The Gladiator and The Last Samurai

Welcome to 2015! I am so excited that I get to keep sharing music with you now, as the new year begins. I hope this does continue along through the year! So to start us off, I have some music that is both calming and beautiful. This is music that seems to transcend the entirety of your being. These are songs that wash over you in that special way that only music can. These are songs that make you stop. They make you stop and reflect and be present in the moment. These are songs that make you really immersed in the world around you, not distracted by the noise and the lights, but rather puts you in tune with all the beauty the world has to offer. That being said, there is something that music alone can capture. There is something that only music can do that touches the soul in a way that can make you truly understand your emotions. Music can make us laugh, cry, ponder, and revel in the bliss of ecstasy. These two songs today are instrumental and come from movies that are both beautifully done and extremely powerful. This first song is from the movie The Gladiator. This is a score that will never get old, a score that will never lose its beauty and power. This is a song that can stop me in my tracks, make me put everything on hold and just listen. Not only is this a phenomenal movie, but this score outshines the greatness of the movie. This is possibly one of the best if not the greatest movie scores of all time. There is an effortless grace and beauty to this score and this song, something that you can really feel when listening to the song. This song puts you at a place of serenity in a way that only instrumental music can, the way that the power of music does. This second song is from the movie The Last Samurai. I absolutely fell in love with this movie. There are so many messages hidden within this movie and I have been able to find certain ones that really struck me. This movie is one that makes you think about what we have now and whether or not any of it is necessary. This is a movie that is so spectacular and flawless. This movie is not even a picture film, rather an elegantly written epic that is simply awe striking. This movie goes further than just learning to respect cultures, but shows that the old ways are not inferior. The score for this movie is just as incredible as the movie. Hans Zimmer has given us his best with both of these scores. This song is played at the end of the movie, and I have to say it was so perfectly placed and so movingly composed that I almost cried. This is a score that makes you feel every single emotion that the characters are feeling. This song combines the Western musicality with the traditional Japanese methods, something that the movie tries to convey to the audience. Not only does Hans Zimmer successfully include the message of the movie in his music, but he also lets us experience a range of emotions in the piece. These songs are instrumental, yes, but they are also the ones that speak the loudest. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!