what music!

Rating: 10/10 (14 June 1999)

I echo all the above about the story and the directing, but would like to comment more specifically about the musical effort at the core of the film.
This is a great achievement, and the first true "musical" I've seen in years that really works for me. The score is magnificent. Watching Altered States and this back to back reveals the tremendous range this composer is capable of delivering, and points to the fact that despite Corigliano's status as a legit composer, he really makes a great job of *scoring* this picture. Unlike Copland's Red Pony, or Thomson's "The Plow that Broke The Plains" (where it often seems the picture is there to serve the music rather than the right way around)this is the rare case where a great classical guy actually understands underscoring. Girard and Corigliano did an incredible spotting job. And as for the orchestrations and overall composition, the bar has been raised. Goldsmith and Williams and Horner have some serious competition from this fellow.