Friday, Film4, 6:45pm
Hany Abu-Assad’s The Mountain Between Us (2017) is a tale of survival laced with unexpected intimacy. Starring Idris Elba and Kate Winslet, the film follows two strangers—Ben, a stoic neurosurgeon, and Alex, a headstrong photojournalist—who survive a plane crash in the remote snow-covered wilderness. As they navigate life-threatening conditions to find their way back to civilization, the film shifts between visceral survival drama and a tender exploration of human connection. While the screenplay occasionally falters under the weight of its sentimentality, Abu-Assad’s visual storytelling—marked by sweeping shots of the desolate yet hauntingly beautiful terrain—renders the icy isolation almost palpable, making the environment itself a third character in this story of endurance.
Ramin Djawadi’s score is the heartbeat of the film, heightening its emotional depth and amplifying the breathtaking visuals. Known for his work on Game of Thrones and Westworld, Djawadi opts for a restrained approach here, crafting a score that oscillates between the starkness of survival and the vulnerability of burgeoning connection. The main theme, built on delicate piano melodies and subtle string accompaniments, reflects the fragile yet hopeful bond between Ben and Alex. In moments of peril, the music swells with a sense of urgency, but Djawadi resists the temptation to overdramatize, allowing the natural sounds of the environment—howling winds, crunching snow—to occupy the sonic space alongside his compositions.
Perhaps the most poignant element of the soundtrack is its ability to mirror the film's central themes of solitude and companionship. Tracks like “Finding the Strength” embody the internal struggles of the characters, while others, like “Together,” blossom into lush, cinematic crescendos that signal their growing reliance on each other. Djawadi’s score enhances the film’s emotional cadence, subtly threading moments of fear, hope, and resilience. While The Mountain Between Us doesn’t quite escape the clichés of its genre, its soundtrack transforms it into something more soulful, bridging the gap between survival and connection through music that lingers as hauntingly as the film’s icy landscapes.
- Daisy Rae