SOUNDTRACK REVIEW: The Passion of The Christ by John Debney

The Passion Of The Christ

Let me start off by saying "I'm glad James Horner did not write this score." Horner has been recycling a lot of his music lately. Hiring John Debney to score the film was not only good for Mel Gibson but for John Debney himself. The Passion gave John the opportunity to show the world his skills as a film music composer.

The film was dark, depressing, gruesome, horrific at times, and sad. John found the emotional core of the film and exploited it.

The album track is not listed in chronological order, but its setup makes for a greater listening experience.

After the opening track, we have the powerful song "Bearing the Cross." This song is heard differently on the film but the album version is better. It starts off in depressing low, soft strings increasing in volume accompanied by a solo male singing the lyric-less vocals. The orchestra escalates in volume and accelerates in pace as Jesus carries the cross. The London Voices join in to add further tension and emotion to Christ's long journey to Golgatha. This is one of the best songs on the album.

There really is no theme to the film but if there is, it would have to be Lisbeth Scott's solo vocal work on various tracks on the album. The most beautiful track on the album is "Mary Goes To Jesus." This is the song one could point out to be the main theme of the film.

"Crucifixion" follows the same powerful buildup as "Bearing the Cross." "Crucifixion" is the most heart-wrenching song on the album. As the orchestra and chorus build the emotion to the slow, sad string part, one can feel their heart skip a beat as they recall the climax of the film. The music nearly makes one shed tears when the flute takes the lead in the piece.

The last song on the album, "Resurrection", is triumphant signifying Christ's victory over death by rising from the dead. The song starts off quietly being interrupted occasionally by loud percussion. The rising strings and percussion reach a climax joined by a victorious cry by the London Voices. The song ends with reprise of "Mary Goes to Jesus".

For those expecting to find the trailer music in the album will be disappointed; it's not on the disc.  Its available on iTunes with some dialogue from the movie.

At about 55 minutes of running time, The Passion of the Christ is an excellent addition to your collection. It captures the agony, the emotion, the passion, and the glory of the film.

My Rating: 5 Stars