I hadn't seen this in years. I hadn't remembered the music soundtrack. It was wonderful in and of itself. Almost Copland-ish in spots. Loved it. But, maybe it was the sound mix- it seemed very intrusive. Not at all like it was part of the whole.
As a composer myself, I know that the music is supposed to serve the action, not call extreme attention to itself. There are exceptions, but this wasn't one of them. Made the movie somehow seem disjunct to me.
Couldn't agree more... The score in this film is whimsical and over the top, which is absolutely unnecessary to serve the story (What was it with those 80's synth stabs every time we see the Raggedy Man??) Some of the more subdued string parts work fine,as in those during the intruder sequence towards the end. But all in all, Jerry Goldsmith was clearly a bad choice. A simple acoustic score, perhaps similar to that of Hud or the Hired Hand, would have worked nicely.
shareAs a composer myself, I know that the music is supposed to serve the action, not call extreme attention to itself. There are exceptions, but this wasn't one of them.
If only the parties responsible for the score of the latest version of "The Great Gatsby" were as sensible as you!