Enter the Dragon

	Composer: Lalo Schifrin Label (Release Year): Warner Home Video (1998) Availability: ***** Rating: ***
I knew the movie has an excellent 70's funk theme before I got the score. But I did not have the anxiety to get the soundtrack until I saw the movie again on TV this past summer. Schifrin' score really stands out in the movie. There are currently three versions of the score avaliable. The version I got is the easiest one to get. This newly restored and remastered versoin comes with the "Enter the Dragon Video Box Set" newly issued by Warner Home Video since this year is Bruce Lee's 25th Anniversary. The box set will cost you around $50. I was lucky enough to find just the CD in a used CD store. So I only had to pay $10 for it. The second version is a Japanese import issued by WB Records. It is very hard to come by these days. Of course, it has less materials than the one I got. The third one is a two CDs set. A company (I forget which) was about to issue the CD set recently. However, the plan was cancelled due to some reasons. So, there is a 2-CD promotional version floating around the market. This one is very hard to come by also. Okay, back to the music. The main theme is as excellent as his theme to Mission: Impossible. The theme is in minor and has a sense of danger. However, the "Shaft" style electric guitar and bass make the theme more funky and catchy in a 70's style. Other than electronic instruments, Schifrin used brass and percussion a lot too. Other than the main theme, there are two other themes. The first one is the "flask back" theme. The melody is mysterious and is played with electric guitar. The other one is a love theme. However, it can be heard only once in "The Gentle Softness." By the way, Schifrin quoted a theme from a previous Bruce Lee movie (I thinks that is "The Way of The Dragon") briefly in one track. That is another excellent theme. Too bad the score was never released since the film was a Hong Kong production. Also, this score has an excellent Chinese touch. Like the track "Banquet" sounds just like a piece of Chinese music. In general, you got two types of music from the score. Dark and mysterious music (synthesizer based) and funky 70's fighting music. Both music blends very well and is very coherent. This is truly a master piece that you don't want to miss.
Track Listing: Prologue - The First Fight* (2:36) Main Title (2:20) So-Lin (The Monk)† (4:57) Sampans and Flashbacks† (6:21) Han's Island (2:57) The Banquet (3:02) Headset Jazz* (2:10) The Gentle Softness (2:40) Into the Night† (3:44) Goodbye Oharra* (1:54) Bamboo Birdcage (2:32) Han's Cruelty* (2:09) The Human Fly† (3:36) The Big Battle† (4:47) Broken Mirrors† (5:55) End Titles (1:10) Main Titles (Alternate)* (3:17) *previously unreleased †contains previously unreleased material Total Time: 57:15