Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... only if you seek a more cerebral variation on the synthetic environment of James Horner's score for Vibes, the pan pipes and electronic choir providing pretty ambience for this score but not much more. Avoid it... if you require more engagement from your listening experiences than a purely atmospheric collection of soft, jungle-inspired rhythms and free-floating Latin melodies. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Where the River Runs Black: (James Horner) The 1986 fantasy drama Where the River Runs Black was a tremendous flop for MGM, failing to gross even a million dollars during its brief theatrical run. It was shot with great care by director Christopher Cain on location in Brazil, using the jungle landscape as an element central to the fantasy environment of the story. That plot involves the half-human and half-dolphin people that inhabit the rivers deep in the jungle, their lore carried by local tribes, and the complications that arise when a young hybrid boy is separated from that habitat when gold-diggers exploit the area for riches. When the boy is taken into custody in the city by a priest, he identifies the killer of his hybrid mother as a local politician, and in his haste to seek revenge, is forced to flee back to his habitat for protection amongst his kind. A fairly predictable and standard plot (outside of the dolphin/human aspect, which needs to be accepted at face value) was a detriment compensated for by the lovely scenery. Tailoring the music of Where the River Runs Black to the other-worldly visuals was composer James Horner, whose career had transcended into the mainstream in 1986 with major awards recognition. Horner had collaborated with the director for The Stone Boy two years prior, and their careers were well headed in opposite directions by the time the low budget Where the River Runs Black came along. The ensemble that Horner employed for the assignment will be familiar to collectors with the composer's later work for Vibes already in their collections. In fact, nearly everything about Where the River Runs Black will remind listeners of Vibes, the jungle settings and hint of fantasy very consistent across the two scores. Built from keyboarded synthesizers up, these scores both rely upon electronic vocal effects, pan pipes, exotic flute, select plucked accents, and a variety of dynamic percussion that balances the organic with the synthetic. It's a limited set of instruments, but Horner manages to use them effectively enough to accentuate the setting and provide a basic layer of intrigue, mystery, and dread without drawing much attention to himself. Creativity outside of these elements is sadly missing; unlike Jerry Goldsmith's handling of jungle atmospheres, Horner never seemed to use his synthetics (outside of metallic mechanisms to resemble the blowing of wind through trees in subsequent works) to actually imitate the sounds of water droplets or similar sounds of the forest. Horner's use of pan pipes in the 1980's often led to compelling recordings, and the instrument's quiet, contemplative meandering in Where the River Runs Black yields the score's highlights. When there are times of more active rhythmic intensity to accompany these performances, never does Horner whip them into a frenzy as he would do in Vibes. Nor is the memorable lyricism as evident here, either. The melodies of Where the River Runs Black are very subtle, often strained over lengthy periods in their full constructs. The pipes are joined by electronic choral tones that are synthetic enough to openly suggest a fantasy atmosphere. Deeply resonating keyboarding sometimes offers a much-needed bass layer to the music; too much of Where the River Runs Black floats about in the treble region for it to be anything more than an atmospheric work. Cues like "Underwater Ballet" and "Magic Kitchen" provide a much needed respite from the contemplation, breathing life with Horner's folksy percussive and acoustic rhythms that eventually produce an opening to "End Title" that will be reminiscent for some listeners of the celebratory finale music in Willow. Such optimism is rare in Where the River Runs Black, however; the majority of the score is so reserved and minimally rendered that it could be, with the exception of about 10 minutes, a somewhat disheartening experience. The minimal outright suspense and horror moments, such as "Sierra Pelada," explore tones as challenging in pulsating low keyboarding as anything in Vibes, with some dissonant chime effects carrying over from Gorky Park. The biggest difficulty that Where the River Runs Black presents in sum is its general lack of direction or maturity of ideas. Horner basically handles familial and alienation scenes in consistent fashion from start to end, leaving listeners grasping at the tone of the music rather than any particular construct. There is no theme that you will leave this listening experience with. Instead, the score will give you an impression, likely one of pleasantly understated ambience. Only "The Orphanage" leaves an echo of beauty in your mind. With so many promising ingredients, it's surprising that Horner was unable to collect these ideas into a more cohesive whole. The album release for Where the River Runs Black is a rare Varèse Sarabande product that demands prices completely unjust for the quality of the music. It may be more interesting, per se, that The Name of the Rose, but the identical components form a more memorable whole in Vibes. If you like zoning out to your film scores, then this will be a three-star album. ** Track Listings:
Total Time: 45:13
All artwork and sound clips from Where the River Runs Black are Copyright © 1986, Varèse Sarabande. 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 8/28/09, updated 8/28/09. Review Version 4.1 - PHP (Filmtracks Publications). Copyright © 2009-2013, Christian Clemmensen. All rights reserved. |
