Silva Screen Records release Joanna Bruzdowicz's original score for the disturbing sci-fi drama The White King. Djata is a care-free 12-year-old growing up in a brutal dictatorship shut off from the outside world. When the government imprisons his father, Peter, and Djata and his mother Hannah are labelled traitors, the boy will not rest until he sees his father again...

Joanna Bruzdowicz's score for The White King is something of an acquired taste. Personally I really enjoyed the majority of the 30 tracks (38 min, 52 sec). There's a little Traditional Folk in tracks like 'Village Folk' and patriotic chest beating in 'The Homeland is Glorious', which helps to flesh out the soundtrack quite well.

The majority of tracks are more based on medieval inspired traditional classical music, which makes for a rich and varied tapestry of themes and set pieces. But every now and then we get themes that mix medieval and more modern music, like the main theme which weaves its way throughout the score, and which can be heard at its most impressive in 'Declaration of War'.

Overall, this is an interesting and extremely intricate score which straddles the line between Classical music and film score.

8

Darren Rea