by PK on 5/24/1999
 
In addition to being a resplendent original film score, the music in The Horse Whisperer is an important ingredient in successfully communicating the plight of Pilgrim, the powerful horse at the center of this unfolding drama.

As an artist recognizes the literalism of a work in progress, Thomas Newman's mystical themes are performed on wind instruments, oftentimes played with no more than a whisper. Accompanied by the earthly sound of the guitar and mandolin, coupled with natural birdsong and wind, Whisperer paints a wide open Montana vista which needs just a pair of closed eyes and listening ears to see.

Newman's full string section works perfectly as a musical accompaniment to the imagery of Montana ("Montana," "The Vast Continent"). Horse rides in the countryside are flawlessly matched with the stirring music of natural beauty ("The Rhythm of the Horse"). Grace, the young rider in the film, is underscored with the most uplifting music ("Grace"), as it is she who must unconditionally accept the ways of life with vigor and spirit. Finally, the music for Pilgrim is both faint and strong-willed; Death visits the horse, but departs, after an accident nearly ends his life - the music conveys the physical pain and trauma the horse must endure through the healing process.

The individual tracks are not presented in order as they appeared in the movie; rather, Newman has envisioned an exceptional album of music written for the film, rewarding on and in its own way.