Will John Williams win his 6th Oscar for 'War Horse'?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

If John Williams had changed his name to Iiaiyaraaja we would not be having this problem every time....

[Hlao-roo 389]

Ludovic Bource is the next John Williams.

[Percival 0]

Oh he didn't win the Washington DC WAFCA awards. Boo.

[MSM 126]

Ludovic Bource is the next John Williams.

No he is the next next John Williams. Michael Giacchino is the next John Williams, this guy comes right after him.

[Incanus 5,714]

Ludovic Bource is the next John Williams.

No he is the next next John Williams. Michael Giacchino is the next John Williams, this guy comes right after him.

So they are lining up to be the next John Williams, the man who Terry Gilliam despises. Good. This'll show him!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

He's not John Williams, he's a very naughty boy!

[Hedwig 5]

An article about the premiere for 'War Horse'. They are obviously pushing the score; they played it on repeat throughout the entire after-screening dinner Little comment at the end though, about the music guiding people's emotions to much, but they also say it's beautiful. Not sure whether this helps Oscar chances or not

http://www.hollywood...pielberg-269462

[mrbellamy 6,286]

Just gave it a few minutes of listen and I am afraid you are right, I am 95% sure the Oscar will go to the operetta pastiche The Artist. It is an infectious score I must say, though. The irony is that JW could have easily written a similar score, and probably better.

Whoa, that's great!! If the Academy had to pick something other than War Horse, they could do a hell of a lot worse than that.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Yeah, John Williams isn't winning anything this year.

The Artist at least is pretty neat.

[Romão 2,274]

I quite liked that track from the Artist the first time I heard it, but now it is quickly wearing me down. It's pure pastiche. Still, there could be much worse winners, if that will be indeed the case

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

Too simple and definitely boring. I could't make it through.

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

I think it's a decent track, but the problem is that in never goes anywhere. It never develops. It just stays the same for about all the track, without ever reaching a satisfying climax.

But, like I've said before, I wouldn't mind at all if this won. It would be a refreshing change.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

I think JW need to change his name to Jonhisláv Williamolowicz to have an even slight chance.

I mean as seen on that Trailer Addict interview , he is so much above the others as a composer and especially as a musician.

And still losing to the mediocre like Santaolalla etc. Ridiculous!

[Incanus 5,714]

I think JW need to change his name to Jonhisláv Williamolowicz to have an even slight chance.

I mean as seen on that Trailer Addict interview , he is so much above the others as a composer and especially as a musician.

And still losing to the mediocre like Santaolalla etc. Ridiculous!

Santaolalla revolutionized film scoring single handedly. He showed that one guitar is enough and musical education is highly over rated when a tune smith like him can create emotionally resonate soundscapes where guitar twangs can speak more strongly than any symphonic ensemble. Sadly his 2 Oscar wins did not spread wider his gospel. Even his exotic name did not help him there.

[Romão 2,274]

Well, looking at all the critics awards and all that, it seems to be quite certain that JW will be nominated, but has no chance in hell of actually winning

[Taikomochi 1,136]

The JP theme is not even close to being more popular than the SL theme today.

What the hell are you talking about? That MIGHT be true of film score fans, but on the whole, I don't know anybody who knows the SL theme. Everybody I know, even people who haven't seen JP, recognize the JP theme.

[indy4 155]

Yeah, people know the Journey to the Island theme better than SL.

[King Mark 3,631]

I notice all the TV commercials for Tintin have the RCP Trailer music and all the War Horse commercials have Williams music

[Richard Penna 3,687]

Perfect!

[Hlao-roo 389]

"John Williams' score pushes too hard, never holding back when less might well have been more." (http://www.hollywood...pielberg-274354)

Maybe, maybe not, but I never see critics panning Golden Age scores for wearing their hearts on their sleeves.

--

Variety's review is also up, making reference to "a cloying strain of bucolic whimsy driven by John Williams' pushy score": http://www.variety.c...760?refcatid=31

So far the general vibe being put is that War Horse, the movie, is an honorable failure, with the plot structure feeling contrived and artificial, and its characters suffering as a result.

[crocodile 8,012]

Read both. Frankly, they say very little. They seem to discard the film because it's old-fashioned and doesn't fit modern expectations of what a war movie should be. So they basically reviewing a film that was never meant that in the first place. A bit pointless, if you ask me. Spielberg's sentimentality aside, it's kind of brave to make this today.

Karol

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[TownerFan 4,983]

Read both. Frankly, they say very little. They seem to discard the film because it's old-fashioned and doesn't fit modern expectations of what a war movie should be. So they basically reviewing a film that was never meant that in the first place. A bit pointless, if you ask me. Spielberg's sentimentality aside, it's kind of brave to make this today.

I share your feelings. However, I sense War Horse will probably be seen as something akin to Always in Spielberg's oeuvre: a heartfelt, compelling emotional drama, but nothing earth-shattering nor career-defining in the end. All in all, just a movie to enjoy and nothing more than that.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

"a cloying strain of bucolic whimsy driven by John Williams' pushy score"

Yep, I always skip the comments of the score by the movie reviewers. That I learned in 1987, reading one review

of The Empire of the Sun. It said:" shame on John Williams' muzac touch."

Yep, Yep.

[Jilal 569]

Empire of the Sun was scored weirdly.

I think the music is better if it stands alone.

Meh, i think i have to watch the film a second time to understand it better.

[Romão 2,274]

Alexander, not to plug myself (as I am a lousy writer and analyst), but in my review of Empire of the Sun I adressed this (IMHO) displaced notion that the score is inapropriate:

http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20049

[Hlao-roo 389]

Isn't it awfully convenient, though, that Spielberg's and Williams's penchance for overproduction manages to dovetail so well with Jamie's perspective?

[Romão 2,274]

What do you mean?

[publicist 4,643]

However, I sense War Horse will probably be seen as something akin to Always in Spielberg's oeuvre: a heartfelt, compelling emotional drama, but nothing earth-shattering nor career-defining in the end.

I never heard the phrases 'heartfelt' and 'compelling' in connection with ALWAYS. It's a misbegotten film, because it forces 50 year old values and 1940's zeitgeist in the frame of a modern story with terrible results. WAR HORSE at least is located in the early part of this century.

[TownerFan 4,983]

I do believe Always is indeed heartfelt and emotionally compelling. It's a love story, sometimes naive, but always sincere. Yes, it's sentimental, but in a good way. If War Horse will be among that stylistic line, I'll be happy.

[publicist 4,643]

I do believe Always is indeed heartfelt and emotionally compelling. It's a love story, sometimes naive, but always sincere. Yes, it's sentimental, but in a good way. If War Horse will be among that stylistic line, I'll be happy.

Emotionally compelling? A contemporary romance pretending to be about real people but treating them like waxworks out of a cliched 40's movie, complete with angels and love at first sight? What kind of 'sincerity' does a film like ALWAYS represent?

Maurizio, as much as i love you , but it just pains me too much that a basically silly Spielberg film bathed in ideologies seldom found outside phony Hollywood fantasies is described as if it were entertainment for adults.

[TownerFan 4,983]

I love you too, don't worry

You know, I think that's where the subjectivity line is crossed--I find the depiction of the love between the two main characters lovely and heartfelt. Also, the grief and the pain for the loved one that's not physically here anymore are treated with grace. Sure, it's not Dreyer or Bergman, not by a long shot, but Spielberg always acts inside the canons of Hollywood's classic storytelling and that's how I see this movie, which in this case means going straight to the melodrama. The film doesn't pretend to be dead serious or realistic (heck, the main character is a ghost!), but the emotions which conveys are real, at least for me.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I'm not really surprised with the critics. John Williams does tend to miss more picture-music marriages than a lot of composers in the same ballpark , especially in the 2000s.

The music is great, but you can tell he was thinking all music and no picture.

And if you can't see that you're probably too busy masturbating to the music to notice. And that's OK.

I think one of the best examples of Williams "missing" the scene is Hagrid's arrival in HP:SS.

The family is creeped out, the aunt and uncle are coming down the stairs slowly and carefully. And John is off in his own world scoring a damn chase scene. There's oodles and oodles of this kind of thing in his filmography. Especially in the last decade or two.

[indy4 155]

Well, I hope he keeps focusing on the music. That's the most important part.

I think the worst spotted scene from a JW film is this scene from E.T.:

No music would have amped up the tension a ton.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I think that the E.T. scene you posted is a little more subjective. I heartily agree that no music would escalate the tension. It's one of those "don't breathe!" moments but I think you could argue in favor of the music. The music at least...matches the scene in tone.

The HP SS scene on the other hand...it's just blatantly wrong.

[indy4 155]

I agree that parts of the HP scene you posted are inappropriate, especially the shot where the Dursleys are slowly walking down the stairs. But other parts work, like everything after the door is broken down.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

What's wrong with you guys? E.T.'s scene is perfect and in Potter's case in the beginning the music perfectly

conforms the panic & chaos and then goes silent when Hagrid comes in.

[publicist 4,643]

What's wrong with you guys? E.T.'s scene is perfect and in Potter's case in the beginning the music perfectly

conforms the panic & chaos and then goes silent when Hagrid comes in.

In Potter's case, it sounds like a bloody opera house nearby is playing a particularly violent rape of Strawinsky's FIREBIRDS. It's a piece that no composer outside of JW would have survived because of its indulgence.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

Unsinn!!!

Maybe there was a bloody opera house nearby playing some Igor, it's after all magical and wondrous world we are talking about here..

btw its funny you found some "badly scored" moments from Potter since the whole movie itself is quite meh..

Only good thing the Potter franchise brought to us is one good and one brilliant musical score.

[publicist 4,643]

The supreme mediocre-ness of the first movie finds a potent partner-in-crime in Williams' music. It's for sure not his most shining hour in film music, the hummable themes aside.

But i doubt that WAR HORSE has the same problems. There's probably just too much too early on.

[King Mark 3,631]

I'm sure 99% of the MB disagrees with you

HPSS is in most people's top 10 Williams scores

[indy4 155]

Yeah, Sorcerer's Stone is great. And it's no less restrained than Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones, etc.

[publicist 4,643]

And it's no less restrained than Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones, etc.

That much is certain. And it's not especially good film music, as it drowns the movie with vengeance.

[Ricard 2,245]

Terrible film music indeed.

[TownerFan 4,983]

So we've come to the point that E.T., Star Wars and Harry Potter are examples of bad film music... This place is becoming more and more surreal.

[Brónach 1,302]

And it's no less restrained than Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones, etc.

That much is certain. And it's not especially good film music, as it drowns the movie with vengeance.

Nah. The problem is with the film and not with its music. It isn't up to it. It lacks the Potter quirkiness and evocation that the music has in spades.

[Ricard 2,245]

So we've come to the point that E.T., Star Wars and Harry Potter are examples of bad film music... This place is becoming more and more surreal.

Not the board, but some specific opinions. Mine was sarcastic of course.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I provided one specific example of how John misses the boat in SS.

I'm not sure how we jumped to Star Wars being bad film music from that.

[publicist 4,643]

Holy cows. People hold on to them.

[King Mark 3,631]

Well here's some more trashing of Williams score

http://collider.com/...61/#more-134061