Top ten Maurice Jarre scores (2025)

This is the only score of Jarre's that I really like. For whatever reason, his music does not resonate with me.

This is the only score of Jarre's that I really like. For whatever reason, his music does not resonate with me.

I thought you'd enjoy the jazzy side of THE COLLECTOR.

As for me, I can't give a top 10 off the top of my head but two favourite scores are certainly A SEASON IN HELL and VENDREDI OU LA VIE SAUVAGE. I also like very much EYES WITHOUT A FACE.

Grand Prix - great expanded FSM release
The Night Of The Generals - lucky to have the Intrada release
The Life & Times Of Judge Roy Bean - great expanded FSM release
The Professionals - I have the Silva Screen vinyl rip, will the album tapes ever be found?
El Condor/Villa Rides! - a great double bill from Universal France, out of the two, I think I prefer El Condor.

This is the only score of Jarre's that I really like. For whatever reason, his music does not resonate with me.

I thought you'd enjoy the jazzy side of THE COLLECTOR.

As for me, I can't give a top 10 off the top of my head but two favourite scores are certainly A SEASON IN HELL and VENDREDI OU LA VIE SAUVAGE. I also like very much EYES WITHOUT A FACE.

Well, in fairness, I haven't exactly sought him out, so I suppose there is much to discover.

May I say at this juncture that "Lara's Theme" must be one of the most terrible melodies of the 20th century.

I do have Grand Prix, which is overdue for a spin. I should also revisit Larry of Aruba for exotica content.

Oh, I feel the same way. It gets SO grating by the end of the score too, because it makes up like 85% of it (at least it feels that way to me!) The other 15% of the score has some Russian-y stuff I like quite a bit, but I never listen to the score because Lara's Theme grates on me like Ravel's Bolero does.

My top ten Jarre at the moment is probably:
Lawrence of Arabia (thanks Tadlow)
Is Paris Burning? (never used to care about this one, but thanks Tadlow again!)
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (thanks Tadlow for the complete edition!)
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (there's an AMAZING cue near the end)
Resurrection
Great Expectations (echo the desire for a CD edition, expanded if possible)
Shogun
Tai-Pan (yeah I'm a sucker for Asian-flavored Hollywood scores)
Pope Joan
...
and one I don't think anyone else has mentioned as a favorite so far: Behold a Pale Horse

Honorable mention shout-outs to a few others I haven't noticed here yet: Enola Gay, The Big Gamble, and The Setting Sun. But there are quite a few others I also like.

Yavar

Oh, I feel the same way. It gets SO grating by the end of the score too, because it makes up like 85% of it (at least it feels that way to me!) The other 15% of the score has some Russian-y stuff I like quite a bit, but I never listen to the score because Lara's Theme grates on me like Ravel's Bolero does.

To be fair to Jarre, I'm sure I read that he only used it a couple of times, but when they dubbed the music onto the film, they stuck it all over the place, which wasn't Jarre's idea. I don't think it's even in the main titles, I'm not sure as I don't have the album anymore (or I can't find it), I'll have to re-buy it, the expanded CD is pretty cheap.

The LP is readily available for 50 cents at a thrift store near you. If a thrift store wants to sell records, they are required by law to stock "Dr. Zhivago," "Whipped Cream & Other Delights," and "Merry Christmas from Firestone Tires."