The COVID pandemic has been terrible for many people, but weirdly enough, it also brought me some small joys. One of them is that I sometimes get surprised by a score that appears to be a Netflix exclusive, which I can see immediately. Most of these movies would have been motion pictures in the theater before the pandemic. So I found myself on the couch watching Damsel in the evening after listening to the soundtrack, written by David Fleming, only a few hours prior.
What drew me to the music were the impressive orchestral melodies and countermelodies, mixed with a choir and some medieval instruments. The main theme is present in the first track, “Elodie’s Maze,” and it represents the protagonist, Elodie, the daughter of a lord in a fantasy world. The track cleverly showcases her elegance, innocence, and heroic determination.
Another essential theme can be heard in the “Kingdom of Aurea,” which represents the kingdom of the same name. The combination of the female choir, orchestra and medieval instruments reflects the grandness of the country brilliantly and does not reveal its darkest secrets. There are probably many more themes, but there is one left that I wanted to point out: the theme for the dragon. It is more like a motif of a few notes than a theme, but it is still important and effective with its ominous sounds. This motif can be found for the first time in “Once Upon a Time” around the one-and-a-half-minute mark.
From the third track, “Once Upon a Time,” to the end of the album, the music is chronologically in line with the film, and what I love about it is that I can perfectly follow the story along, since Fleming’s music fits so well with the story. The first set of tracks feels like a fairy tale with sounds of adventure, innocence, and love. The soundscape starts to change with the mysterious sounds in “Roses and Ritual“. The following tracks are becoming more action-focused, with the themes of Elodie and the dragon being very prominent. The music starts to become more determined and heroic, with a strong focus on Elodie’s theme to the end, with “End of the Story” containing the most heroic version of the theme as the finale.
I had heard music from Fleming before, some of it in collaboration with Hans Zimmer and a couple of soundtracks by himself, and they were well-crafted scores. Still, this soundtrack stands out with its outstanding orchestral melodies and theme integrations. I found the movie entertaining, and the music was the main reason. If you have Netflix, give this movie a chance, and if you like the music, listen to and appreciate the music separately a couple of times afterwards, as I did.
Listen or buy
- Buy this soundtrack digitally from Amazon.com or Apple Music
- Listen to this soundtrack on Spotify
Tracklist
The highlights are in bold.
- Elodie’s Maze (4:41)
- Kingdom of Aurea (2:56)
- Once Upon a Time (2:54)
- A Proposal (4:14)
- Horizon (3:27)
- See The World (1:41)
- The Dress (2:02)
- Ever After (2:57)
- Roses and Ritual (5:07)
- Run! (3:11)
- Glowworm Cave (4:33)
- Phantom Princesses (1:28)
- Pointing the Way (2:07)
- Flower Cave (3:43)
- Dead End (1:33)
- Three Eggs (2:46)
- Duty and Deceit (2:14)
- Hunting Party (2:09)
- Flight and Fire (3:23)
- No Shelter (4:30)
- War Paint (1:43)
- Facing The Dragon (3:16)
- Accept Your Fate (4:44)
- Royal Blood (2:39)
- End Of Your Story (3:40)
- Homeward (1:27)
- Ring of Fire (3:13)
Total length: 1 hour and 22 minutes
Netflix Music (2024)
