FILM SCORER.NET
Best Years of Our Lives CD
Review of “Best Years of Our Lives” Soundtrack CD
by Thomas L. Kiefner
a winner of eight Oscars, including best original score, The Best Years of Our Lives was a huge success in 1946. It is the story of three servicemen returning to their hometown after the war. Instead of happiness, each one is faced with a personal conflict. It is how each man overcomes the obstacles facing him that gives the film its name.
It was through a recommendation by Alfred Newman that Hugo Friedhofer was given the assignment. Director William Wyler was against Friedhofer doing the score until several scoring sessions convinced him otherwise. Wyler informed Friedhofer that he was not to do a typical Hollywood score, but an American sounding one. Friedhofer also had the advantage of being able to work with the final cut of the film, giving him visual and dialogue advantages that usually were not given to the composer. The post war optimism in the country helped produce a warm nostalgic score that definitely contributed to the huge success of this film. While Hugo did not do the orchestrations himself, he made it clear to Jerome Moross and others exactly what he wanted. Because of these instructions, you can clearly hear the Friedhofer sound.
Friedhofer used the traditional leitmotif style for most characters in the film. He immediately sets the stage in his "Main Title" to create the basic theme for the picture. In a little over a minute he establishes the optimism, warmth, and even a hint of the military setting. While a modern day composer, or an opera may have 5 minutes to achieve this, Hugo had only 90 seconds. The second track, "Homecoming", introduces us to 3 more themes, Boone City, Neighbors, and Octave. All of these themes will be used throughout the film. "Fred and Peggy" is a Gershwin sounding track featuring a nifty alto sax solo, just another example of the versatility of this score. "The Homer Goes Upstairs" track is the finest example of film music that I have ever encountered. It is a scene in the film where Homer, after talking to Wilma in the kitchen, takes her upstairs to show her what care he needs. Hugo uses the Octave theme as Homer removes his hooks and then uses the Neighbor theme in a minor key. Next, surprisingly, he immediately switches to the Wilma theme in a major key as she offers to help him. The music swells to a conclusion as Homer lays on the bed in tears of joy. The music absolutely makes this scene and shows the true mastery of Friedhofer. He included a track, "Exit Music", which was an extension of the basic score that he composed for the film. It was played to a blank screen while people exited the theater. While it was only used a few times and then abandoned, it was a perfect conclusion to a perfect score.
The great disappointment in this film score is the recording itself. Originally recorded in May of 1979, this version was remastered in 2000 using the 24-bit SBM technique. Even this new technology cannot improve this recording enough to even bring it up to an average standard. The recording is overly bright and even lowering your treble control to compensate only flattens the dynamic range. However, do not let that prevent you from purchasing this CD. It is the only available recording of this incredible score. For any serious collector it is a must have in your collection.
