Movie Wave Home
Reviews by Title | Reviews by Composer

A review by JAMES SOUTHALL

This underrated John McTiernan eco-movie starring Sean Connery and Lorraine Bracco about a scientist working for a drug company in the Amazon rainforest, trying to find a cure for cancer, is actually very entertaining and great to look at.  Jerry Goldsmith's score is one of his most popular of the period, and not without reason - it's florid, descriptive, perfect at creating an atmosphere and wonderfully melodic, featuring several very strong themes.  (Goldsmith often recounts the story that when he met Connery while working on The Russia House, just after he'd grown his pony-tail, Connery said "Jerry, I want your hair!" - and then he got it, for Medicine Man - Goldsmith even receives an amusing "hair consultant" credit.)

Goldsmith does a first-class job of integrating synthesised sounds into his orchestra, from water droplet-like effects to full-blown synthesised pan pipes and other South American-style sounds.  It may not sound much written down, but it sounds terrific on your stereo.  The opening theme, "Rae's Arrival", is a wonderfully catchy piece for guitar, string orchestra and synths that's like an upbeat distant cousin of Under Fire.  The main romantic theme is introduced in "The Trees" and is truly outstanding, one of the most beautiful that Goldsmith's ever written, capturing (in a purely symphonic idiom) the wonder and beauty of the rainforest.  Cropping up a few times through the score, it always makes the listener sit up and take notice; I'm very surprised that Goldsmith has never performed it in concert or included it on a compilation, because it's a really crowd-pleasing tune.  There is also a darker "action" theme, heard in "Mocara" and elsewhere, representing the evil developers ripping the jungle apart, but still remaining melodic and making for good listening.  There are also several other shorter themes or motifs that crop up in various places.  Everything then comes together in the eight-minute finale "A Meal and a Bath", summarising all of the main themes.

Overall this is one of Goldsmith's strongest and most consistently-satisfying albums of the 1990s.  Full of melodic invention and the kind of florid orchestration that he used during his golden years of the late 1970s and early 80s, it is a highly-attractive and entertaining score.  Goldsmith fans shouldn't miss out.

Buy this CD from amazon.com by clicking here!

Tracks

1. Rae's Arrival (5:06)
2. First Morning (3:46)
3. Campbell and the Children (1:57)
4. The Trees (6:01)
5. The Harvest (3:11)
6. Mocara (3:36)
7. Mountain High (2:41)
8. Without a Net (4:19)
9. Finger Painting (2:30)
10. What's Wrong? (1:52)
11. The Injection (2:09)
12. The Sugar (2:08)
13. The Fire (2:10)
14. A Meal and a Bath (8:03)