St. George Shoots The Dragon
by Aleksandar Randjelovic
St. George Shoots The Dragon
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St. George Shoots The Dragon Composed by Aleksandar Randjelovic
Keep Moving Records (2009)
Rating:
6/10
“Despite offering so
little to attract any listener, RANDJELOVIC has managed to create a
definitive atmosphere and one that certainly matches the vision of
DRAGOJEVIC.”
Dragojevic's Dragon
Review by Richard Buxton
One of the great fears of score collectors is the prospect of a beloved
score never receiving a full release. While for the majority of Hollywood
blockbusters this is not a problem, films that experience a more limited
release combined with a language other than English face significant
hurdles to see their scores released. So it comes with refreshing relief
that KEEP MOVING RECORDS has taken the admirable step of releasing such
scores to audiences, in this case the Serbian film ST. GEORGE SHOOTS THE
DRAGON, directed by SRDAN DRAGOJEVIC. Rather than telling the mythical
tale of the saint’s duel with the fire-breathing beast, ST. GEORGE SHOOTS
THE DRAGON narrates the story of a small village amidst constant warfare
between the years of the Balkan War and World War I.
What is most striking about Randjelovic’s score is the distinct lack of
diversity heard throughout. This is exemplified right off the bat in
“Opening Titles”, an entirely string based piece that introduces the
mournful descending theme of the film. The desired effect of a largely
somber tone is achieved, but this can’t hide the fact that this tone fails
to evolve or change in any way for the entire duration of the score, even
in the final track “Battle”, a score that has disturbingly little “battle”
music to back up the title. If you find yourself skipping the first track,
it is likely you will little that will hold your attention as you venture
further into the soundtrack.
The descending theme heard in “Opening Titles” is hinted at throughout the
running time, but never truly fleshes out. The echoes of the motif can be
subtly heard in “Aunt”, while a more complete variation of the theme is
heard in “Battle”.
Reviewing a score is made infinitely harder when defining moments in the
music are so hard to come by. Tracks such as “Opening Titles”, “Saint
George”, and “She Is Not Like You” could all be mistaken for the same
track by a first-time listener such are their similarities. The timbre and
dynamics of the score are unadventurous. It comes as an almighty shock when
something ever so slightly different comes along. “What Is Your Name”
offers one of the few optimistic harmonic progressions heard in the score
and is a welcome relief after such monotony. The few other tracks that
attempt to offer something a little different barely manage to do so and
ultimately come across as afterthoughts. The rise of the choir in the
closing moments of “Assassination” lacks anything resembling intensity and
thus feels forced and unnecessary.
Despite offering so little to attract any listener, RANDJELOVIC has
managed to create a definitive atmosphere and one that certainly matches
the vision of DRAGOJEVIC. Despite this, the monotony truly becomes grating
towards the end of the score in the likes of ”Funeral”, “George Is Going
To War” and “Tasic” as the sparse strings, interrupted by bouts of
silence, sum up the entire listening experience.
It is impossible to recommend this score to anyone other than those who
fall in love with the sound upon listening to the first track. Those who
do not can only expect endless repetition and a complete lack of desire
heard within the compositions.
