Note re: John Barry

Posts : 9 Join date : 2013-02-14

Sources have claimed Stanley Baker envisioned Zulu as a "British western" with the redcoats in place of the cavalry and the Zulus in place of the Indians. If so, then John Barry has the distinction of scoring a "British western" and then an "American western"" Dances With Wolves.

Speaking of the latter film, I am reminded of an event in American Frontier history that, if it were a film, combines elements of both it and Zulu: the battle of Fort Ridgely, Minnesota, in August of 1862 during the Sioux Uprising. This fort -which was as open to attack as the camp at Isandlwana was- got hastily fortified by its garrison and, its troops bolstered by volunteers drawn from settlers who fled to the fort for protection, withstood not one but two Indian attacks before the fort was relieved.

I wonder what score Barry would have wrote for a film about Ft. Ridgely? Probably one that combined the gentler tones of his Wolves score with the high tension of his score from Zulu, depending on what was happening.

» Death Of John Barry
» Zulu War Theme Isandhlwana and Zulu 1879 Soundtrack(John Barry)
» Martini-Henry Note-Book