THE GREAT ALASKAN RACE.

 

Brian Presley not only directed and wrote this movie but also starred in it as well. THE GREAT ALASKAN RACE tells the true story of the desperate journey that was undertaken by mushers to get urgent medical supplies to a town that has been cut off by freezing snow and ice. It is basically the live action version of the film BALTO although many have said it is not as affecting as the animated feature. The music however is certainly worth a mention, composed by John Koutselinis, this is a proud and inspiring sounding work, it is a score that contains so many themes which all have to them an individual quality but at the same time are working together to create a style and sound that is filled with a deep and affecting musical persona. The style for me evoked the music of composers such as Basil Poledouris and Lee Holdridge, it is a rich and sumptuous sound that we are treated too throughout, Even, within the darker moments of the score the music gives us glimmers of hope and little shards of light that lift and tell us that all is not lost. The composer utilises strings and solo female voice in places which too is hauntingly effective and adds an almost spiritual aura to the proceedings. Piano, woods and strings I would say are the main stay of the score, with the composer adding solo violin at certain points which purveys a melancholy air. But it is the rich and vibrantly thematic material that is the attraction of the soundtrack, percussive elements aid the grandiose effect that the composer creates via symphonic and synthetic instrumentation, which he fuses effectively and seamlessly to fashion a flawless and lush sound. Flourishes from the brass are laced with almost lavish sounding strings to purvey a sense of maybe vastness and also of isolation, but underneath all of this there are still fragments of hope and determination that do fight their way through. This is a score that you should check out, recommended.