THE SCARLET LETTER

JOHN BARRY

Rating:

Original Review: It's always a bad sign when movies are refused a press screening before they are released - normally it constitutes an exercise in damage limitation before bad word of mouth drives the punters away from a dead in the water movie - and that was how The Scarlet Letter was ushered into the world. A laughably bad "free adaptation" of the classic novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne directed by the normally faultless Roland Joffé and starring Demi Moore in the title role of the adulterous immigrant in 17th century America, the film's only saving grace (other than Gary Oldman's awe-inspiring hair) was the utterly gorgeous score by John Barry. Despite a resemblance to many, many other scores (most notably Out of Africa, Dances With Wolves and My Life), nobody can deny that the love theme, given a full and sumptuous airing in 'Love Scene', is one of the most beautiful pieces he has ever written. This theme is the cornerstone of the entire score and appears regularly throughout. All the familiar Barryisms are there - the long, lush, tender strings; the solid, steady-paced trumpets; the soft, eloquent woodwind melody - but, as ever, the style and thematic excellence wins you over every time. It may be familiar, but it's just so darn good you just can't help being swept away by it. Personally, I feel that The Scarlet Letter is the closest Barry has come to recapturing his Dances With Wolves form since that Oscar-winning triumph of 1990. Whereas many of his other recent works have been attractive but continuously monothematic, The Scarlet Letter has a recognisable complement of two major and a couple more minor melodies which increase the score's listenability no end. As well as the central love theme, there is a majestic, epic-sounding brass theme in 'The Arrival' and a dramatic, forbidding performances of deep, somorous horns and harsh timpanis most prevalent in the conclusive cues 'The Round-Up', 'I Am The Father Of Her Child' and 'The Indians Attack'. In addition to these there is an earthy, sentimental theme for 'The Birth'; a rather sombre and, at times, frightening motif for 'Dr. Rodger Prynne'; and a strangely unnerving staccato theme in 'An Attempt At Rape'. As was the case with Dances With Wolves, ethnic musician Peter Buffett provides some authentic native American textures to represent the more exotic elements of the story, and his work can be heard in two tracks - 'Main Title' and 'The Swimmer'. The other popular element of this soundtrack is the inclusion of Samuel Barber's magical, almost spiritual Agnus Dei from his Adagio for Strings and, as performed by the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, it is a marvellous addition to an already excellent album. The Scarlet Letter just goes to prove that the quality of the music bears no relation to the quality of the film it was written for. Many, many spellbinding soundtracks have been written for films which really did not deserve it, and added a real depth and emotional resonance that would otherwise not have been present. John Barry does this and more here. It's why he's so popular.

Track Listing: Running Time: 70 minutes 24 seconds

Epic Soundtrax EK-67431 (1995)

Music composed and conducted by John Barry. Performed by The English Chamber Orchestra. Additional music composed by Peter Buffett. Orchestrations by Nic Raine. Recorded and mixed by John Kurlander. Edited by Cliff Kohlweck. Mastered by Pat Sullivan. Album produced by John Barry.


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These web pages were designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton copyright 1998. All opinions and views expressed on these pages are my own and are in no way intended to reflect those of my employer, the Trent Institute for Health Services Research, or those of the University of Sheffield.