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Artwork copyright (c) 1982 The Walt
Disney Company; review copyright (c) 2003 James Southall
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NIGHT CROSSING Bold,
thrilling action score
Few people remember Night Crossing nowadays. It was a 1982
live-action Disney film about an attempted escape over the Berlin Wall in a hot
air balloon. Unusual, perhaps, but a true story, directed by Delbert Mann
and starring John Hurt. Mann turned to Jerry Goldsmith for the
music. Goldsmith was going through one of the richest and most rewarding
periods in his career at the time, living up to his name by crafting gold with
everything he did. I've often read people saying that the score is like a follow-up to Capricorn
One, but I would disagree. It opens with an almost identical
percussive figure but afterwards is very different, with the older score's
slightly abrasive, lean textures replaced by full-bodied orchestral magic from
start to finish. I'm not sure exactly which other Goldsmith scores I would
compare it with - possibly a slightly more grown-up version of The Secret of
NIMH. The main theme is propulsive and thrilling. There are several excellent
secondary themes too, notably an accordion theme first heard in "The
Picnic", in which Goldsmith deftly combines the creation of a sense of
place with real dramatic underscore; there's also a "flying" theme, a
truly rapturous piece heard fully in "First Flight" and "Final
Flight". Those two cues are the highlights of the score; James Horner
fans should check out "First Flight" to find out where he found some
of his best material in Star Trek II; and everyone else should check it
out because it's ten-minutes of pure, Goldsmith bliss. The film is forgotten, but the score lives on. Unfortunately, despite
being one of Goldsmith's best efforts, it's fairly difficult to come by.
Intrada have released it twice, most recently in 1994 when the expanded their
original album; you might still be able to find a copy at their website.
No Goldsmith fan can go wrong with it. Tracks
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