams arranges it so the viewer recognizes exactly what's transpiring on the screen. "The Keeper Of The Grail" theme is beautifully written as it captures the celestial and saintly qualities of the sacred chalice. Even though its undertones parallel those heard in "The Ark of the Covenant" theme in Raiders, it moves the listener in a different way. In addition to the eloquent Grail piece, Williams comprised two other religious tracks. When Indy, Henry, Marcus and Sallah approach the Temple of the Sun, one can actually hear the reverberating sounds of a cathedral in "The Canyon Of The Crescent Moon." In "The Penitent Man Will Pass," Williams reveals the awe-inspiring moment as the younger Jones peers down at the enormous abyss. But once Indy steps safely on the ground below, the music tells the audience that he has overcome another obstacle. Perhaps the most compelling piece John wrote for Last Crusade was "Belly Of The Steel Beast," which was featured in the tank scene toward the conclusion. This composition certainly proved it was a worthy successor to the prodigious "Desert Chase" from Raiders and the heart-pounding "Big Tunnel and Death Trap" from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The trio of music tracks from Steve Spielberg's trilogy are among the greatest action scenes in motion picture history. In Last Crusade, Henry Jones' ankle is hanging on for dear life to Indy's whip on the edge of the tank's tread while Volgel is stabbing Indy. Luckily, Sallah arrived and transported Henry from the tank onto his camel. Meanwhile, Indy and Vogel were tangled together in Vogel's chain as the tank rapidly advanced to the cliff. Reluctantly, Indy wriggled out of the chain and managed to grab a hold of a protruding rock on his way down to save himself. During this whole breathtaking sequence, the symphony does a perfect job of painting the images onto the screen with sensational and heart-rending music. Anyone watching the film for the first time may not be able to hear the music in accompaniment. That's because its kinetically written so the viewer can literally feel the vessel rumbling down the peak. The Grail theme and Scherzo are embedded with the Raiders March in the End Credits. Unfortunately, this OST Warner release is missing over a half hour's worth of music heard in the film. A boot was released in September 1997 featuring most of the material not included on the first album. Not surprisingly, the sound quality was just mediocre. But musically it includes some very enjoyable tracks, especially "The Portuguese Coast" and "Into The Catacombs." I was flabbergasted to learn that Alan Menken's The Little Mermaid won the Oscar in 1989. Although Menken and lyrics writer Howard Ashman created vivacious songs (i.e., "Part of Your World," "Under the Sea," "Kiss the Girl," etc.) for this animated film, it certainly wasn't up to par with Last Crusade. Hey, don't get me wrong. Menken is an exceptionally talented musician. I thoroughly enjoyed his efforts for such Walt Disney musicals as the uplifting Beauty and the Beast, the triumphant Newsies, and the magical Aladdin. However, when one compares Last Crusade and Little Mermaid, it's undeniable that Williams surpasses his counterpart in both quality and quantity. Williams' gorgeous Born on the Fourth of July and James Horner's invigorating Field of Dreams & divine Glory are also superior scores when matched up with Menken and Ashman's Little Mermaid. With sheer mastery and precision, John Williams transcended the art of movie music and took it to a whole new level. Consequently, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has become his best score ever. *****
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