This is another entry in my Complete Score Breakdown Series, focusing on the complete scores to films that have had abbreviated previous releases or have gone unreleased.
Today we are looking at Thunderheart (1992) by James Horner.
James Horner’s atmospheric and dark synth score for 1992’s Thunderheart is an effective low-key thriller score that gets the job done with a minimalist approach, the score taking a largely background role in the larger canvas of the film’s presence. A wide array of ethnic flutes, percussion, rattlers, shakers, and vocals combine with deep rumbling pianos, chiming bells and various synths to create a very palpable sonic character for the reservation and events depicted in the film. Horner’s (or the director’s) instincts were well-served in the final product as the music worked quite brilliantly, never becoming too obtrusive but still adding enough emotion and excitement when necessary. Horner’s trademark delicate tinkling piano’s in particular were a wonderful touch in representing the sensitivity of the Oglala Sioux nation.
The original CD runtime came in under 44 minutes, while the score as it appeared in the film ran over 54 minutes, resulting in around 10 and ½ minutes of unreleased music. Not a lot to get terribly excited about, really…a lot of it is pretty similar to the material represented on CD. One unreleased cue (“Disrupted Ceremony”) is virtually the same as a CD track (“Medicine Man”) except for some added low-end piano and a few cues are extremely short (0:18, 0:19, 0:31). There are a few unreleased tracks from the second half of the film that I wouldn’t mind having but nothing that is essential missing Horner. The one moment I lament the most, however, is the opening segment of the cue “This Land Is Not for Sale / End Credits” in the film features Native American vocals, tinkling synths and a few layers of percussion, while none of those elements are featured on the CD track. Those factors only play out for a minute or two and the rest of the 8+ minutes are the same so it’s not really an “alternate film version” per se, but it would be nice to hear some day.
CURRENT CD RELEASE RUNTIME: 43min 55sec COMPLETE SCORE RUNTIME: 54min 35sec
UNRELEASED SCORE RUNTIME: 10min 40sec
Complete Score Cue Titles and Cue Times (unreleased cues named by me for the sake of identification):
+ – previously unreleased (or includes previously unreleased material)
1. Main Title (2:07) 2. Airport Heritage (0:31) + 3. The Oglala Sioux (2:31) 4. Proud Nation (1:52) 5. Disrupted Ceremony (1:20) + 6. Jimmy’s Escape (3:25) 7. Evidence (1:20) 8. Blurred Vision (0:18) + 9. Checkout Time (0:31) + 10. Medicine Man (0:53) 11. First Vision (1:06) 12. The Goons (2:27) 13. Ghost Dance (3:05) 14. Roadblock (0:48) + 15. Graveyard Dream (0:19) + 16. Federal Issue (1:36) + 17. My People / Wounded Knee (4:41) 18. Necessary Death, Unbreakable Spirit (1:38) + 19. Thunder Heart (5:20) 20. Richard Revealed (1:28) + 21. Red Deer Table (2:15) + 22. Maggie (0:55) + 23. Run for the Stronghold (5:34) 24. This Land Is Not for Sale / End Credits (8:25) – (features added layers of percussion, Native American vocals, and tinkling synths during the first minute not found on CD track)
Current CD Release Track Titles and Track Times:
1. Main Title (2:14) 2. The Oglala Sioux (2:38) 3. Jimmy’s Escape (3:34) 4. Proud Nation (1:58) 5. Evidence (1:40) 6. First Vision (1:16) 7. Ghost Dance (3:16) 8. The Goons (2:36) 9. Medicine Man (1:02) 10. My People / Wounded Knee (4:30) 11. Thunderheart (5:26) 12. Run for the Stronghold (5:24) 13. The Land Is Not for Sale / End Credits (8:25)
Are you purposely finding the worst Horner scores to profile? Or are you just doing every single one? There are some effective moments in the score in the film (mostly that "Main Title" cue), but it sounds like all they could afford was a shakuhachi and a yard sale keyboard. Part of me has this image of Horner hoarding his music budget like some cheapskate, when just a few years later, he'd be filthy rich.
But, now that we're talking about it, even though most of it is unlistenable, now I want to listen to it again. That pitch-bend drone thing he used to do all the time gets a real workout in this one.
Thank you for the breakdown. This is one of the all-time favorite scores. I always find it an amazing listening experience. It puts me in a great space. I'm playing "The Sweat Lodge" from Return of a Man Called Horse right after Thunderheart. I also love Gorky Park and When the River Runs Black. I need more Horner like these.
Do you like (or have you heard) Horner's Vibes or The Name of the Rose? Based on the other Horner scores you mentioned, I would think you would like those, and I agree, they are terrific pieces that put you in a very specific space that is very unique and really kind of special if you're in the right mood.
Exactly. My first reaction is WTF, do we need to learn more about this score, but now I'm in the mood for this shit.... I'd rather hear uninspired Horner on a keyboard than uninspired Horner with a 90-piece orchestra.
Yeah. The small ensemble/ synth he used around the early 90's gave those films real gravitas. Even Unlawful entry. They're dead serious and it really adds to the sense of danger, for me anyways.
Top Horner? Thunderheart, though? We all have different taste, but I always assumed it was a throwaway among his filmography. Top 5:
1. Sneakers 2. The Man Without A Face 3. Glory 4. Field Of Dreams 5. Brainstorm
I like a great many of his scores from pre-1998, but of his synth scores, it's a track-by-track thing. The MT from Unlawful Entry and "The Hit" from Patriot Games are two of my favorite mostly-synth cues of his.
Most of those Horner's aren't from 1993 Shaun...sure you don't wanna rejig that list?
Haha, I know, it was really hard to cut Bobby Fischer, but I like The Man Without A Face as a whole (after the Sneakers lift in "Flying," those strings are just great).
Of course depending on my mood the top five does tend to shift, so stuff like Krull and The Rocketeer tend to work their way in there fairly often too.
Of course depending on my mood the top five does tend to shift, so stuff like Krull and The Rocketeer tend to work their way in there fairly often too.
Gorky Park is definitely my favorite of the scores that all sound like that, and is right up there with my favorites to listen to for fun. Balto has that great Clear And Present Danger/Apollo 13 theme, but I barely remember any of it otherwise.
I've always really liked this score. I wanted it as soon as I walked out of the movie theater. I remember looking everywhere for it, and not being able to find it. It was several years later when I finally found it at a Best Buy. James Horner is one of my favorite composers, but I think one of the things I like most about this score is that it's the most unlike Horner stylistically. You don't automatically think, "This sounds like Horner." I also really like the Native American sound of it. I think it worked perfectly in the film, which I really enjoyed, as well. Maybe that's why I like the score so much.
On another note, I can't believe neither one of y'all have Braveheart in your top 5 Horner scores. I would put that number 1 and Sneakers number 2.
I've always really liked this score. I wanted it as soon as I walked out of the movie theater. I remember looking everywhere for it, and not being able to find it. It was several years later when I finally found it at a Best Buy. James Horner is one of my favorite composers, but I think one of the things I like most about this score is that it's the most unlike Horner stylistically. You don't automatically think, "This sounds like Horner." I also really like the Native American sound of it. I think it worked perfectly in the film, which I really enjoyed, as well. Maybe that's why I like the score so much.
On another note, I can't believe neither one of y'all have Braveheart in your top 5 Horner scores. I would put that number 1 and Sneakers number 2.
Yeah, Braveheart is right up there, too. I probably could have swapped Brainstorm out with it.
