What if Mozart invented Techno music? How would it sound? That's sort of what minimalist music is like. 3 to 6 note motives played over and over again, on top of each other. It's based off of Eastern gamelon and sitar music, the western version. A product of the late 60's, of course. It's
designed to entrance the mind. A perfect choice for the movie.
I too love the epic hollywood battle scene music. Oftentimes involving self-sacrifce. Very moving. The soundtracks to Gladiator and LOTR are beyond compare. I'm a big fan of incidental movie/tv music, and in particular, battle music. I love battle music!
What struck me about those two tracks, though, was that they were not depicting battles in the ususal sense. James Horner, the composer, was attempting to depict the inner struggle of an ultra-genius mind.
Mind-Battle Music !!
Since you haven't seen it, here's a quick backdrop: John Nash was a perrenial class skipper. He wanted to matter; he didn't just want to be another person. He wanted to come up with a unique idea. He spent his four years at Princeton trying to come up with that idea for his senior thesis. When it came time to put the senior projects up for awards, Nash had nothing but his research--he hadn't hit upon the famous "Nash Equilibrium" yet. So he was denied consideration for the award.
The music depicts him *urgently* trying come up with his theory of governing dynamics before the award deadline--the significance of his existence is endangered! It is the perfect Natural Brilliance music. Horner is trying to capture the "mad genius" process in sound.
So, this is very much a battle of the mind. A mind battle. A Man versus Fate kind of thing. In his own mind, the world is resting on his shoulders. It's got that 'do or die' intensity of battle music, but ... instead, it is a...
Genius in the Trenches.
