The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (score) explained

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
(Original Motion Picture Score)
Type:film
Artist:James Newton Howard
Cover:HungerGamesMockingjay1_score.jpg
Released:November 24, 2014
Recorded:AIR Studios, London
Genre:Film score
Length:1:09:38
Label:Republic
Prev Year:2014
Next Year:2015
Chronology:The Hunger Games soundtrack

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (Original Motion Picture Score) is the score album to the 2014 film . James Newton Howard who composed music for the previous installments, returned to score for Mockingjay – Part 1. The soundtrack was released by Republic Records on November 24, 2014, three days after the film's release.[1] It includes Howard's score along with the original song "The Hanging Tree" performed by Jennifer Lawrence.[2] [3]

"The Hanging Tree"

See main article: The Hanging Tree (The Hunger Games song). "The Hanging Tree" is the single released from the Mockingjay – Part 1 score on November 25, 2014. Performed by the lead actress Jennifer Lawrence, written by the author Suzanne Collins—originally appeared in her novel Mockingjay (2010)—and composed by Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz from American indie folk band the Lumineers, with Howard producing the score, the song is a folk ballad that features orchestral strings and a choir.[4] The song debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the highest-charting song from the Hunger Games film series, surpassing "Eyes Open" by Taylor Swift.[5] It further peaked at number one in Austria, Germany,[6] Hungary,[7] in the top five in Australia,[8] and certified platinum by Music Canada (MC) and double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[9] [10]

The song was initially not included in the film's soundtrack, however due to the tremendous success, the song was included in the digital extended edition as the 15th track from the album, which was released on December 9.[11] A remix of the track by Michael Gazzo, titled as "The Hanging Tree (Rebel Remix)" was released on December 15, 2014.[12]

Reception

Music critic Jonathan Broxton hailed the score for Mockingjay – Part 1 as the "strongest one" from the Hunger Games scores, though despite claiming the subtlety of its restrained nature, and the "lack of truly significant thematic statements being disappointingly anonymous", the score had enough emotion in the quieter moments made up for the lack of overt melodic ideas.[13] He praised "The Hanging Tree" as the "standout single moments of the year". Filmtracks.com also accomplished the score, the best among the three film scores for the series, while writing "despite its continuing melodic haziness, it achieves greater potential for enjoyment with each entry".[14] James Southall of Movie Wave praised that the score had plenty of moments to offer the audiences, but criticized the excessive length of the album and felt that it did not get into the Maleficent (which Howard had composed).[15]

Listing it as one of the best scores and soundtracks of 2014 (along with Maleficent), Michelle McCue and Melissa Thompson of We Are Movie Geeks wrote that the music for both films "cover the whole breadth of experience from scenes of epic action to moments of epic heartache and intimate poignancy".[16] Den of Geek also listed the score as one of 2014's best film scores; critic Ivan Redford wrote that the "darker development of themes match the growing sense of identity of its protagonist".[17]

Accolades

AwardCategoryRecipientsResult
International Film Music Critics AssociationFilm Composer of the YearJames Newton Howard[18]
Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film

Credits

Credits adapted from CD liner notes:[19]

Instruments
Vocalists
Orchestra
Choir
Management
Design

Notes and References

  1. Web site: November 24, 2014 . OFFICIAL: Original Motion Picture Score for 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' Including 'The Hanging Tree' NOW AVAILABLE On iTunes & Amazon . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141203073455/http://www.thehungergamers.net/2014/11/official-original-motion-picture-score-for-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-one-by-james-newton-howard-including-the-hanging-tree-now-available-on-amazon-and-itunes.html . December 3, 2014 . November 25, 2014 . mdy-all.
  2. Web site: 24 November 2014 . The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Pt. 1 (Original Motion Picture Score) by James Newton Howard . https://web.archive.org/web/20190507032525/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hunger-games-mockingjay-pt-1-original-motion-picture/940767575 . 7 May 2019 . 19 December 2018 . iTunes / Apple Music.
  3. James Newton Howard . The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 (Original Motion Picture Score) . 2014 . Republic Records / Lionsgate Entertainment.
  4. Caulfield . Keith . 30 January 2015 . Jennifer Lawrence's 'The Hanging Tree': The Roots of 'The Hunger Games' Hit . Billboard . https://web.archive.org/web/20150829111318/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6458119/jennifer-lawrence-hanging-tree-hunger-games-hit . 29 August 2015 . 18 December 2018.
  5. 7 December 2014 . Jennifer Lawrence Debuts on Hot 100: 'The Hanging Tree' Bows at No. 12 . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20141230051737/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6334896/jennifer-lawrence-hot-100-hanging-tree-hunger-games-mockingjay . 30 December 2014 . 3 December 2014.
  6. News: Austriancharts.at – James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree . de . . live . 2 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170630140049/http://www.austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=James+Newton+Howard+feat.+Jennifer+Lawrence&titel=The+Hanging+Tree&cat=s . 30 June 2017.
  7. News: Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ . hu . . live . 2 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171115151513/http://zene.slagerlistak.hu/single-track-top-40-lista/2014/48 . 15 November 2017.
  8. News: Australian-charts.com – James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree . . live . 2 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160830100025/http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=James+Newton+Howard+feat%2E+Jennifer+Lawrence&titel=The+Hanging+Tree&cat=s . 30 August 2016.
  9. Canada. James Newton Howard. The Hanging Tree. single. 13 June 2017.
  10. United States. James Newton Howard. The Hanging Tree. single. 13 June 2017.
  11. Web site: December 7, 2014 . The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141219093918/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hunger-games-mockingjay-pt./id947662907 . December 19, 2014 . December 3, 2014 . . mdy-all.
  12. Web site: December 7, 2014 . Jennifer Lawrence's 'The Hanging Tree' Got a Pop Radio Remix . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141225191006/http://www.fuse.tv/2014/12/jennifer-lawrence-hanging-tree-pop-radio-remix-edit . December 25, 2014 . December 5, 2014 . . mdy-all.
  13. Web site: 2014-11-29 . THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART I – James Newton Howard . https://web.archive.org/web/20161011173530/https://moviemusicuk.us/2014/11/29/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-i-james-newton-howard/ . 2016-10-11 . 2023-07-29 . MOVIE MUSIC UK . en.
  14. Web site: Filmtracks: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (James Newton Howard) . https://web.archive.org/web/20150214023638/https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/mockingjay1.html . 2015-02-14 . 2023-07-29 . www.filmtracks.com.
  15. Web site: Southall . James . 2014-11-30 . The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 soundtrack review . https://web.archive.org/web/20150113141411/http://www.movie-wave.net/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-1/ . 2015-01-13 . 2023-07-29 . Movie Wave . en-GB.
  16. Web site: 2014-12-30 . Top 15 Scores/Soundtracks of 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150404102625/https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2014/12/top-15-scoressoundtracks-2014/ . 2015-04-04 . 2023-07-29 . We Are Movie Geeks . en-US.
  17. Web site: Radford . Ivan . 2015-01-08 . The top 14 movie soundtracks and scores of 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210922142145/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-top-14-movie-soundtracks-and-scores-of-2014/ . 2021-09-22 . 2023-07-29 . Den of Geek . en-US.
  18. Web site: . 2015 . 2014 IFMCA Awards . https://web.archive.org/web/20150916064432/http://filmmusiccritics.org/awards-archive/ifmca-awards-2014/ . September 16, 2015 . May 1, 2020 . IFMCA .
  19. Web site: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Pt. 1 (Original Motion Picture Score), by James Newton Howard . https://web.archive.org/web/20210519185533/https://jamesnewtonhoward.bandcamp.com/album/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-pt-1-original-motion-picture-score . 2021-05-19 . 2023-07-29 . Bandcamp . en.

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