SHOOTING WAR (Documentary 2000)

SHOOTING WAR is a phenomenal documentary that tells the story about the World War II combat camermen who captured some of the most remarkable and memorable footage of the war. The film was produced by Steven Spielberg and written/directed by Richard Shickle. Tom Hanks (with full Cast Away beard) hosted this hour and a half program which aired on ABC. Reels of footage are covered and much of it stays with you after viewing. The opening shows some of the most unbelievable aerial combat and crash landing footage from the war. Historian Stephen Ambrose bookends the documentary with some comments as well. 

Rubinstein's SHOOTING WAR is like a new war score for a feature film and one of his best works. It's the kind of score we get so few of in this day. Thanks must go to Richard Shickle and Steven Spielberg for knowing who could capture such beauty and tragedy in the music. The main title is thrilling starting with a theme in woodwind intervals and continuing on with a soaring trumpet main theme over a repeating string pattern.  For Hanks narration Rubinstein introduces a hymn-like theme with strings. The themes provide the basic structure of the score:

One of the most exciting cues in the documentary is for footage of planes coming in for crash landings onto aircraft carriers. The music is like an aerial ballet with Rubinstein providing fragments of the main theme along with the opening hymn theme but this time in menacing string and brass octaves. The cue continues with playful variations of the main theme for training footage of the cameramen:




Some warm string writing continues with a slight variation of the opening clarinet intervals: 

This playful variation on the main theme provides a fun background to the boredom the soldiers sometimes experienced in the European front: 




The woodwind intervals return throughout the picture with disturbing suspenseful phrases but not without somber and lyrical moments like this one for the most famous footage of the D-Day invasion:



Arthur B. provides some agitated string, brass and percussion writing on the main theme for the Pacific scenes as well:

Like SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, the moving feel of the music is somber and heroic capturing the bravery of these cameramen and soldiers all evident in the footage: 





I can't think of a more deserving score of Arthur B.'s work that should have a soundtrack album release. Highly recommended viewing.

-- Brandon F.