JEAN-JACQUES ANNAUD

Par Studio Harcourt (Studio Harcourt Paris (http://studio-harcourt.eu/)) [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Jean-Jacques Annaud (born October 1, 1943 in Juvisy-sur-Orge, France) is a French director.

He began his career by directing television advertisements in the late 1960s to early 1970s.

With his first feature film Black and White in Color (1976), he won an Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film. His third film Quest for Fire (La Guerre du feu) received two Césars for best film and best director.

In 1986, Annaud directed The Name of the Rose, a film adaptation of Umberto Eco's popular novel of the same name.

In 2001 he directed Enemy at the Gates, detailing the exploits of Vassili Zaitsev during the Battle of Stalingrad. His latest film is Black Gold, an epic drama set in the Arab states of the 1930s.

Annaud's next project will be the film adaptation of the award-winning best-selling Chinese novel Wolf Totem.

Official site: jjannaud.com/

JAMES HORNER’S PLACE IN FILM MUSIC HISTORY

0 Introduction and terminology James Horner was one of film music’s greats. Understanding his talent requires thorough study of what made him an outstanding and influential individual composer, but also of the changing landscape of film music itself. What is it exactly that drew James Horner to film music back in the seventies? And what had so changed by the 2010s that it made him grow impatient with his trade? This text sets out to answer these questions and serve as an introduction to film music in general and to James Horner’s film music in particular. The first part of this article

STANDOUT SET PIECES #5: THE RIVER CROSSING TO STALINGRAD FROM ENEMY AT THE GATES

0 Bringing you up to speed In early 1943, Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich is at the height of its power. The dark spill of Nazi domination is spreading to the farthest reaches of Europe, although in the east, it meets with fierce resistance from the Russian Red Army on the banks of the Volga. The battle of Stalingrad ends up being a turning point in the Second World War: Hitler’s inability to take hold of the city marks the end of his military expansion and the start of his downfall. Against this backdrop, screenwriters Alain Godard and Jean-Jacques Annaud weave the

[CHARLIE ROSE INTERVIEW] JAMES HORNER: "I'M A ROMANTIC"

The interview with James Horner recorded on March 1, 2001 with Charlie Rose as part of the promotion of the film Enemy at the Gates is finally available. The composer covers several subjects during 19 minutes: His passion for film music, the role of film music, the new generation of directors, Titanic, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Braveheart … The video also features a short extract from the recording session of Enemy at the Gates. "I think it-- for the first time I felt that the music was supporting something bigger than the music that had a more profound effect on an audience than just sitting

WOLF TOTEM: NORTH AMERICAN RELEASE

Jean-Jacques Annaud's film finally released on North American screens September 11, 2015 This is an opportunity for Milan Records to release the album with a new cover and notes updated. See our video below: In early September we will publish a retrospective of collaborations between the director and James Horner. To recall this summer we published an article on Wolf Totem and the presence of wolves in the composer's filmography. PURCHASE WOLF TOTEM

CINEMA MUSICA: INTERVIEW WITH JAMES HORNER

Conducted by Basil Boehni, Vice editor-in-chief of Cinema Musica. Held: 31 October 2011, in Frankfurt Am Main (Germany). Published in Cinema Musica in April 2012 (in German). The two photos of James Horner were taken by Matthias Keller. Basil Boehni (BB): You’re working in the movie business for over 30 years very successfully. Can you still just sit back, relax and enjoy a movie or do you immediately jump into an analytical viewing of the film? James Horner: Well, when I’ve finished a film I really don’t ever watch the movie again. I see the movie when it’s been mixed – the music, the effects

THE NAME OF THE ROSE: JAMES HORNER’S POETICS

Up against very tight time constraints, James Horner succeeded in translating into music the essence, the very substance of what Jean-Jacques Annaud wanted to preserve from the immense opus by Umberto Eco. From this "millefeuille", as he called it, the director pulled a "palimpsest" by putting forward his own take on the name of the famous Rose (a riddle which even Umberto Eco wanted to be ... enigmatic) as well as a personal and emotional translation of a novel that he believed "was written for him." A project that was close to his heart and which he pulled off brilliantly,

BAFTA GURU: A CONVERSATION WITH JAMES HORNER

29 April 2015. With host Tommy Pearson and a small audience, an important 75 minutes was to unfold. It is disheartening to note that this, a typical but always insightful interview with Tommy Pearson, would be the last interview our late maestro would give before his sudden passing on June 22, 2015. With this in mind, the angelic manners of James Horner's conveyance of thought are ever more heartbreaking as he describes some of his career highlights and passions to Tommy and the audience. His wonderfully unique way thinking and speaking those thoughts will be as sorely missed as the mystical

WOLF TOTEM: JAMES AND THE WOLF

Hardly for the first time in a career comprised of more than 130 film scores did James Horner cross paths with the wolf, a fascinating mammal and a source of countless stories, rumors and legends. Their first meeting dates back to 1981, when Wolfen, a horror thriller by Michael Wadleigh (Woodstock) saw Indians-turned-wolves create havoc in the streets of New York. Distressing brass embodied the wolf’s dark side and its sharp fangs, continually threatening tender and innocent flesh. This musical darkness was reprised a few years later with Aliens (1986), where it evoked the stifling atmosphere created by James Cameron, illustrating the

WOLF TOTEM: CONTEST AND AUDIO EXCERPT

In partnership with Milan Music, we offer a chance to win the new album by James Horner. Five copies are up for grabs. To participate simply answer three questions correctly: 1 - In what year was Milan Records label founded? 2 – The first feature film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud was made in which continent? 3 - Name another movie other than Wolf Totem featuring music by James Horner involving wolves? You can double your chances by going to our Facebook page / Twitter account and sharing on your profile advertising of this contest. Send your answer using the form below: The Contest is over. Thank you

WOLF TOTEM: ALBUM ON FEBRUARY 23

On February 23, Editions Milan Music will release the music of James Horner composed for Jean-Jacques Annaud's newest movie, Wolf Totem. Milan Music confirmed physical and digital release. The track listing: 1. Leaving for the Country (Main Theme) (2:17) 2. Wolves Stalking Gazelles (4:19) 3. An Offering to Tengger / Chen Saves the Last Wolf Pup (9:22) 4. Wolves Attack the Horses (4:49) 5. A Red Ribbon (3:20) 6. The Frozen Lake (4:42) 7. Discovering Hidden Dangers (2:46) 8. Little Wolf (3:27) 9. Scaling the Walls (4:07) 10. Suicide Pact (2:17) 11. Hunting the Wolves (6:04) 12. Death of A’ba (1:35) 13. Return to the Wild (9:52) Time: 00:58:57 Note: the track of 9 minutes we

WOLF TOTEM: A PREVIEW OF THE SCORE

A voice pierces the silence. And what a deafening silence it has been for more than two years since The Amazing Spider-Man and For Greater Glory. James Horner finally returns to cinemas with strength and panache. Wolf Totem is a new feather on Horner’s already well-stuffed cap, a new shining star in the world of music. Rest assured that if one day a Horner score disappoints us, we will state it plain and clear. We’ve had ample opportunity to sample this score and are confident that, upon its release, Wolf Totem will be a rich, multifaceted album, alternating strong moments

ENEMY AT THE GATES: ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE EAST

"I am a stone … I do not move…" Opening shot: two characters hunched down in the snow... immobile... waiting... silent. The strands of music come and go, thin and crystal-clear. (James Horner actually has built-in pauses for this scene, truly a rarity in film scoring.) The music is in a state of suspension, mirroring the calm before the storm that is about to descend upon Stalingrad. The music breathes as the characters do, with eerie strings drifting through the scales, reflecting the glances that the hunters and prey interchange. Acting instinctively, the old hunter is torn between hunger and fear,

HORNER / ANNAUD DOSSIER

Dear readers, This month, Jean-Jacques Annaud's newest film, Wolf Totem will come out in China and France respectively on 19 and 25 February. In January, we had the chance to see this feature film, to listen to the music composed by James Horner, and to briefly discuss with director Jean-Jacques Annaud and film producer Xavier Castano. The latter informed us that Wolf Totem will soon be distributed worldwide including the US by Sony. To celebrate this fourth collaboration between the American composer and the French director, we decided to dedicate a series of articles to them, through February. Feel free

CONVERSATION WITH JAMES HORNER

"If you build it he will come ..." Just like Ray Kinsella, the character played by Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, a voice (or rather my intuition) led me to create the Association and the James Horner Film Music website. Every minute, every hour spent working for this project was partly guided by an objective I held close in my heart: publish a new, previously unreleased conversation with James Horner. I gave myself five years to get there. Next January we will celebrate four years of JHFM... Unlike the composer, who never listens again to his old music and who never

A FIRST AUDIO EXCERPT OF WOLF TOTEM

Things seem to get faster for Wolf Totem. After the recent postings of the French display and of the Chinese trailer, here is now a first audio excerpt of James Horner's score. Mars Films, which will distribute the film in France, indeed unveiled 45 seconds of the music on the French Facebook page of the film. The film is to be released next February in France and in China. French display Chinese trailer Unfortunately James Horner's score does not seem to be included in this trailer Source: Le dernier Loup - Facebook page © China Films Co., Reperage

AUTUMN NEWS

In this article we have compiled some information regarding the projects for 2015. We remind you that the nearest major event is the world premieres of Pas de Deux, the double concerto for violin and cello, on 12 and 13 November in Liverpool. Since the news of James Horner's involvement in the documentary Aviation: The Invisible Highway last July, we have received very few information. The great composer Peter Boyer, involved in the project as orchestrator, shared his enthusiasm on his facebook page: Then the composer and arranger Steve Sidwell, who has worked with Robbie Williams and George Michael, shared a photo

JAMES HORNER INVOLVED IN WOLF TOTEM

For two years the rumor have been circulating on James Horner’s participation on Wolf Totem, the next feature film by Jean-Jacques Annaud. (See our article of July 2013) In January 2014, Jim Henrikson confided an interview that the French director and the composer had spoken about the film but nothing was conluded. (See interview) In recent weeks we were aware that James Horner was in China. For us, this was no accident but we were awaiting official confirmation. It finally happened Friday at a press conference where Jean-Jacques Annaud said that James Horner had joined him on this project. The director

SUMMER CLARIFICATIONS

During July many of you took the time to contact us concerning the news flow that has spread regarding James Horner and we appreciate it. However on our side we have not communicated yet, as the association James Horner Film Music does not wish to hastily relay unverified and unconfirmed information or viral rumours. We do not seak to go sensational, we first prefer to share with you reliable information, which we took the time to double check. Concerning Romeo And Juliet: Officially: James Horner had recorded the music last December (see our article). This music will be replaced in the

BLACK GOLD: POETS OF THE DESERT

Thanks to Colosseum Music Entertainment we offer you a track by track review of James Horner's latest score album. Many facts regarding the film's plot are revealed throughout this review. More than ten years after Enemy At The Gates, James Horner and Jean-Jacques Annaud meet again on Black Gold. This new collaboration brings us this time in the heart of an Arabian desert, far from Russia's cold winters. 1. Main Title — A Desert Truce (6:34) A voice rises, ending a long silence endured since The Karate Kid. This chant is performed by Qatar pop star Fahad Al-Kubaisi and it leads us straight

BLACK GOLD: FIRST LOOK AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

November's event is the release of Jean-Jacques Annaud’s newest film with music by James Horner: Black Gold. On Wednesday, 2 November we went to Le Havre, where the film was shown to a French audience for the first time. This was an opportunity for us to discover the composer’s latest score, and to meet the director, who came to answer questions from the audience after viewing the film. THE MOVIE Under the unforgiving desert sky, two warring leaders come face to face. The victorious Nesib, Emir of Hobeika, lays down his peace terms to his rival Amar, Sultan of Salmaah. The two men

JAMES HORNER FILM MUSIC