That last point about the Oscar nomination is a bit misleading, however, because The Patriot is a truly fine score. Opinions about it in the film music community range wildly, though, and Williams caused much of this disagreement by writing a score that is extremely derivative of his other works and, thus, utterly predictable. If you assume that Williams would approach this film with the same maturity of stature and keen sense of Americana, then you know exactly what it will sound like before you hear it. The execution of its nobility and heroic aspirations are pure Williams in style. The multitude of themes all point to familiar progressions and the instrumentation is standard in his Americana-ready ensemble. With all this in mind, the quality of The Patriot for any listener will depend on how much respect he or she has for Williams' consistent superiority in even his less inspired incarnations. For most, the score will likely be easy to respect, interesting to the ears at every moment, and a solid experience. The success of The Patriot starts with the continuation of Williams' basic Americana spirit, which was most vibrant in Far and Away, most dramatic in Born of the Fourth of July, and most respectful in Amistad. Flowing string layers, heroic solo trumpets, solemn horns in unison, a lightly tapping snare, and joyously fluttering flutes all exist in the score, with the only notable solo work coming in short contributions on violin in the concert suite and its reprise on album. The mix of all these instruments is extremely vivid in The Patriot, allowing cues like "Ann and Gabriel" to shine despite making use of only harp, harpsichord, and flute (over a barely registering string accompaniment) in its first half. A resounding bass region, especially in a few of the ambitious action cues later in the score, is almost electronic in its depth (and could very well by synthesized early in "Tavington's Trap"). The highest treble contributors, led by the complex flute figures in the concert suites and a few of the stand-off cues, are mixed at a reasonable distance.

Thematically, The Patriot has much to offer. The suite covers the four main ideas in the score, with only one other sub-motif existing later for the primary villain. The biggest detriment of the score for some will be the fact that many of the four themes in the suite are very similar to previous Williams ideas. The first of these, which runs until the 2:45 in "The Patriot," is the most intriguing, using the solo violin and acoustic guitar to convey what is likely the Martin family theme. On the surface, this lovely theme is the most unique in the score, though its rendering does beg for comparisons to James Horner's Legends of the Fall. As the secondary phrases of the theme develop, its more upbeat progressions take on pieces of the theme to Jurassic Park: The Lost World (listen specifically to the closing phrase between 1:30 and 1:35 for this connection). In fact, the slightly exotic twist to some of the chord movements in this theme give it (without the obvious violin flavor) a slight fantasy tilt that could very well accompany a film of that genre. The distant mix of woodwinds in the second minute of the suite act as almost an eerie substitute for a synthetic choir. This theme's only major exploration outside of the suite is a very lengthy and satisfying performance in "Ann and Gabriel," which itself could be considered a concert suite with its gorgeously fluid presentation. The second and third themes for The Patriot are connected to the same general idea of the colonies and war, with the latter serving in the suite as an interlude to the former despite their differing purposes. When the snare and flute figures are introduced at 2:45 into "The Patriot," the "colony theme" follows on respectful lower strings. This theme occupies the next minute in the suite, providing the young country with a noble sense of entitlement. Unfortunately, this theme is so derivative of several others that its effectiveness for film score collectors is questionable. The opening measures of the theme (in fact, the entire first phrase!) are copied directly from the title theme to Amistad, and the rising conclusion to the idea, leading into the third theme, is pulled from Far and Away. This theme's best use in the score itself comes in its own prideful concert arrangement of sorts in the outstanding "The Colonial Cause."

The third theme in The Patriot is likely the most memorable, heralded by triumphant trumpets at about 3:40 into "The Patriot." The static, repeating structure of this theme also resembles that of Jurassic Park: The Lost World, though its blatantly patriotic tones and a few of the other progressions will remind of Jerry Goldsmith's Air Force One. This theme is obviously the victory motif in the score, and accompanies the heroic actions by members of the Martin family, starting almost immediately at the conclusion of the cue "The Family Farm" and appearing in fragments during crescendos throughout the work. A fourth theme is rarely touched upon in the score, and it is the noble medium-range horn salute at the end of the concert suite. This adapts directly from Saving Private Ryan and is the weakest representation of militaristic stature in The Patriot. A smaller, but effective idea is used to represent the evil Colonel William Tavington, with faint trumpets producing a very creepy and sour, descending motif that is as curiously distant as it is menacing. The remainder of the score has only a few moments of downtime, though it does point to some rare temp track emulation by Williams. Outside of the many references to his prior themes, several cues have surprisingly transparent connections. The last half-minute or so of "The Burning of the Plantation" is a page from David Arnold's style of tragedy, and the last minute of "Susan Speaks" is obviously a pull from Ennio Morricone's "Once Upon a Time in America." The action cues, led by "Tavington's Trap," offer the same frenetic, rhythmic density as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, with many of the structures and orchestrations surprisingly identical. On the whole, Williams usually doesn't run into problems with temp track opacity, but The Patriot is an exception. There is one very unique use of a tolling bell effect (and not just standard chime banging) in "Redcoats at the Farm and the Death of Thomas" to symbolize imminent death. Could David Arnold have produced the same result? Maybe, but it wouldn't have sounded like an absolutely typical, major-key John Williams score of respectful Americana. And, ultimately, that's what everyone got.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download