一聽音樂網

《郵差》是一部講述沒落的未來世界中，原有的一切社會秩序和一切現代化設施都不復存在，人們生活在孤立的環境中。一個意外成為了象征美國政府的郵差，最終帶領大家擺脫了軍閥的統治，重建了秩序的家園。無論從故事創意、情節結構，還是美學依托來看，《郵差》都可以被視作為《水世界》的姊妹片，宏大的場面、濃重的后災難情結、具有超現實意味的畫面構成，讓人覺得仿佛置身于一個工業沒落的西部世界，同樣，該片在票房上也和《水世界》一樣遭遇了滑鐵盧，正因為如此，很多原聲愛好者錯失了James Newton Howard這張值得紀念的好碟。
該碟前7首才是管弦樂的原聲，后8首實際是可以完全跳過的流行歌曲，包括Kevin Costner自己演唱的You Didn't Have To Be So Nice。不過前面7首有接近50分鐘。專輯以Main Titles那啟示錄般的設置開始，利用弦樂和打擊樂來表現一種荒蕪的場景。接下來，隨著弦樂變得更加的激動，管樂更加有力度音樂開始變得危險。Shelter in the Storm的緩和，展示了在這種荒蕪人煙的地方的孤獨與寂寞，雖然在長笛、法國號和豎琴的幫助下，有一些優美、柔和的韻味。主題從The Belly of the Beast開始凸現，Howard用不斷提高的管弦樂完美的展示了主題出現的時刻。到了Abby Comes Calling，大部分時候都顯得一場的平靜和緩和。在剩下的部分有不少重復的部分，但是也還有很多突顯的時刻，例如愛國者主題、流浪者主題等等，這些都能給聽眾留下深刻的印象。The Restored United States達到了電影配樂中教科書式的成就，主題之間完美無暇的安排，表現了鎮壓與反抗、悲劇與勝利、平靜與荒蕪之間的強烈對比。Howard以The Postman終結全篇。
《郵差》的確以啟示錄的風格展現了沒落未來的荒蕪，也能完美的配合影片的情節來展現各種的對立面，音樂所刻畫的恢宏的西部場面也是該片力圖達到的風格，全曲能給人留下深刻的印象。
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.