Austin Oguri is a screenwriter and has deep appreciation for the art of film in general, he aims to offer unique perspectives through his film reviews and feature articles. He also has a soft spot for lesser-known works, and enjoys spotlighting them whenever he can. Austin has always found it necessary for people to encourage and bring out the best in each other, and as a writer at The Hollywood Insider, he can combine that ideology with his ability to think outside the box and truly express his love for the arts in the best ways possible.
Sep 12, 2024
Table of Contents
A World of Timeless Musicians
Since long before the days of film, there have been countless great composers throughout history; people who have a true ear for music and have been able to write and produce melodies that have gone on to be remembered for generations to come. Such individuals include Beethoven, Georges Bizet, Krzysztof Penderecki, Ennio Morricone, and John Williams. However, today I’d like to honor a composer that was taken from us far too soon, a man by the name of James Horner.
Background
James Horner was born on August 14, 1953 in Los Angeles, California. His father, Harry Horner had previously moved to the United States to work in theater as a set designer and art director. Meanwhile, his brother Christopher Horner, born two years later, would go on to write and film a few documentaries, including a 2004 feature titled ‘The Disappearing of Tuvalu: Trouble in Paradise.’ As for James Horner himself, he started learning how to play the piano and the violin at the mere age of five. A little later on in his life, he moved to London, where he began attending the Royal College of Music under the instruction of classical music composer György Ligeti. He later returned to the United States, earned a master’s degree in music at Verde Valley School, and even went on to teach music himself. The first ever film that Horner composed for was the 1979 film ‘The Lady in Red.’ Shortly after, he also scored the Roger Corman-produced 1980 film ‘The Battle Beyond the Stars.’ However, his real big break was ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,’ and ever since then, he’s scored for a myriad of big name directors and studios, such as James Cameron, Mel Gibson, Paramount Pictures, and Amblin Entertainment. He received several Academy Award nominations throughout his career, in addition to winning both Best Original Dramatic Score and Best Original Song for ‘Titanic.’
In addition to composing music, James Horner was also a pilot. The fact that he scored the 2014 documentary ‘Living in the Age of Airplanes’ was no coincidence. Unfortunately, this led to his untimely passing on June 22, 2015, when the Short Tucano he was flying wound up crashing. Shocked and heartbroken at his death, many came forward to give their condolences to Horner, including his assistant Sylvia Patrycia, Celine Dion, the singer of “My Heart Will Go On” from ‘Titanic,’ and Leona Lewis, who recorded “I See You” from ‘Avatar.’ The last few films to feature his scores were released posthumously, those being ‘Southpaw,’ ‘The 33,’ and the 2016 remake of ‘The Magnificent Seven.’
A Personal Inspiration
As someone who’s currently about as old as James Horner was when he first started composing for films, it’s extremely inspiring to see how much talent he had for his age. While my interests personally lie more in writing stories than composing music (heck, I barely know the first thing about musical composition), cases like these remind me of my own potential and allow me to further push myself in bringing out the best of my own abilities. I probably won’t have a major credit on any future ‘Star Trek’ movie, but as long as I remain passionate about my own talents, I do feel as if I’m capable of doing great things, and James Horner is one of the people I can thank for helping me think so.
There’s a reason why James Horner is remembered so well; the man was simply talented. One thing he was particularly exceptional at was conveying a very honest sense of beauty through his tracks. When the films he composed called for it, his music carried an absolutely gorgeous, emotional sound. This could be seen in films like ‘Legends of the Fall,’ ‘Bicentennial Man,’ and ‘Braveheart.’ These films boast music that is, even without context, powerful enough to make one tear up. That iconic heartbreaking moment in ‘The Land Before Time’ where Littlefoot’s mother dies is made all the more impactful with the incredible score backing it up. But tugging at heartstrings was not the extent of James Horner’s prowess; he scored dozens of films, and with that came music covering a wide range of emotions, including fear and excitement. His score of ‘Commando’ takes a bit of a break from the traditional orchestral scores he often does and instead takes on a more hardened electronic feel to reflect the movie’s action-heavy tone, all while mixing in instruments like saxophones and steel drums. His score for ‘Aliens’ is more traditional compared to ‘Commando’s, but it features tracks that are extremely ominous and tense. To be able to convey so many different types of moods so effectively is something to be admired for sure. It’s a level of versatility that’s pretty hard to come by in the world of film scores.
James Horner’s undeniable talent led to quite a strong legacy for the composer. Let’s just say there’s a reason why ‘Titanic’ has the best-selling orchestral film soundtrack of all time. There’s a reason why “My Heart Will Go On” has become such a well-remembered song, even among people who have never even seen the movie. Heck, James Cameron didn’t even want a title song for ‘Titanic’ but after Horner and Celine Dion recorded the song in secret and presented it to him, Cameron had a change of heart, and the rest is history. On a similar note, the track “Bishop’s Countdown” from ‘Aliens’ has become known for its excessive use in movie trailers (A common occurrence for movie adverts, generally ones from the 90’s to early 2000’s, was the inclusion of licensed film scores taken from unrelated movies). In fact, Horner’s score for the movie has been used at least 24 different times in various TV spots, theatrical teasers, and trailers. Finally, his themes from Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ films were incorporated by Michael Giacchino in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’
I may not have known James Horner personally, but just by listening to the music he composed, it’s more than safe to say that the level of passion he put into his work is undeniable. The very fact that he loved ‘Southpaw’ enough to score the film free of charge alone shows just how committed he was to his craft. At only 61 years old, Horner was taken from us at far too young an age, but between the incredible music he gave us throughout his career and all of the people he collaborated with, he’s given everyone something to remember him by. I’ll always miss him, as will countless others, but at the same time, I couldn’t be prouder of him for everything that he achieved.
By Austin Oguri
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I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
Austin Oguri is a screenwriter and has deep appreciation for the art of film in general, he aims to offer unique perspectives through his film reviews and feature articles. He also has a soft spot for lesser-known works, and enjoys spotlighting them whenever he can. Austin has always found it necessary for people to encourage and bring out the best in each other, and as a writer at The Hollywood Insider, he can combine that ideology with his ability to think outside the box and truly express his love for the arts in the best ways possible.
Austin Oguri is a screenwriter and has deep appreciation for the art of film in general, he aims to offer unique perspectives through his film reviews and feature articles. He also has a soft spot for lesser-known works, and enjoys spotlighting them whenever he can. Austin has always found it necessary for people to encourage and bring out the best in each other, and as a writer at The Hollywood Insider, he can combine that ideology with his ability to think outside the box and truly express his love for the arts in the best ways possible.
Austin Oguri is a screenwriter and has deep appreciation for the art of film in general, he aims to offer unique perspectives through his film reviews and feature articles. He also has a soft spot for lesser-known works, and enjoys spotlighting them whenever he can. Austin has always found it necessary for people to encourage and bring out the best in each other, and as a writer at The Hollywood Insider, he can combine that ideology with his ability to think outside the box and truly express his love for the arts in the best ways possible.
