THE LAST SAMURAI SOUNDTRACK
Having fallen in love with the film and everything about it I felt that I should buy the soundtrack. That’s something you may notice, when I like something it usually turns into an obsession. So I added The Last Samurai soundtrack to my already full basket on Amazon. More money than sense me.
I was not in the slightest bit disappointed with this purchase, especially since I bought it for £8.50 plus postage and packaging which if I remember correctly made the grand total about £12. Fantastic! I thought to myself especially since it is a brand new copy. That’s cheaper than most CD’s you buy in music stores. I waited patiently for my new album and since it has arrived I can’t stop listening to it. If you read my review on the film you would have seen that I commented on how lovely the soundtrack was, how it just fitted perfectly with the film, well on hearing the soundtrack in more detail in the comfort of my own home I was well…stunned.
I’m not normally a fan of music without lyrics, but the lack of lyrics through this album just makes it so much more beautiful to listen to. There are 11 tracks on the album each one fades perfectly into the next. It is the kind of album you can play as background noise when your friends are visiting, but it is also brilliant to just relax to, especially if you are pampering yourself or can’t sleep. I’ve not yet fallen asleep to this album but it will not be difficult.
This soundtrack is composed by Hans Zimmer, who is responsible for the likes of the Lion King, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down and Pearl Harbour and many others. I was surprised to read about the number of soundtracks he has co-written, two of the biggest ones were The Ring and Hannibal. The man is a genius every piece of music he writes hits home, plays with the heart strings and The Last Samurai soundtrack is no exception to the rule.
Track one: A Way of Life (8.03)
Starts off the album on a slow, calm note. This is the first piece of real music you hear in the film itself, it is used to depict how the Samurai live and work. It is used to convey how different the Samurai way of life is to the westernised Japan that they fight against. The piece is so soft and gentle and when I listen to it I can see in my mind Tom Cruise playing the part of a lost Captain Algren trying so hard to fight off past demons from past battles, this piece emphasises the amazing guilt that the war torn Captain lives with. I can picture Tom Cruise training the Japanese troops and I can see the Samurai warriors preparing for battle. The first track for me makes an album. It sets the tone of what may follow. Throughout this track there is the soothing sound of flute and other woodwinds along with Hans Zimmer on the synthesizers. The orchestra plays perfectly. The piece is just over 8 minutes long and for about the last two minutes of it the pace picks up a little and the sound of the deep stringed instruments surrounds you. In the right mind set you could honestly believe that you were there watching the orchestra perform.
Track Two: Spectres in the Fog (4.07)
This is a rather dark and quite eerie piece in my opinion. There are a lot of drum beats throughout the piece and Hans Zimmer’s synthesizers add depth to track. It is the piece of music that is played through the first battle scene of the film. Brilliantly placed if you ask me, as it emphasises how terrifying the Samurai warriors can be. The scene in the movie is also quite frightening. The scene is full of mist and fog and from out of the fog the Japanese army sees a gathering of dark shadows that are the Samurai. This piece is just fantastic as it makes the listener remember the film. And if the listener has not yet seen the film it forces them to imagine what kind of scene this piece would be played over. To me that is what makes a good piece of music, when it forces images into your head, when you can see the kind of emotion that is meant to be felt and that is exactly what this piece does.
Track Three: Taken (3.35).
This piece doesn’t really need any explanation as to where it features in the film as the title gives a very good idea. The piece starts off on a sad note. The aftermath of a battle, death and curiosity are what this piece conveys. There is the distinct sound of cellos and violins, along with a very quiet drum beat to begin with. Nearing the end of the song, the pace becomes louder and more dramatic, but not fast dramatic. The drums create power and then just stop. This is the one track that does not seem to fade as smoothly into the next track, but even so, the few seconds pause just adds to the mood of the song.
Track Four: A Hard Teacher (5.44).
After the very well placed pause from track three, this song starts of slow and moves smoothly, like a breeze through the willows. This is another piece that is full of the sounds of woodwind instruments, including some ethnic instruments. The tempo is similar to the previous tracks in that it starts off slow and then there is a gradual increase. As far as I remember this piece was played during the recovery of Captain Algren, which is actually quite an amusing couple of scenes…at this point the only word he knows in Japanese is Sak`e.
Track Five: To Know My Enemy (4.48).
This track carries on so brilliantly from track four, that on first listening to it you actually think it is the same song. This piece of music has quite a strong beat to it. Keyboards, drums, strings and woodwind all blend perfectly. The significance of the song is not so much in the actual music but more in the title and where it is placed in the film. During this piece of music Algren is wandering around the Samurai village watching everything they do and all the while he still seems troubled. Personally, I feel that the title of this piece says a lot about the characters situation. He is in turmoil, he is trying to figure out who his enemy is…is it the Samurai who are so honourable and peaceful, is it the army he was sent to train or is his greatest enemy none other than himself?
Track Six: Idyll’s End (6.40).
I am not entirely sure whereabouts this features in the movie; however it is a very moving and constantly changing piece. Begins slowly and moves into a moderate tempo working itself into the deep pulsing sounds of percussion and string working in harmony then slows back down about a half a minute before the end and then finally flows with such beauty into the next piece.
Track Seven: Safe Passage (4.56).
Instantly you know that this piece is going to be one of drama. It starts off with a few quiet drum beats and flows into keyboards and strings. The drums are played throughout the piece with a low almost silent beat with the volume of them gradually increasing. The piece is just under five minutes but it is so emotional and touching. Each time I have listened to it so far I have had to fight off a small lump in the back of my throat. I hate being a spoiler (I have explained where each piece is played throughout the film, so apologies if I’ve ruined it for you) but this piece is played when Algren has been granted a safe transfer back to the western side.
Track Eight: Ronin (1.53).
This is the shortest track on the album but yet somehow it doesn’t feel like it. This is a rather powerful track, as are the next three. It signifies fighting and death, but at the same time honour. They say eventually honour will lead you to the path of chaos and eventually it will kill you. This piece embodies this.
Track Nine: Red Warrior (3.56).
I love this piece of music. It is quite an uplifting track in the sense that it is not quite as slow and as mellow as the others. This piece is full of drama and it shows a unity between all of the Samurai. When the piece is played in the film you understand the title perfectly. Red Warrior, something from the past being brought to the present and that is all I am willing to say. The piece glorifies the ride to battle and how the Samurai must work closely with each other, if they wish to survive.
Track Ten: The Way of the Sword (7.59)
This is another heart wrenching piece. Each time I have listened to it I just get blown away. The title kind of speaks for itself and it is quite clear what it is about. It is played in the battle scenes and although long it ties in just perfect with the next song. This is the piece of music I’m sure that caused me to cry like a baby as it was played over the scenes. It is just beautiful.
Finally Track Eleven: A Small Measure of Peace (7.59)
The last song on the album. I could not possibly describe the effect this track has on me, it’s profound. It is such a gentle piece. I am listening to it as I type and I am having to fight back the urge to just cry at the beauty. This piece helped create the perfect ending to the perfect film and it closes the soundtrack on a perfect note.
There are no words that can possibly describe this album and do it justice, so I will stick to saying it is perfect (how many times have I said that word). People forget the simple things in life, they are in too much of a rush, and they forget what a piece of music can do. This is something that we shouldn’t ever let go of because at the end of the day it’s not the extraordinary things that we will be remembered for, we will all each be remembered for the small things, the things that seem so trivial now. Nothing is trivial and listening to this album has actually made me appreciate everything I own and every person I meet. It has made me appreciate those precious moments of time we get where we don’t have to be in a hurry.
Now maybe I’ve just gone mad and maybe you will all think that I am talking a lot of nonsense, but that is how the album has made me feel and I hope that if any of you decide to purchase it, I hope that it touches you in the way that it touched me (or in a similar way at least).
Extra Info:
Score Composed, Arranged and Produced: Hans Zimmer (what a man)
Executive Music Producer: Edward Zwick
Executive Producer for WMG soundtracks: Danny Bramson
Orchestra conducted by Blake Neely
Original Score Published by Warner-Olive Music.
Thank you for reading, hope this helps.
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