The Book Thief (2013) - New Williams film score!

[crocodile 8,539]

Any more interesting music in the film?

Karol

[King Mark 3,729]

The rest of the score is more subdued, and I don't think there's any unreleased music

[Not Mr. Big 4,739]

I just come back from seeing the film, and my appreciation of this score has changed

Say what you may about this movie, it does have some overlong and boring moments, BUT the last 10 minutes hit me like a freight train and made me an emotional wreck. One of the saddest movie endings almost to the level of E.T. . The last 3 Williams cue that play in the film are Visitor on Himmel Street, Rudy is Taken and Finale, and let me tell you JW hasn't been this directly effective in long time.

Now Williams has been accused of pushing emotions in the past especially with War Horse. Since I find it hard to get worked up over a horse, I understand why some may say the score felt overdone. But since in this movie it actually does work, I think he might actually have a chance come award time

I disagree with you about the ending. For me it might be one of the least emotional "emotional endings" I've seen.

[King Mark 3,729]

Yeah, I figure it could go either way to some people. Seems what I'm reading in the reviews

But in this case the film really affected me, where War Horse didn't. But yet on album it's the opposite and War Horse is better

[Once 691]

From Conrad Pope's facebook:

FINALLY--- I've had time to listen to John Williams' score to "The Book Thief"( much driving to and fro these past couple of days). What a breath of fresh air!!! The phrases so elegant, the harmonies so rich, his orchestration and voicings so clear, the emotion of the music so perfect. Their is no greater master of the vocabulary of music, and no more eloquent musical dramatist. It's a privilege to hear and experience the work of such a generous composer! John, the elder statesman of film music, remains its most dynamic, innovative--- indeed youthful--- mind and talent. Bravo on all counts! His music makes me happy I'm a musician.

[King Mark 3,729]

That's what you'd expect him to say though

[crocodile 8,539]

But in this case the film really affected me, where War Horse didn't. But yet on album it's the opposite and War Horse is better

Well, in all honesty, the two have very little in common. War Horse is the old 40's Hollywood score, The Book Thief is more European in feel.

Karol

[Muad'Dib 1,871]

That's what you'd expect him to say though

[Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,260]

Seems like poor Conrad can't say anything without it being written off as what we'd "expect" him to say.

[Incanus 5,816]

Seems like poor Conrad can't say anything without it being written off as what we'd "expect" him to say.

Poor man! I guess it it unfathomable that he has deep respect and love for Maestro Williams' music and he is not just saying such things because he has an association with the composer in someway and is obliged to praise him.

[Nemesis 254]

I nice statement by Pope. Good to see there are others who like the music from "The Book Thief"!

[King Mark 3,729]

The Train Station is another cue you notice in the film. It seemed more bombastic in the film...could it be an alternate?

[A24 4,584]

You just came here to advertise The Denotation of Smug, didn't you?

Yes, why does he do that? I really thought I was safe here.

[BloodBoal 7,541]

Nowhere is safe.

[publicist 4,647]

Seems like poor Conrad can't say anything without it being written off as what we'd "expect" him to say.

Poor man! I guess it it unfathomable that he has deep respect and love for Maestro Williams' music and he is not just saying such things because he has an association with the composer in someway and is obliged to praise him.

"Innovative"? That was the part where eyebrows started to twitch uncontrollably.

[Joni Wiljami 1,212]

I just come back from seeing the film, and my appreciation of this score has changed

Say what you may about this movie, it does have some overlong and boring moments, BUT the last 10 minutes hit me like a freight train and made me an emotional wreck. One of the saddest movie endings almost to the level of E.T. . The last 3 Williams cue that play in the film are Visitor on Himmel Street, Rudy is Taken and Finale, and let me tell you JW hasn't been this directly effective in long time.

Now Williams has been accused of pushing emotions in the past especially with War Horse. Since I find it hard to get worked up over a horse, I understand why some may say the score felt overdone. But since in this movie it actually does work, I think he might actually have a chance come award time

I believe in King M.

Not nesessarily going to the cinema to see the film but certainly lovely moments ahead with the Blu-Ray later.

"Innovative"? That was the part where eyebrows started to twitch uncontrollably.

"Innovative" would be one of my first adjectives to describe to this score.

[King Mark 3,729]

I just come back from seeing the film, and my appreciation of this score has changed

Say what you may about this movie, it does have some overlong and boring moments, BUT the last 10 minutes hit me like a freight train and made me an emotional wreck. One of the saddest movie endings almost to the level of E.T. . The last 3 Williams cue that play in the film are Visitor on Himmel Street, Rudy is Taken and Finale, and let me tell you JW hasn't been this directly effective in long time.

Now Williams has been accused of pushing emotions in the past especially with War Horse. Since I find it hard to get worked up over a horse, I understand why some may say the score felt overdone. But since in this movie it actually does work, I think he might actually have a chance come award time

I disagree with you about the ending. For me it might be one of the least emotional "emotional endings" I've seen.

Really ,you didn't feel ANYTHING when

they pull Liesel out of the rubble , her whole family is dead then Rudy dies too (with the sad Williams cues playing on top of that). And Visitor on Himmel Street is actually when you see the bombs dropping, only Williams can come up with cues like this

[Not Mr. Big 4,739]

There wasn't enough time to get to know the characters. They all seemed pretty two-dimensional.

[King Mark 3,729]

it's amazing that only about 3 people at JWfan saw this movie

[Joni Wiljami 1,212]

heh heh, and attleast 60 of them will see the Smaug, which will be really mediocre(music wise) according to the samples.

But don't worry, so was the first Hobbit, except the stuff from the original trilogy...

[Koray Savas 2,254]

it's amazing that only about 3 people at JWfan saw this movie

Why? Are there really people who would go see a movie just because of the music?

[King Mark 3,729]

If it's by JW I would expect most people on this site to go see it

[Jay 39,587]

I saw it last weekend with my girlfriend and her mother!

I thought it was OK. It was certainly an interesting idea for a story - an interesting time and location, and it had characters you cared for. But something about it kept it from being great. It almost felt like it was trying very, very hard to be Steven Spielberg-y. Like it didn't have it's own identity.

The child actors were all really great, though! And of course Geoffrey Rush is always wonderful.

I've only listened to the score CD twice so couldn't possibly make any comment on released or unreleased music in the film, but there was for sure nothing that stood out to me as anything major I hadn't heard before. A lot of the film is unscored, I wonder if some of the tracks on the OST actually are stuff written just for the CD... who knows.

[King Mark 3,729]

So you didn't think the end was sad?

[Jay 39,587]

I had lost my investment with the characters by then I guess. I mean it was sad, but it's not anything I've been thinking about since.

What REALLY annoyed me about the film was the AWFUL PRODUCT PLACEMENT In the final scene. I couldn't believe the camera lingered on the APPLE COMPUTER like that! WTF?

[crocodile 8,539]

What do you think of the score as heard in the film, Jason?

Karol

[Jay 39,587]

To be honest I did not notice it all that much. Which is typical for me - the first time I see a movie, I am taking it all in, especially the story and characters. I am not sitting there with one ear on the score, trying to notice released vs unreleased music, or even which theme is playing for what reason. I do that on subsequent viewings when I already know the film.

So all that said, I thought the score was spotted fine - it's definitely not a film with a wall to wall score, which was the right choice - and I don't think Williams ever overscored or underscored a scene, from what I can remember. I remember the music from the beginning more - I really liked what Williams did with some of the aerial shots in the beginning, with the camera moving through clouds and stuff.

That's about all I have to offer.....

[Incanus 5,816]

Well I have to wait for a month or more to see the film as it opens here mid-January. I'll post some commentary then. By that time I can guarantee I'll have the album memorized by heart.

[King Mark 3,729]

if there's unreleased music can only be some 30 second segments here and there. I recall a short "foot race" type of cue that didn't sound like the album

[crocodile 8,539]

Well I have to wait for a month or more to see the film as it opens here mid-January. I'll post some commentary then. By that time I can guarantee I'll have the album memorized by heart.

You had a whole month already! Lazy bastard!

Karol

[Incanus 5,816]

Well I have to wait for a month or more to see the film as it opens here mid-January. I'll post some commentary then. By that time I can guarantee I'll have the album memorized by heart.

You had a whole month already! Lazy bastard!

Karol

I will have it memorized more by heart then!

[Smeltington 1,583]

I finally saw the film last night, and liked it a good deal better than I expected. Excellent acting by everyone, and with the right amount of nuance and understatement, with Max being the only character that brought some of the heavy-handedness I had expected from the whole movie. There were quite a few gorgeous shots in the film, especially in the opening and some of the shots of the village. I thought the score worked extremely well in the film, and got plenty of breathing room in a mix that was often comprised only of dialogue and faint, ambient sound effects. The film managed to feel stark, yet found a sense of warmth that pervaded every scene, and Williams captured this feel perfectly. He was canny regarding when the score needed to call a little attention to itself, and when it needed to work on a more subconscious level. I'm excited to listen to the CD again now with the context of the music in mind.

There were a few little moments took me out of the film, like the scene that intercut Rudy running on a track with TV footage of a real track race. Then, like Jason pointed out, there was the really jarring product placement at the end. They also threw in a line that I'm tired of hearing in movies: "...because that's what people do." The lamest reason for doing anything, and such a huge cliche it took me out of the movie.

The whole thing also didn't quite have the right flow to it, with some of the plot threads receiving little to no resolution or impact on the story as a whole.

For instance, Rush's character goes off to war, then quickly comes home again, without any of the characters being affected apart from briefly missing him while he's gone. Also, as much as I liked Death as the narrator, the concept of death was simply not integral to the story. All the deaths in the film occurred en masse at the end, where the impact was barely felt, as we didn't spend much time with the remaining characters afterward, and quickly proceeded instead to the happy epilogue.

Still, ultimately, I ended up being glad I saw the Book Thief, after having expected to only enjoy the score.

[Jay 39,587]

Yea, it's always nice seeing a Williams scored movie on the big screen!

I still regret not seeing Geisha in the theater, as it's the only Williams scored move from The Patriot onward I didn't see on the big screen :-(

[Smeltington 1,583]

It was great hearing the opening notes of the Book Thief score in the theater before anything else came onscreen!

Too bad you missed Geisha, although it wasn't a movie that resonated with me anyway. I've barely thought about it since, apart from the music. But I know how it feels, being a completist I went to see all of the Williams-scored films after The Patriot. Haven't seen that one. It helps that they've mostly been Star Wars, HP, or Spielberg films, meaning I wanted to see them all anyway.

[crocodile 8,539]

Too bad, because his music got the best mix in recent memory. John Williams takes over the film.

Karol - talking about Geisha.

[Incanus 5,816]

Too bad, because his music got the best mix in recent memory. John Williams takes over the film.

Karol - talking about Geisha.

Yes and the score works wonders for the whole atmosphere and feel of the film. It gets to complement and play off some gorgeous visuals as well.

[Ricard 2,270]

What REALLY annoyed me about the film was the AWFUL PRODUCT PLACEMENT In the final scene. I couldn't believe the camera lingered on the APPLE COMPUTER like that! WTF?

Would you have found it so annoying if they had shown a GOOGLE product instead?

[Jay 39,587]

Yes, absolutely. Modern technology had no place being in this film, it was awful, a terrible idea.

[Joe Brausam 221]

I agree. Even as an admitted Apple fanboy, it was jarring to see and wasn't needed.

[Jay 39,587]

I'm sure they needed the product placement money from Apple to make the movie happen, but someone should have thought about the artistic integrity of including a modern tech company's logo in a Holocaust film.

[crocodile 8,539]

Unless it's IBM, of course.

Karol

[indy4 155]

I liked the Apple computer. The rest of the movie feels like it's happening in another world, so it's interesting to see something so ordinary in the end. Makes you much more cognisant of time, history, etc.

[Joe Brausam 221]

By the end of the film she'd be at an age where having the latest iMac computer in her apartment doesn't really make much sense, even if the character became a writer or something.

[Koray Savas 2,254]

I haven't seen the film but Apple products are everywhere. What would be the difference if the laptop had the logo or not? There's a scene in To The Wonder where Kurylenko's character is video chatting with her daughter on a MacBook Pro. Is that an issue too?

[King Mark 3,729]

I didn't notice the Mac computer

[Joe Brausam 221]

It was just a jarring experience in this type of film in particular.

[Mari 279]

Here's a new LA Times article on film scoring: Composers help tell the story and set the scene

John Williams ('The Book Thief'), Steven Price ('Gravity'), Hans Zimmer ('12 Years a Slave') and Thomas Newman ('Saving Mr. Banks') discuss their work.

It's labeled Oscars 2014, so it seems they are anticipating JW receiving another nomination.

[Jay 39,587]

I haven't seen the film but Apple products are everywhere. What would be the difference if the laptop had the logo or not? There's a scene in To The Wonder where Kurylenko's character is video chatting with her daughter on a MacBook Pro. Is that an issue too?

Koray. This is a Holocaust film set in the 1940s. Are you even being serious right now?

[Koray Savas 2,254]

Yes, as I assume the scene in question doesn't take place during the Holocaust, yes? Guess what, a whole studio and slew of filmmakers just used the Holocaust for profit! Crazy, right?

[Jay 39,587]