Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you can relax to unchallenging and soft romantic underscore with occasional beauty from chorus and vocal solos. Avoid it... if the light classical nature of historical, symphonic romance music puts you to sleep. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Shadowlands: (George Fenton) Among Richard Attenborough's narrative triumphs was 1994's Shadowlands, a glimpse into the later years of admired British scholar and author C. S. Lewis. In his career of biographical storytelling, Attenborough would experience the full range of success, from the heights of Gandhi to the failures of Chaplin, and while Shadowlands is not anywhere near as well known as many of his other pictures, Attenborough's telling of the friendship and love between Lewis and American poet Joy Gresham is widely regarded as a nearly flawless film. Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger perform with heartfelt respect along with an accomplished supporting cast. Some of the lesser important facts about the lives of the two leads were altered for the purpose of pacing, but the plot stays true to the long distance friendship between poet and author that would eventually lead to marriage and the trials of illness. As usual, Attenborough's touch would lead to a film lovely in its English setting and sharp in its dialogue, but never allowing such elements to overshadow the genuine, underlying emotions of the story. Perhaps it was this plain sincerity that led to the film's box office demise, for despite the many fine qualities of Shadowlands, the film has gone largely forgotten. One of the sadly forgotten aspects of the film was George Fenton's score. The third collaboration between Fenton and Attenborough, Shadowlands would avoid many of the pitfalls of other historical English films of the early 90's. Perhaps this success in scoring was aided by the relatively recent time period of the story, though more of the credit should go to Fenton's ability to write compelling music that doesn't need much volume to be effective. To the delight of Attenborough, Fenton would record with The London Symphony Orchestra and The Choir of Magdalen College at Oxford to match the authenticity of the film's setting. The overall impression that Shadowlands will leave you with is one of restrained beauty and elegance. No part of the score overwhelms you like some of Fenton's larger, later efforts. He develops one primary theme of romance in the two "The Golden Valley" tracks, though since the relationship between the poet and author does not include sparks, the theme quietly meanders with the ease of a typical John Barry venture. Performances of this theme are typically restrained to strings and woodwinds, with the only robust statements placed near the end. In all honesty, the score's beauty would likely have been equal with a smaller ensemble, though the cumulative force and talent of the choir is commendable as recorded. For the orchestra, only two dominant cues will impress you outright; "As a Boy and As a Man" is the highlight of the score, allowing the romantic title theme to flourish with the full orchestra while accompanied by a solo treble voice. Likewise, the "End Credits" add further depth in the bass string and brass regions to provide a satisfying conclusion to the score. The choral performance of the "Front Titles," with organ accompaniment, will remind of the serious religious side of Home Alone. Other techniques by Fenton in Shadowlands could easily go unnoticed, however. One such idea is a light string quartet theme for the character of Lewis, addressing the classical nature of his existence at Oxford and also moving at a pace that suits his wit. While some of the classical-style music in the score is from Fenton's pen, three cues will be recognized as traditional pieces, mostly aimed at the chorus. On album, the score will pass as smoothly as possible, creating a very relaxing and unchallenging listening experience. For some listeners, the loyalty to one theme, as well as extended sequences of very subdued conversational underscore, will cause the score to languish in the realm of boredom, though the choral cues throughout the score should help avoid this eventuality for some listeners. Sound quality of the choir is especially impressive, and even with the traditional pieces, the album's flow is consistent. A fine, undemanding score. **** Track Listings:
Total Time: 47:05
All artwork and sound clips from Shadowlands are Copyright © 1994, Angel Records. The reviews and notes contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Filmtracks Publications. Audio clips can be heard using RealPlayer but cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 4/10/97, updated 6/23/06. Review Version 4.1 - PHP (Filmtracks Publications). Copyright © 1997-2013, Christian Clemmensen. All rights reserved. |
