Italian filmmaker Matteo Rovere’s Il Primo Re (Romulus and Remus: The First King) recounts aspects of the legend of Romulus and Remus and the founding of Rome. Aiming for historical accuracy (ala The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto), the movie attempts to create 800 B.C. (for example, the cast speak a form of proto-Italian) and the score is by composer Andrea Farri, who previously scored several the director’s previous movies.
Overall, the score is one of grit and an all-pervasive brutish energy that seems appropriate for the film’s setting. The opening “Sarò Io Il Fuoco” highlights the score as a whole, featuring strong tribal percussive elements melded with – somehow unusually – strong electronics. Despite the inclusion of the modern-day synths, I think that the score on the album quickly establishes the filmmaker’s vision for historical accuracy with its focus on the percussion. For me, these various elements sometimes don’t quite work though, and the mix of musical ideas that are mixed together just instil a frustration in the listener rather than establishing a believable historical world.
The score does have several highlights which couldn’t be much different from one another. The tribal percussion of “Battaglia sul Tevere” evokes a sense of place and time and provides a raw and animalistic energy. The composer throws percussion, strings and brass into the mix to great effect. Following on from this, the next cue couldn’t be further in style from “Battaglia sul Tevere”, and features a children’s choir. “Canto Per La Morte dei Guerrieri” is a somehow unsettling requiem-style chant which moves to a delicate child’s solo voice.
The short running time (23 minutes) seems to limit the opportunity for the score to break out from the brutal aspects of the score– if there are any lighter moments in the score that are not featured on the album. Il Primo Re is an album where isolated moments are the highlights rather than the album as a whole and, in this respect, the short running time may be advantageous. (Original Review by Alan Rogers)
The album can be purchased at online stores as a digital download or to stream.
Rating: ***/*****
- Sarò io il fuoco (1:59)
- La foglia e il suo dorso (2:23)
- Battaglia sul Tevere (4:41)
- Canto per la morte dei guerrieri (3:00)
- Remo (2:43)
- Il corpo di mio fratello (2:11)
- Siederemo accanto agli dèi (3:22)
- Il primo re (2:45)
Running Time: 23:04
RTI (2019)
Reel Music 