James Newton Howard concludes 2006 with an excellent piece of work with "Blood Diamond."  The film, tagged as an action movie with a message, is set in Sierra Leone and offered a fine scoring opportunity for the composer.  This wasn't another throwaway, forgettable type of film such as "Freedomland."  Unfortunately, a lot of movies these days fall into that mode and tend to draw the composers with them.  Especially with the veteran composers, I notice that they tend to provide serviceable material for a film when the movie is less than inspired   The end result for those of us who listen to the soundtracks usually net a CD release that is hardly memorable and offer simply a tease of what we like best about the composer.  "Blood Diamond" avoids this curse, fortunately enough.

 

The music is entertaining.  Howard utilizes the pulse of the setting by incorporating several african influences within the score.  Most of this is subtle and by that I mean it doesn't try to draw attention to itself, rather it is seamlessly blended within the music itself.  When these elements surface the score as its best, most emotional moments.  "Blood Diamond" delivers music that actually stirs a bit of a response and that's fantastic to hear. 

 

While this is also an action film as well as a topical one, Howard delivers on this front too.  The bursts of excitement really add a charge to the score and add a sense of danger to the music.  While I do think Howard is among the best as far as delivering main themes for film, I've always enjoyed it when his music unleashes its aggressive side, offering driving, exciting cues that strike up the intensity.  This soundtrack is certainly not a free-for-all in those respects, but there is enough action music to satisfy one's thirst for it.

 

Perhaps what strikes me as the most impressive takeaway from this soundtrack is the depth of emotion in it. There are moments in the score in which the soloist's voice actually resonates with pain yet conversely, there are also moments in which the tide of hope swell up and provide music that is uplifting. That's the mark of balance right there. While some may deem the orchestral parts of this soundtrack to be basic, I think the simplicity on the surface is deceiving. If you watch the film, Howard's music adds the perfect touch and every cue seemed to fit in on target.

 

James Newton Howard continues to deliver dramatic, memorable efforts when he is given the opportunity to do so. Granted, he seems to be established enough to hand pick his film scoring assignments, but one never knows how a motion picture will turn out until the final print.  Thankfully, "Blood Diamond" captured the appropriate balance between storytelling and drama and the score is evidence of that.  This one is certainly deserves a solid recommendation.

 

Final Score: "Blood Diamond" offers up vintage James Newton Howard with music full of emotional scope and cultural texture. It's a well executed score that is deserving of a listen