Braveheart vs. Titanic - which score do you like the most?

[JTN 2,030]

BRAVEHEART.

 

 

 

titanic.

[Chen G. 3,949]

For the love of a princess is amazing.

[Richard Penna 3,694]

For the love... AINEC.

 

My Heart... has reached a level of saturation where I removed any tracks containing it from my Titanic playlist. I can't stand that damn thing any more.

[Edmilson 7,466]

Unpopular opinion: I don't care for My Heart Will Go On at all. Maybe because I first knew it from the cheesy Celine Dion song (she has infinitely better love songs - like this one), or maybe because Horner clearly structured the theme as a pop song that would receive a ultra cheesy song version, or maybe because the synth, Tony Hinnigan flute and vocals are just too corny for me. 

 

And that is unfortunate because otherwise Titanic has some stunning themes that are extremely underrated because they all live in My Heart's shadow.

 

For the Heart of a Princess had its impact somewhat diminished over the years due to Horner reusing it on stuff like Bobby Jones: Stroke of a Genius. But it's still a GREAT theme, at the same time sweeping, epic and tragic. 

 

This for example has got to be one of the best cues Horner ever wrote:

 

 

Either way, both of these themes have become so iconic, so "evergreen" and played to death, that I may prefer other Horner love themes. 

 

Like the one from A Beautiful Mind:

 

 

Or The New World:

 

 

[Bespin 8,483]

I pretend to like them both equally!

[Richard Penna 3,694]

32 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Unpopular opinion: I don't care for My Heart Will Go On at all. Maybe because I first knew it from the cheesy Celine Dion song (she has infinitely better love songs - like this one), or maybe because Horner clearly structured the theme as a pop song that would receive a ultra cheesy song version, or maybe because the synth, Tony Hinnigan flute and vocals are just too corny for me. 

 

I don't think that's an unpopular opinion though. The melody is nice, if a bit generic, but it's the treatment and the completely OTT orchestration that do it in for me.

 

Tbh, my use of 'unpopular opinion' these days is to prewarn the reader that I'm going to take a balanced view of something and not just love or hate it unconditionally based on who composed it.

[Edmilson 7,466]

To be fair, I like the My Heart theme more when it is used in other settings, like the action variation during the sinking.

 

And it's not a complete bad theme either. The piano intro is nice and melancholic, and it works really well when the survivors are arriving in NY and Rose sees the Statue of Liberty. 

 

BTW, Titanic was on TV this last Sunday for, like, the millionth time. Both of my grandparents were watching like it was the first time they saw it, completely mesmerized, and they usually don't care for movies at all 

[Chen G. 3,949]

12 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Both of my grandparents were watching like it was the first time they saw it, completely mesmerized, and they usually don't care for movies at all

 

That right there is the power of James Cameron!

 

He makes movies for normies first and foremost! As well one should.

 

I think its strikingly dangerous for art to crawl up its own posterior.

[Schilkeman 964]

I think Braveheart is the better composition, but Titanic is more effective in the film.

 

I don't care for either movie, but uh, younger me was very interested in some scenes in Titanic.

[Thor 7,508]

Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" may have been overplayed over the years, but it doesn't take anything away from the brilliance of the composition in itself, i.e. the love theme as heard in the film proper. Same as Kamen's "Everything I Do, I Do It For You" -- the Adams song was overplayed on radio at the time, but taken in its original orchestral form, it's a superb love theme. Important to separate between the two, i.e. not draw a value judgement based on a composition's overexposure.

 

Love TITANIC as a film, btw, seen it probably 10-15 times, most recently a couple of weeks ago. Seen BRAVEHEART much less, probably 2-3 times, the last time many years ago. Still a great film, though, and slightly -- just slightly -- my favourite score of the two, as previously mentioned.

[Schilkeman 964]

My biggest problem with My Heart Will Go On is that it’s so lyrically vapid, and my word, do I hate unprepared modulations. It’s just a cheeseball song, and in no way tragic.

[Edmilson 7,466]

I'm pretty sure the Titanic love theme was very impactful when the movie came out. Actually, it still is! But that song was so extremely cheesy that, in my opinion, diminished its impact.

 

Which is why everytime I hear a Horner album I always skip the corny Will Jennings end credits song.

[owjow77 15]

3 hours ago, Edmilson said:

I'm pretty sure the Titanic love theme was very impactful when the movie came out. Actually, it still is! But that song was so extremely cheesy that, in my opinion, diminished its impact.

 

Which is why everytime I hear a Horner album I always skip the corny Will Jennings end credits song.

I wonder if "For the Love of a Princess" had been turned into a pop song, if Braveheart's score would be heard in a similar way to Titanic.

[Trope 527]

5 hours ago, Edmilson said:

I'm pretty sure the Titanic love theme was very impactful when the movie came out. Actually, it still is! But that song was so extremely cheesy that, in my opinion, diminished its impact.

 

Which is why everytime I hear a Horner album I always skip the corny Will Jennings end credits song.

This happened to me when I listened to The Mask of Zorro expansion! Now every time I hear an instrumental setting of the love theme from that score, I can’t help but hear the lyrics, “I want to spend my lifetime loving you.” 

[Chen G. 3,949]

8 hours ago, owjow77 said:

I wonder if "For the Love of a Princess" had been turned into a pop song, if Braveheart's score would be heard in a similar way to Titanic.

I think Braveheart is the greater score to the incomparably greater film (and I love Titanic), and while I think it’s also a great film to captivate normies, it was never ever going to be anything nearly as popular as Titanic and the song it spawned. Not ever.

[GerateWohl 4,370]

8 hours ago, Trope said:

This happened to me when I listened to The Mask of Zorro expansion! Now every time I hear an instrumental setting of the love theme from that score, I can’t help but hear the lyrics, “I want to spend my lifetime loving you.” 

“I want to spend my lifetime loving you” is a good example for a fine instrumental theme not necessarily being a good song melody. Same as "For Always" from A.I. Yes, it gets stuck in your head, but it is kind of an annoying experience.

 

"My Heart Will Go On" on the other hand works perfectly as a song.

[owjow77 15]

11 hours ago, Chen G. said:

I think Braveheart is the greater score to the incomparably greater film (and I love Titanic), and while I think it’s also a great film to captivate normies, it was never ever going to be anything nearly as popular as Titanic and the song it spawned. Not ever.

I agree it's the greater score. I was in Scotland recently on vacation and I played the score on loop the entire trip and it's amazing how much the music reflects the visual mood of the country.