You won't often be interested in a movie soundtrack if you have not seen the movie. The soundtrack for Final Solution might be an exception. The score, in my opinion, has the ability to reach out to the listener without the film to back it up.

Let me first tell you briefly about the film (which I haven't seen at this time). Final Solution takes place in South Africa. The focus of the film is, not surprisingly, race relations. The story centers around a white man who at one point planned the mass extermination of the country's black population. After finding God, the man rededicates his life to racial harmony.

Whether or not racial tensions, Christian films or the fact that this film was produced by NBA All-Star A.C. Green interests you, the soundtrack should be looked at in an individual light. Without having seen the movie, the only connection I can hear at this point is the South African locale. The music has a distinct South African sound. This is a sound I can appreciate. As such, I found a connection with the soundtrack.

The score starts out with the haunting vocals of Nqobile Sibeko. Backed by ethnic percussion and mesmerizing stringed instruments from the Johannesburg Studio Orchestra, the music has an almost dreamlike quality about it. This track still creates tingles up my spine even though I've heard it more than a dozen times.

While the soundtrack is mostly orchestra or tribal sound-based, the Sdasa Chorale also share their vocal music with a style that world music lovers would recognize right away. They perform a version of "Jesus" that is almost as good as "Sechaba" off the Sarafina soundtrack. If these aren't the same song, then they share a common base.

I like listening to soundtracks. They are an auditory way of reliving a movie. But when a soundtrack can stand on its own, I consider that kind of special. Normally, a film would be the catalyst towards my acquiring the accompanying soundtrack. In the particular case of Final Solution, the soundtrack is prompting me to seek out a copy of the film. My expectations are pretty high based on the quality of the soundtrack. I hope the film does not disappoint....

- Rambles
written by Wil Owen
published 1 November 2003