Soundtracks are the nervous system of a film. You don’t see them, but if it stopped working for a few seconds, the film dies. A soundtrack or orchestration is just as important as the actors and actresses on screen. And some of the best soundtracks can even go beyond the film they were a part of and help influence your daily life.
This category is all about honoring those great soundtracks that you could listen to anywhere. Maybe while you’re taking a walk, maybe while you’re eating a sandwich, or maybe even while you’re singing devoid of tone in your shower. While the nominees were all great in their own way, there could really only be one winner…
Yes there was quite a fight between the Oscar winning, sky crumbling, Skyfall soundtrack (and with good cause) and Django Unchained, but eventually Unchained got its big payback. Beasts, The Master, and Moonrise‘s mystical orchestrations were great but just didn’t make it (even if they gained some fervor within the staff). Part of what made Django Unchained as timeless as it was, is the soundtrack’s blend of pop and other genres. The soundtrack itself is a hearty blend of Western inspired orchestration, notable quotes and dialogue from the film, Negro spiritual inspired awesomeness with “Freedom,” a mash up of James Brown’s “Big Payback” and Tupac’s “Untouchable” (which played in the background in one of the best shootouts in recent memory), it’s main them perfectly encapsulated the upcoming hero’s journey, and finally, an original piece by Rick Ross that somehow changed the tone of the entire film. Full Review
With the clever use of its eclectic soundtrack, the rest of Django Unchained’s tonal issues make sense. It was no longer just a western or a slave revenge film. It was now just an awesome pop culture inspired hero film. Go listen to the soundtrack yourself and try to admit the songs aren’t catchy. Right after the film came out, no one could stop yelling, “I NEED A HUNDRED BLACK COFFINS!” And after several months, I still need those coffins, ruff.
