Despite the surprisingly short runtime of Jason and the Argonauts, it’s filled with everything a Hollywood epic needs – grand scope, love, betrayal, and triumph. Composer Bernard Herrmann follows suit, as his score matches every pivotal moment and tonal shift. In fact, Herrmann’s score evokes the film’s imagery and subject matter so well that it works as an epic tale all its own. Gentle harps signal the heavenliness of Olympus and its gods; slow, pounding drums driving the Argo’s rowers also form the solid rhythmic core of many cues; and faster, frantic war drums as Jason and his crew fight through a horde of mythological nemeses. The imagery is so crisp and clear that one can easily imagine each scene play out without the need of the film at all.
Of course, the main selling point of Jason and the Argonauts is Ray Harryhausen’s incredible visuals, bringing fantastic monsters and locations to life with stunning practical effects. While these are still a marvel to behold, some of the action sequences themselves aged in the 60 years since the film’s release – blocking, pacing, and choreography, for instance, naturally feel dated. Fortunately, Herrmann brings extra life to these scenes (and the film at large), with martial brass filling each such scene, invigorating and amplifying the danger, tension, and excitement already present.
