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Soundtrack
Editorial Review:
Filmmaker Ridley Scott has long been intrigued by historical events and their contemporary echoes, a fascination that evinces itself again here in the violent tale of Balian of Ibelin (Orlando Bloom), a Jerusalem blacksmith who rallies his people against foreign invaders during the Crusades of the 12th century. Breaking with a successful modern collaboration with Hans Zimmer that yielded such eclectic riches as Gladiator, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, and Matchstick Men, Scott turned here to fellow Englishman/former Zimmer associate Harry Gregson-Williams for his new film's music. The composer, perhaps weary of the electronica-suffused action film cliches he's so often been associated with, rises admirably to the occasion with a sweeping orchestral score that masterfully trades on a wealth of disparate historical and stylistic influences. Gregson-Williams echoes the film's religious and cultural conflicts via the tense musical axis at the soundtrack's core, one that sets the invading Church's medieval choral ecclesiastics on a collision course with the ancient Arabic modalities of the film's hero. The resulting score may occasionally trade on hoary Hollywood romantic traditions, but the composer infuses them with such bracing doses of historical/ethnic antecedents—and his own decidedly contemporary instincts—as to create a compelling new whole. Even the obligatory, pop-oriented version of Ibellin's Theme ("Light of Life") by Natacha Atlas shimmers with Middle Eastern-inflected enticement. --Jerry McCulley
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A great soundtrack. I watched the film and was disappointed. I was given the soundtrack and was impressed. It is a mix of middle eastern themes, orchestral drama and choral sounds. It is moving, dramatic and entertaining. If the film was as good as the soundtrack, it would be a classic! Not as good as the Gladiator Soundtrack, which in my opinion is the best ever. However, this runs it close. It is very good. It stands lone from the film. If you enjoyed the Gladiator soundtrack, I think you will enjoy this as well.
A Swirling Sandstorm of Imagery! Soundtracks aren't usually my thing. 'Kingdom of Heaven' is an exception to this rule. Strap it onto your player, put on the sunblock, and close your eyes! There isn't a bad track on this disc, in my humble opinion. Each one is a beautifully crafted gem. Good music is like a TARDIS, taking the listener to places and times beyond the reach of our everyday lives. I am not musically gifted. I cannot describe these brilliant compositions in technical terms, but I can tell you how they made me feel and... more info
Varied and compelling Harry Gregson-Williams proves himself a very good composer through this album, the score to Kingdom of Heaven, which he took over from Hans Zimmer. He's done a brilliant job with some varied music that creates a suitable ambience to the film.
The tracks are all different, ranging from Gregorian chants, to ethnic Middle Eastern wailing, to heavy war drumming, to string orchestras. This score definately helps bring a film that is awesome in parts, to life. I found myself listening to this a whole handful... more info
Beautiful!! This is a stirring soundtrack with just the right mix of both orchestral overtones, ethnic music with a middle-eastern flare and a sense of the underlying religious connotations of Crusades with the almost Gregorian chants/vocals.
The whole CD just sweeps on by, through it's ups and downs, matching the emotions of the movie very well, and while no one track really sticks out from the others, the CD as a whole is beautiful. Highly recommended for fans of the movie or fans of this genre of music.
