Horner fans sometimes refer to
Courage Under
Fire as a "transitional effort," while harsh critics would go so far
as to say that this score is perfect evidence that Horner is a hack and
overuses his own material. The pulsating rhythms of the action pieces,
with piano and snare driving the pace, was an exact precursor to the
sinking scenes in
Titanic, and, retrospectively speaking, the
entirety of the action variants for
Courage Under Fire, including
the introduction of the pulsing and elongated alternation between two
rising chord sets, would serve as an extension of those non-romantic
moments in
Titanic. The hymn offered at the outset and in "A
Final Resting Place" is the only part of the score that looks backward,
taking significant rising movements and counterpoint accents from the
title theme for
Glory. The actual title theme for
Courage
Under Fire is a faint-hearted attempt to create the same restrained
and somewhat sour romanticism that Horner would master in the theme for
Deep Impact (and its wedding cue, specifically). The flashy
splashes of electric guitar heard in "Al Bathra" would mature in
The
Perfect Storm. Pieces of brass work in the action material would
also be expanded upon in
Enemy at the Gates. There are other
examples of where elements in
Courage Under Fire would eventually
end up, but the most important impression to keep in mind about this
score is that everything you hear within it would later be produced by
Horner in a superior form. The one unique moment of creativity in
Courage Under Fire is actually quite spectacularly conceived,
though; at the opening of "Al Bathra," Horner uses the sound effects of
a helicopter ignition and the gradual increase in the pace and tone of
its blade whooshes, eventually blending it into (and yielding to) the
orchestra's natural, percussive rhythm. Otherwise, the score's generally
low-key attitude defies the patriotism conveyed in the film and causes
the score to be a mundane listening experience. The faults of this score
are intangible, like any score that simply fails to resonate in an
expected way. The album, with extraordinarily dull and inept packaging,
fell completely out of print not long after its release.
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