Composing Greatness: #16. The Freshman Class of the 2010's - "If Beale Street Could Talk" (2018)

Scene from If Beale Street Could Talk

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

Composing Greatness: #13. The Freshman Class of the 2010's - "Moonlight" (2016)

Scene from Moonlight (2016)

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

Composing Greatness: #3. Oscars 2019 Edition - "If Beale Street Could Talk"

Scene from If Beale Street Could Talk

Welcome to a very special edition of Composing Greatness. In this limited series, I will be looking at the five scores nominated for this year's Best Original Score category. To avoid favoritism, the list will be done in alphabetical order of composers and feature the same guidelines as the original series. This is meant to explore the music behind the great films of 2018, and provide insight into what makes each of them special and whether or not they deserved to be nominated at all. Join me all week as I listen to the  music, leave some thoughts, and hopefully sway you to check out these wonderful, wonderful scores.

Coming Soon: Composing Greatness Looks at This Year's Nominees

Terrence Blanchard

In what will become an annual tradition, it's time once again for Composing Greatness to revive itself for a week of covering every Best Original Score nominee from this year's ceremony. Given the great diversity in styles, it's going to be fun to look through what's here and find the heart of why these scores were nominated. So feel free to join in, starting the week of February 18 as I cover all five of the scores in alphabetical order by title. How will BlacKkKlansman, Black Panther, If Beale Street Could Talk, Isle of Dogs, and Mary Poppins Returns compare with previous nominees? You'll have to wait and see.

*NOTE: Due to Composing Greatness' return, this month's Legitimate Theater has been cancelled. Please feel free to enjoy it next month when it returns.

Review: "If Beale Street Could Talk" Finds Power in Compassion

Scene from If Beale Street Could Talk

The world can be an awful place and it is only nature to retaliate with animosity in your heart. However, there's something even more compelling about the films of director Barry Jenkins. As a man of compassion, he has taken to exploring a more tender side of African American culture. It's something that seems revolutionary by virtue of simply depicting a group whose cultural relevance has only been to radical protesters or submissive in a way that is, for a lack of a better word, human. With If Beale Street Could Talk, he adapts James Baldwin's novel into a tale of love that doesn't ignore the violence but instead finds optimism around it. There's no rioting in the streets. It's a tale of being grateful for the love in your life even as the world knocks you down. It may not be the most inventive story, but what Jenkins has done is provide a warm optimism to guide audiences in a time where cynicism runs rampant, and that's all that's really necessary.