On his score for Ron Howard's brooding Western The Missing, James Horner reins in some of his lush tendencies as a composer, delivering a restrained but still emotional collection of music. Nevertheless, even the score's smaller compositions, such as "New Mexico, 1885," retain the epic sound that defines Horner's work. This tension is put to particularly good use on "Dawn to Dusk; The Riderless Horse," which begins with delicate flutes and strings before soaring into a quietly majestic melody that becomes darker and more ominous as it unfolds. Most of the score alternates between yearning and hope, as on "The Search Begins," and eerie portent, as on "Dark and Restless Wind" and "The Brujo's Storm -- A Loss of Innocence." Horner's music also ties into the film's Native American aspects with the use of flutes as both a textural and melodic element, particularly on tracks like "The Stranger" and "A Rescue Is Planned," where they sound like crying wolves. Likewise, "Setting the Trap" and "An Insurmountable Hurdle" are thrilling homages to past Western scores. All of these themes, musical and emotional, culminate on "The Long Ride Home," a 16-minute finale that encompasses the delicacy and danger that are in the rest of the score. One of Horner's most accomplished scores in recent memory, The Missing is nearly as much of a journey as the film it enhances.
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