Hands and Horner

Rating: Null/10 (28 March 2001)

I feel that I do not have many new things to add to the great number of reviews that have been posted, however I do feel that there are two things in the film that do not receive enough attention. These are the music score and the love scene.
I am surprised that no one has mentioned James Horner's score which was borrowed from John Williams's "Schindler's List". The melody is essentially the same with the exception of the few notes in the end. Is it the composer's intention to evoke images of Spielberg's film?
As for the love scene, I do believe that if it was really meant to happen (amidst the lice infected clothes and the stink and sweat of the bodies not having been washed for weeks), it was conveyed in a fairly realistic way. Certainly, we would not expect the players to get fully undressed, and roll around passionately, groaning and screaming in the middle of the war devistated Stalingrad. I think the role of the hand (while typical in life), does not get due credit in the movies, and its use here brings to the scene the proper tenderness and authenticity. The execution of the scene is very proper, in that it reaches an end, and thus brings to the viewer a sense of completeness.