Harvey milk biography movie soundtrack
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Although many people nowadays will not know his name, Harvey Milk remains a hugely important figure in American political history. As the first ever openly gay man ever elected to public office in the United States, Milk served one term as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the late 1970s, and was responsible for passing a stringent gay rights ordinance for the city, before being assassinated by fellow city supervisor Dan White in November 1978. Having already been the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, ‘The Times of Harvey Milk’, in 1984, director Gus Van Sant’s new film charts the life and death of a man who has since been labeled ‘a martyr for gay rights’ in dramatic narrative; the film stars Sean Penn as Milk, Josh Brolin as White, and features Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna and James Franco in supporting roles.
Milk is Danny Elfman’s fourth collaboration with Gus Van Sant, after To Die For, Psycho and Good Will Hunting, and the second of these to result in an Oscar nomination for the erstwhile composer. As one might expect, Elfman’s score portrays Milk as a noble, tragic figure in American political history, but thankfully stops short of all-out deification, instead recognizing the flawed, uncertain, human side of Milk’s character, while still acknowledging the hugely important legacy he created for the accession of gay rights in California.
Anyone who has experienced the development of Danny Elfman’s musical style over the years will understand what I mean when I say that Milk falls most assuredly into the ‘modern’ end of his writing. Gone are the days of big, dramatic themes and beautifully icy orchestrations; the new Elfman is closer in tone and style to Philip Glass than his old self, and as such Milk follows that style, relying heavily on repeated note clusters, undulating rhythmic elements, and a generally introspective tone, albeit one which is augmented by a number of prominent solo instrume 1985 compilation album by Mark Isham Film Music (1985) is an album originally released on vinyl by the Americantrumpeter and synthesizer player, Mark Isham. It consists of extended tracks from the soundtracks of three films. The first track is from the soundtrack of the film Mrs. Soffel (1984). The second track is from the documentary The Times of Harvey Milk. This film won the 1984 Academy Award for best documentary. The material of the third track is from the Carroll Ballard film, Never Cry Wolf (1983). Like Isham’s previous album, Vapor Drawings (1983), the material on this is deeply atmospheric and emphasizes the use of synthesizers often blended with acoustic instruments. Of the three films represented, Isham is only credited with performing trumpet on track two, "The Times of Harvey Milk". 2008 soundtrack album by Danny Elfman Milk (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2008 film of the same name, featuring musical score composed by Danny Elfman and a selection of contemporary pop hits. The album was released on November 18, 2008 through Decca Records to critical acclaim and received nominations at various ceremonies, including an Academy Award nomination. Michael G. Nastos, in his review for AllMusic gave three-and-a-half stars out of five to the album, and wrote "the pieces Elfman has composed bear a strong resemblance to that of the minimalist music of Philip Glass, at times in melancholy preludes to dramatic circumstance, and eventually victory. A reserved mood is held throughout the film, as if anticipation of these breakthrough events is tempered by the feeling that battle lines are being drawn, and there are huge obstacles to overcome under a hopeful horizon. Elfman's music is at once serene, a bit ominous, foreboding, and marginally triumphant." Thomas Glorieux of Maintitles.net commented "Milk is one of the many examples of musical scores that stands for what filmmusic is today. Lovely and well written, but not classic so that you won't remember it that easy after a week. It nonetheless made the year of Elfman complete, and it secured him back in the saddle once again. Milk is definitely one of the more appreciated works of the year 2008, and any fan wanting a little Elfman magic will find this lightly example pleasantly hidden in a carton of Milk." James Southall of Movie Wave commented "Milk is a really fine score from Elfman, certainly deserving of the plaudits it's attracted; and if he continues into 2009 in the kind of form he found himself during 2008, then we're in for a real treat." Music critic Jonathan Broxton wrote "It’s not a score which has big themes, or even especially big moments of emotional catharsis. It’s n .Film Music (album)
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Milk (soundtrack)
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