一听音乐网

《邮差》是一部讲述没落的未来世界中，原有的一切社会秩序和一切现代化设施都不复存在，人们生活在孤立的环境中。一个意外成为了象征美国政府的邮差，最终带领大家摆脱了军阀的统治，重建了秩序的家园。无论从故事创意、情节结构，还是美学依托来看，《邮差》都可以被视作为《水世界》的姊妹片，宏大的场面、浓重的后灾难情结、具有超现实意味的画面构成，让人觉得仿佛置身于一个工业没落的西部世界，同样，该片在票房上也和《水世界》一样遭遇了滑铁卢，正因为如此，很多原声爱好者错失了James Newton Howard这张值得纪念的好碟。
该碟前7首才是管弦乐的原声，后8首实际是可以完全跳过的流行歌曲，包括Kevin Costner自己演唱的You Didn't Have To Be So Nice。不过前面7首有接近50分钟。专辑以Main Titles那启示录般的设置开始，利用弦乐和打击乐来表现一种荒芜的场景。接下来，随着弦乐变得更加的激动，管乐更加有力度音乐开始变得危险。Shelter in the Storm的缓和，展示了在这种荒芜人烟的地方的孤独与寂寞，虽然在长笛、法国号和竖琴的帮助下，有一些优美、柔和的韵味。主题从The Belly of the Beast开始凸现，Howard用不断提高的管弦乐完美的展示了主题出现的时刻。到了Abby Comes Calling，大部分时候都显得一场的平静和缓和。在剩下的部分有不少重复的部分，但是也还有很多突显的时刻，例如爱国者主题、流浪者主题等等，这些都能给听众留下深刻的印象。The Restored United States达到了电影配乐中教科书式的成就，主题之间完美无暇的安排，表现了镇压与反抗、悲剧与胜利、平静与荒芜之间的强烈对比。Howard以The Postman终结全篇。
《邮差》的确以启示录的风格展现了没落未来的荒芜，也能完美的配合影片的情节来展现各种的对立面，音乐所刻画的恢宏的西部场面也是该片力图达到的风格，全曲能给人留下深刻的印象。
his best efforts, James Newton Howard can't quite write a score that makes Kevin Costner's indulgent, three-hour post-apocalyptic epic The Postman believable. Over the course of The Postman's three hours, Costner rarely strives for simple, subtle emotions, preferring grand gestures of overstatement, and Howard's score follows suit, offering a sweeping score that heightens the melodrama, action, and sappy romance of the film. There are several pleasant moments in his score, but it never quite adds up to anything significant. Selections from Howard's score occupy the first seven tracks of The Postman -- Music from the Motion Picture. The next seven are devoted to folky songs performed by either John Manson or John Coinman. Much of this music appears during the town dance sequences in the middle of the film, and it's supposed to have a joyous, communal feel, but it often sounds too clean and forced to be truly effective. And, if it wasn't enough to star, direct and produce The Postman, Costner had to give himself a duet with Amy Grant on the Lovin' Spoonful's "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" to end the soundtrack. It's much slower than the original, which means it's not nearly as exuberent, but the main problem is Costner's flat, colorless vocals. They're not terrible, but they're not distinguished either, and they might make even dedicated fans wonder why the song was even recorded in the first place. In all, The Postman soundtrack is as messy as the movie itself.