32 replies to this topic

[Jason LeBlanc]

War Horse

A Complete Score Analysis

by Jason LeBlanc


Complete Cue List

Note: All cue titles not taken from the OST or FYC Promo are completely made up by me. I have no idea what the official titles are.

1	Dartmoor	3:52	Unreleased (0:08) / OST 01 [0:00-1:05] / Unreleased (0:08) / [1:05-2:06] / Unreleased (0:08) / [2:06-end]
2	To The Auction	1:58	Unreleased (0:21) / OST 02 [1:56-end]
3	The Auction	2:21	OST 02 [0:00-0:43] / Unreleased (0:05) / [0:43-0:52] / Unreleased (0:02) / [0:52-1:56]
4	The Auction (Alternate Ending)	0:30	Unreleased
5	Bringing Joey Home	2:16	OST 03 [0:00-1:20] / Unreleased (0:03) / [1:20-2:13]
6	Bonding With Joey	1:36	OST 03 [2:13-3:49]
7	The Duck	0:54	OST 03 [3:49-4:20] / Unreleased (0:03) / [4:20-end]
8	The Whistling Montage	2:02	Unreleased
9	Albert Defends Joey and Harnesses	3:23	Unreleased (0:22) / OST 05 [0:00-1:42] / Unreleased (1:14)
10	Walk On	2:42	Unreleased
11	Townsfolk Arrive	1:10	Unreleased
12	Plowing	5:35	OST 06 / Unreleased
13	Dad’s Metals and Horse Vs Car	1:51	OST 05 [1:42-end]
14	Ruined Crop	1:55	OST 07 [0:00-1:52]
15	Leaving For France	1:45	OST 07 [1:52-end]
16	Preparing For The Charge	0:58	Unreleased
17	The Charge	2:24	OST 08 [0:00-1:39] / Unreleased (0:45)
18	Surrounded and Captured	1:42	OST 08 [1:39-end]
19	The Package	2:57	Unreleased
20	The Desertion	1:41	OST 09 [0:00-1:29] / Unreleased (0:12)
21	The Execution	1:07	OST 09 [1:29-end]
22	Joey’s New Friends	3:30	OST 10
23	The Saddle	1:38	Unreleased
24	Over The Hill	1:50	Unreleased
25	It’s A Pity They Found You	0:53	Unreleased
26	Pulling The Cannon	4:12	OST 11
27	The Death Of Topthorn	2:45	OST 12
28	The Dash Across No Man’s Land	2:44	OST 13 [1:51-end]
29	The Dash Across No Man’s Land (Insert)	0:04	Unreleased
30	Approaching Trapped Joey	2:00	OST 13 [0:00-1:51]
31	The Reunion	4:23	Unreleased (0:06) / OST 14 [0:00-1:39] / Unreleased (0:03) / [1:39-2:16] / Unreleased (0:19) / [2:16-end]
32	Remembering Emilie and Finale	5:14	OST 15 [0:00-0:46] / Unreleased (0:07) / [0:46-end]
33	End Credits	8:06	OST 16
34	End Credits (Alternate Opening)	0:21	Unreleased
35	Learning The Call (Concert Arrangement)	3:20	OST 04

[Jason LeBlanc]

Themes

-Coming Soon-


Cue-By-Cue Breakdown




The opening logos for Touchstone Pictures and Dreamworks SKG play with no music, just the ambient sounds of a quiet English countryside.

01. Dartmoor - 3:52 - Unreleased (0:08) / OST 01 [0:00-1:05] / Unreleased (0:08) / [1:05-2:06] / Unreleased (0:08) / [2:06-end]

The movie’s lone title card (“Dreamworks Pictures and Reliance Entertainment present”) is scored with a quiet string sustain. When the title card fades out and the Dartmoor countryside fades in, [... Coming soon]

The album version of this cue is edited down in 3 places - Removing the opening string sustain, shortening the music for Albert watching Joey from the fence (0:54-1:17 on the CD, running 0:23 compared to the film’s 0:31) and completely removing the music for Joey and Albert’s stare-down (which would go at 2:06).


02. To The Auction - 1:58 - Unreleased (0:21) / OST 02 [1:56-end]


03. The Auction - 2:21 - OST 02 [0:00-0:43] / Unreleased (0:05) / [0:43-0:52] / Unreleased (0:02) / [0:52-1:56]
04. The Auction (Alternate Ending) - 0:30 - Unreleased

The album has two microedits at 0:43 and 0:52, and also presents the original ending of the cue. The revised ending would be edited in at 1:44.


05. Bringing Joey Home - 2:16 - OST 03 [0:00-1:20] / Unreleased (0:03) / [1:20-2:13]

A 3 second pause has been removed from the album version at 1:20. The film version is also longer by 15 seconds overall, hard to tell if by looping/stretching what is heard on the OST in the film, or if the OST is edited down.


06. Bonding With Joey - 1:36 - OST 03 [2:13-3:49]

A Sustained note (OST time 3:00-3:02) has either been shortened on CD or lengthened in the film, no way to tell.


07. The Duck - 0:54 - OST 03 [3:49-4:20] / Unreleased (0:03) / [4:20-end]

A small bit of the repeating pattern at the end is removed at 4:20 of the OST track.


08. The Whistling Montage - 2:02 - Unreleased

Williams expanded the film cue into a concert arrangement, which was included on the OST in place of the original cue. See below.

09. Albert Defends Joey and Harnesses - 3:23 - Unreleased (0:22) / OST 05 [0:00-1:42] / Unreleased (1:14)

The film version of the portion on the OST is slightly longer, hard to tell if through looping in the film or editing on the OST.


10. Walk On - 2:42 - Unreleased


11. Townsfolk Arrive - 1:10 - Unreleased


12. Plowing - 5:35 - OST 06 / Unreleased

The film version is about 25 seconds longer than the OST version. It seems like the first half of the cue in the film is a different, longer take compared to the album version. The second half of the cue seems to be the same in both places.


13. Dad’s Metals and Horse Vs Car - 1:51 - OST 05 [1:42-end]

In the final film, the cue edit edited down slightly at the very end.


14. Ruined Crop - 1:55 - OST 07 [0:00-1:52]

In the film, the repeating pattern heard from 1:11-1:21 on the OST is repeated 12 times instead of the OST’s 9 before the backing strings come in, but its hard to say if the film was artificially looped or the OST was edited down.


15. Leaving For France - 1:45 - OST 07 [1:52-end]

On the CD, the ending of the track bleeds into the next track, making a clean and complete ending unavailable.


16. Preparing For The Charge - 0:58 - Unreleased


17. The Charge - 2:24 - OST 08 [0:00-1:39] / Unreleased (0:45)

The cue fades in late on CD and is overlapped with the ending of the previous track. The section heard on the OST from 0:09-0:20 is 3 seconds longer in the film, hard to tell if due to stretching in the film or editing down on the OST. The final 45 seconds of the cue are not heard on CD, as the CD segues to the next cue early.


18. Surrounded and Captured - 1:42 - OST 08 [1:39-end]


19. The Package - 2:57 - Unreleased


20. The Desertion - 1:41 - OST 09 [0:00-1:29] / Unreleased (0:12)

The opening 13 seconds of the OST track are stretched to 29 seconds in the film, though it is unknown if they are artificially stretched or it is an alternate, slower recording. The ending is shortened to create a segue to the next cue.


21. The Execution - 1:07 - OST 09 [1:29-end]

The opening of the cue is shortened due to the way it segues from the previous track on the OST.


22. Joey’s New Friends - 3:30 - OST 10

A rare cue with no noticable differences in the final film.


23. The Saddle - 1:38 - Unreleased


24. Over The Hill - 1:50 - Unreleased


25. It’s A Pity They Found You - 0:53 - Unreleased


26. Pulling The Cannon - 4:12 - OST 11

In the final film, the section from 3:22-3:36 is dialed out completely. There are also some edits and possibly looping, though there doesn’t seem to be any unreleased music and the overal length remains the same.


27. The Death Of Topthorn - 2:45 - OST 12

On the CD, the ending of the track bleeds into the next track, making a clean and complete ending unavailable.


28. The Dash Across No Man’s Land - 2:44 - OST 13 [1:51-end]
29. The Dash Across No Man’s Land (Insert) - 0:04 - Unreleased

In the final film, a 4 second insert replaces 35 seconds of original material. On the album, the end of the next cue is heard overlapping the start of this cue. The album also presents Williams’ original version of the cue; the insert would replace 2:41-3:17.


30. Approaching Trapped Joey - 2:00 - OST 13 [0:00-1:51]

On the album, music from the previous track overlaps the beginning of the cue, making a clean opening unavailable. The film version of the cue is longer, but it is impossible to tell if its been artificially extended or if the album version is cut down.


31. The Reunion - 4:23 - Unreleased (0:06) / OST 14 [0:00-1:39] / Unreleased (0:03) / [1:39-2:16] / Unreleased (0:19) / [2:16-end]

The film version contains 28 seconds of material microedited out of the OST, but has 4 seconds of material microedited out towards the end, making it 24 seconds longer total.


32. Remembering Emilie and Finale - 5:14 - OST 15 [0:00-0:46] / Unreleased (0:07) / [0:46-end]

A long string sustain followed by a fadeout before resuming has been turned into a short string sustain that segues to the next piece of music quickly on the OST (at 0:46).

33. End Credits - 8:06 - OST 16
34. End Credits (Alternate Opening) - 0:21 - Unreleased


35. Learning The Call (Concert Arrangement) - 3:20 - OST 04

Williams expanded the “Whistling Montage” cue into a full concert arrangement and included it on the album in place of the film cue

[Incanus]

Excellent work as usual Jason!

And as you have said before, there is a lot more unreleased music than we initially thought.


About the End Credits. It sounds like a combination of Homecoming (another take most likely since it is audibly different in the beginning) but the sequence of thematic renditions is swapped editorially, there might be a few sections of music that sound tracked containing old and new music (i.e. not found on the OST) and at the end of the piece we get a part of Reunion and the solo flute from Plowing. Sounds very editorially created to me.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Thanks for that info! I hadn't actually had time to study the End Credits yet. I was up very late last night!

What do you think of "Over The Hill"? I think the violin (?) solo is absolutely beautiful. It's a highlight of the entire score.

BTW, I have HTMLized the main post


---- Back to the end credits, I think I will labels things thusly:

35. End Credits - 8:06 - OST 16
36. End Credits (Alternate Opening) - ?:?? - Unreleased

But since I am at work without any of the materials I cannot tell the timing of the unreleased alternate opening. If you get a chance could you let me know?

[Incanus]

Thanks for that info! I hadn't actually had time to study the End Credits yet. I was up very late last night!

What do you think of "Over The Hill"? I think the violin (?) solo is absolutely beautiful. It's a highlight of the entire score.

BTW, I have HTMLized the main post


---- Back to the end credits, I think I will labels things thusly:

35. End Credits - 8:06 - OST 16
36. End Credits (Alternate Opening) - ?:?? - Unreleased

But since I am at work without any of the materials I cannot tell the timing of the unreleased alternate opening. If you get a chance could you let me know?

The alternate opening runs from 0:00-0:21 where it is edited into the Homecoming (section of Dartmoor Theme beginning at 4:20).

And the Over the Hill and preceding The Saddle are indeed two gorgeous unreleased pieces. I love Emilie's Theme, wonderfully haunting flute playing in the latter and the tragic cello/viola (?) solo in the former.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Thanks!

I also can't believe that 19 second section of The Reunion was edited out!

I find the unedited version of Dartmoor flows better as well

[Incanus]

Thanks!

I also can't believe that 19 second section of The Reunion was edited out!

I find the unedited version of Dartmoor flows better as well

I agree. Completely unnecessary edits both in my opinion as well.

[Hedwig]

What theme does the violin solo play? Oh and btw great job!

Edited by Hedwig, 12 January 2012 - 08:45 PM.

[Incanus]

What theme does the violin solo play? Oh and btw great job!

It is not any of the main thematic ideas but a mourning solo line. But it is so forlorn and lyrically heartbreaking.

[Jason LeBlanc]

OMG I'm an idiot! The music starting at 1:56 of "The Auction" on the OST is not for a deleted scene - that's the cue I called "To The Auction"! The beginning of the cue is missing from the OST, is all.

I KNEW I had heard those bouncing plucked strings somewhere!

[Incanus]

Jason you must have forgotten to add one cue to the list, Walking Wounded that follows Approaching Trapped Joey.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Thanks for catching that Incanus! Main post fully updated.

BTW, the reason the actual analysis isn't done yet is because I started to write it but it became apparent very soon that almost every theme does NOT score the person or idea we previously thought it had. In fact it almost seemed like WIlliams used every theme when he thought it would sound best rather than in a lietmotific sense. I'm gonna need to really study things to see if I can find patterns.

[Datameister]

Yeah, it's not really a very leitmotivic score (which is a good thing in this case, IMO).

[Jason LeBlanc]

Just discovered something else I can't believe I missed before!!!!!! The cue I called "We'll Get It Done" is NOT entirely unreleased!!!! It's at the beginning of "Seeding, and Horse Vs. Car" on the OST!!! It's just not complete there, is all.

I will fix the main post and rename the cue to "Albert Defends Joey and Harnesses", which is what it is called on the FYC CD.


-
OK, the main post is now fully updated. This will be the last update until I completely re-do it to include FYC information.

[Incanus]

I have yet to see the film but once I have I'll be able to contribute to the thematic analysis as well. It is strange how a score so full of recognizable thematic ideas on the album is largely devoid of specific leitmotif connections for most of them. Weird.

EDIT

Having now seen the film, I have to say that the musical idea I have called War Theme seems to be more a Dignity/Perseverance Theme although it does play mostly in the scenes related to war, the suffering of war and hardship in the film. It could be also called Joey's Noble Theme since there is always an aspect of his noble actions, his spirit and courage in the scenes where it is used.

I have to redo my analysis from scratch as far as the themes are concerned. The score is leitmotific but not in the strictest sense as you said Jason. A few musical ideas have a less easily defined usage but many of them center around Joey, functioning as a kind of language that speaks for him thoughout the story.

I also noted another new thematic idea while watching the film. It is the recurring noble horn motif for Albert's father's regimental pendant that is restated nearly every time the flag changes hands.

[SF1_freeze]

The second part of the OST "The Auction" cue is in fact the "To the Auction" cue. There is no difference between film and album version. To get the correct order the second part from 1:55 till end would have to be put in front of the track.

But the even better way would be to take this second part of the album "The Auction" track and edit it in front of the FYC "The Auction" track to get the true film version.

[Incanus]

The Auction as heard on the FYC is slightly different than on the OST, also longer. I am speaking of the actual The Auction portion of the track, not the To the Auction segment edited into it on the OST.

[filmmusic]

I can't find the thread with Incanus' analysis.

The link in the main page of jwfan, links to Lincoln!

 

I wanted to ask if he came up with the names of the themes before he saw the movie, and if they are revised.

I'm going to see now War Horse for the first time!

 

(I'm late!!!)

[Incanus]

It seems that my analysis at the Review Section has mysteriously vanished. 

 

The original version, which I gather you already have read can be found here however. And the link does redirect to the Lincoln review, which is strange to say the least. But my War Horse analysis is in much need of revision, especially when themes are concerned and I should do a completely new write-up on the complete score. Especially some of Williams' themes in this film seem to have a bit less specific application than in many of his scores.

[filmmusic]

ok, thanks..

yes, that's what i wanted to ask.

I saw the film yesterday, and it seems some themes aren't quite what they're named .

[Incanus]

Yes you really have to take into consideration that the analysis was written based on the music alone.

[BloodBoal]

It seems that my analysis at the Review Section has mysteriously vanished. 

 

 

MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

 

[filmmusic]

Ok, here's my take on this after watching the film for the first time, and then a second viewing taking notes on the themes: (comparing the names/identities with Incanus')

 

Don't read ahead if you haven't seen the movie:

 

there's no denial that the Main theme is indeed the Bonding theme and the War theme is indeed the  "War Horse" theme (not meaning the main theme, but stressing the identity of the horse as one who excelled in war. of course this particular theme appears in an earlier scene where Albert tried to make him plow but it didn't).

i agree also about the Nature theme (that has 2 appearances in the movie)

Now:

1)the Joey’s New Friends Theme is undoubtedly Emily's theme (it appears 3 times in the movie when she is around, or she is mentioned).

2)The Dartmoor theme I'd say it's somewhat Albert's theme. It has 4-5 main appearances in the movie (eg when Albert runs to the horse in the beginning, when he says to keep it and that he'll raise it, when they're running together. It's somewhat his youth's and vitality's voice)

3) The Discovery theme: I'd say this is somehow a calling theme (it appears twice only. When he approaches it with the food, and when he is calling it at the end, which is the most important appearance. It's like a spiritual calling or something)

4) The Friendship theme: This appears also twice, and I say it's the Return theme. It's most prominent use when Albert returns at the end, and before that when they have established that his horse has returned and the doctor says they will take care of it.

5)The Narracots theme: This troubled me a bit. I think it has to do with the Young Horse (i'm not sure if there is a specific word for that in English. Youngling?). It has prominent appearances in the first part of the film when the young horse runs with its mother, or towards her, when it runs at Albert's calling, in the plowing scene, and when it runs with Albert against the car.

 

 

Has anyolne seen the Bluray extras? Does Williams say anything about the music and the themes like in other behind the scenes featurettes?

[Incanus]

I think the discussions concerning the themes and their possible meaning  soon after the film came out were very much in the same vein as your post filmmusic.

 

As I suggest in one of my posts in this thread, the War Horse / War theme is more about perseverance and dignity and persevering heroism but it relates to Joey's war time experience most strongly through most of the film so War Horse would be quite an apt name for the melody.

 

I originally left Joey's New Friends theme vague to oblige a request to avoid spoilers. It is very obviously Emilie's Theme.

 

What I initially called the Narracott's Theme turned out to be a theme for the Young Horse or Young Joey and his skittish and energetic nature.

 

The Discovery Theme would perhaps better be identified as Recognition Theme as both instances involve Joey recognizing Albert and vice versa, although in a more spiritual level, the music conveying a sense of mystique about the bond between the two.

[filmmusic]

yes, i couldn't find any thread about the themes, except your before-watching-film analysis, that's why i wrote it here and tried to identify them somehow.

 

I like your term Recognition Theme!

 

What about the Dartmoor theme (or Albert's theme as I say) and the Friendship/Return theme? what's your take on these?

[Incanus]

Yes Dartmoor Theme is better identified as Albert's Theme.

 

I still consider the Friendship Theme to be an apt name for the melody for Albert's and Joey's reunion although it relates to the returning, either the friends returning to each other or Albert and Joey coming home, as expression of their bond together and the experiences that now unite them. Perhaps Reunion Theme would be suitable.

[filmmusic]

Perhaps Reunion Theme would be suitable.

Oh, again I think you put it much better!

 

 

By the way, I don't remember, there was a talk of the critics, that the film had too much music?

Anyway, I thought of this mostly in the beginning.

i didn't like the comical cue for the Return from the Auction.

I think that scene could have gone unscored, and leave a bit space to breath in the film, because it's that first part of it that is a bit cluttered. (oh, i'm not sure i'm using the right word here. anyway)

 

Overall it was a descent film. You felt that you were watching a FILM. (something that I cannot say for recent films)

Not among the best films of Spielberg, not among the worst either.

I've always wondered before i saw it, how it would move (or touch) someone with a horse but it did move me.

[Incanus]

I think the amount of music in the beginning third of the movie was noted by critics and most people here commented on that as well. Even though I am not uncomfortable about music making bigger gestures in movies I personally thought it was indeed too thickly spotted, both director and composer slightly too enamoured by the type of movie they were making and wanting to give their all to the glorious images and landscapes at the start of the movie. The film and the score would have benefitted from some breathing space.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Are you guys talking about Incanus's review here:

 

http://www.jwfan.com...showtopic=20911

 

?

[filmmusic]

oh yes, thanks, couldn't find it.

the link in the main page, links to Lincoln.

[Jason LeBlanc]

What link are you referring to?

On this page:

 

http://www.jwfan.com/?page_id=4147

 

The link for War Horse (Album Analysis) is correct.

[filmmusic]

here:

http://www.jwfan.com/?p=1488

 

the "updated post and discussion" link.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Thanks, we'll get that fixed