.com For many an armchair history buff, the Allied invasion of Europe on D day in 1944 is seen as the decisive European battle of World War II. In reality, the war's turning point may well have been the German army's defeat at Stalingrad in the bitterly cold early months of 1943 after one of history's bloodiest sieges. Director Sergio Leone had planned an epic film version of those events, but he died before he could proceed. A decade later, French director Jean-Jacques Annaud's Enemy at the Gates has brought the saga to the screen in what's said to be the most expensive European production ever mounted. Annaud frames his epic with human dimensions by telling the true tale of dueling German and Soviet snipers, and James Horner's truly epic orchestral and choral soundtrack gives the story its sense of place, both geographically and historically. With nods toward some 20th-century Russian composers, Horner's music is by turns romantic, ominous, and modern, imbuing the drama of Shostakovich and Prokofiev with his own masterful sense of color and tension. He is still best known to general audiences for his hugely successful work on Titanic, but the sheer sweep and power of this score makes that work seem almost like a student's exercise by comparison. Enemy at the Gates is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime assignment, and Horner admirably rises to the challenge. --Jerry McCulley
D**H
Enemy At the Gates CD
I am a James Horner fan, and if you love his music, I bet that you will enjoy thisCD. Music preferences are a matter of individual taste, so if you are notfamiliar with this sound track, I suggest that you listen to the samples first andsee if you connect
K**Z
love it
best music drama and dark genre style its starwars meets real ww2 but russian + hollywoid stylized
L**O
Russian to the core plus Horner
If I am going to write a review on this if, of course, to add something different to the proceedings. First, however, I should mention that I agree this is not top Horner; yet, if you liked this movie or collect his entire oeuvre (as I do) you should not hesitate.Many criticize Horner for copying others (if not himself) but I think they are missing the point. I cannot call it copying, since it does not surpass the level of "quoting" or even "paying homage", which is what he actually attempts doing.This score brings three composers to fore: Rachmaninov (the short initial motto of his 1st symphony), Prokofiev (mostly phrases from Alexander Nevsky) and, overall, a Shostakovich atmosphere (with no particular piece creeping in). So, why would you not proceed this way given the subject matter? Towards the end, it is all-Horner, however, with that insistent Rachmaninoff phrase. And we feel touched and lucky.I have come to admire Mr Horner for his intelligence and ability to create a wonderful atmosphere in any movie he has scored. That he recognizes the value of other composers is, in my view, a proof of his deep knowledge and admiration for those great ones that came before. Ultimately, it works; and not in cheap fashion.
C**G
No glamor, just war
A very realistic portrayal of war. No glamor, just dirt, blood, and suffering at all levels. Throughout this dark setting runs a thread of duty done under the most extreme conditions and an ultimate lesson about humanity, love and envy.
T**K
a very good james horner attempt to the 2001 film your basic ...
a very good james horner attempt to the 2001 film your basic action war film soundtrack I suggest 1998's enemy of the sate soundtrack of course I don't remember right now who composed it
S**R
Take Your Chances
Believe it or not, I purchased this soundtrack BEFORE seeing the film. I knew it was a risk to do so because after the soundtracks to TITANIC, WILLOW and even DEEP IMPACT I began to notice how much of Horner's stuff was repetitive, how much he borrows from his past works... BUT I bought it anyway and...Maybe I shouldn't have. Once again, I was hearing music that I felt that I had heard before.... And beyond that, the whole disk maintained an emotional level that didn't fluctuate that much, as if half of it could have been omitted from the disk and no one would have noticed. The ONLY elements that caught my attention were those sections that incorporated Russian choral voices....ask me about this disk anytime in the future and I will tell you about the choral parts...very Russian...very dark.Now I have seen the movie...and that helped tremendously. But the question begs to be asked here: Shouldn't good soundtrack music stand a bit on its own...without help from the visual images the film provides ? I think so......but I'm afraid that this soundtrack doesn't.
P**A
Good
Good, easy listening music...has a slight Slavic bent to it.
B**O
CD
In being a Cd the product was just what I was looking for. Cd case was all in place as well as a non-scratched Cd.
S**S
Uma boa trilha sonora do saudoso compositor !
Vou ouvir mais atentamente ,pois é um trabalho menos conhecido por mim ! Ele é o mesmo compositor de Titanic e Coração Valente ,dentre ouros grandes trabalhos !
D**W
Einer seiner Besten Soundtracks
Obwohl der Film wenig überzeugen konnte ist der Soundtrack dazu wirklich sehr gelungen. Viele Melodien und Horners einzigartige Stimme sind hier deutlich zu hören.
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