Review
Director Dome Karukoski made this film from the perspective of Tolkien’s love of music, as he states in this interview. He specifically wanted to work with composer Thomas Newman because of Newman’s ability to create ethereal worlds with his music. If you felt underwater in Finding Nemo, on the run in Road to Perdition, or exhilarated at the finale of The Shawshank Redemption, you’ve felt Newman’s power. It’s no weaker in Tolkien, in fact, his ability to bridge Tolkien’s hard life and beautiful imagination with the score is flat-out masterful. The opening track “Dragons,” which Karukoski discusses here, hearkens to the innocence of childhood and the birth of stories in the mind. Newman also, at Karukoski’s enticing, uses a Finnish kantele, invented in the Finnish myth Tolkien loved, the Kalevala. It’s worth your time to hear this ancient instrument played in “‘A Good Man in the Dirt.’” The plucked harp fits perfectly with Newman’s usual piano, wind, and strings. I’ve always admired Newman’s ability to plumb the depths of the characters with his sparser notes – in his scores you’ll hear more piano and simple string melodies, accompanied by light percussion such as harps and triangles. Gorgeous pieces, and, as I’ve noted heretofore, he makes even intense moments work with otherwise beautiful sounds – just listen to “Black Rider.” Newman’s use of chorus in Tolkien goes a long way to add an Elven feel to the film, as noted here, including in my favorite track, which embodies the main theme of the film: “Fellowship.” If you’ve yet to listen to the score, don’t wait. The same goes for watching the movie; a skillful representation of the most formative moments in a great sub-creator’s life.
Review by the_strong_writer.