to watch." Spielberg said his movie had to be "ugly", but was worried the violent content could be seen as exploitative and earn it a restrictive NC-17 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, restricting it to audiences over 17 years of age. He anticipated that the "historical importance" of the content would be taken into consideration; it received an R rating, meaning children could watch when accompanied by an adult. Music Long-time Spielberg collaborator, composer John Williams produced the score. Spielberg wanted little music accompaniment, wanting the sounds of battle and death to be prominent. Using a spotting process, he and Williams watched a rough cut of the film to agree on which scenes would feature music. Williams deliberately avoided "anything grandiose or operatic." Williams recorded the 55-minute score over three days at Symphony Hall in Boston, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and vocals by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. The recording cost about $100,000 per hour. Spielberg chose the Orchestra: "This is a movie about a company of soldiers, and it seemed appropriate to use an experienced company of musicians who are all virtuosos. Also we really wanted the sound of this room, Symphony Hall. On a soundstage you can get acoustically correct sound, but you don't hear the air. Here you get a rich, warm sound off the walls and ceiling, and you do hear the air; Symphony Hall is an instrument too." Release Context The summer theatrical season began in early May with the release of Deep Impact, which became a surprise box office success. Studio executives saw its performance as a positive indication that audiences were eager for the upcoming 100 film releases. The heavily promoted Godzilla and Armageddon were expected to be the biggest successes, while executives were hopeful for their more modestly-budgeted films (costing less than $60million), such as Small Soldiers, The Negotiator, The Parent Trap, and There's Something About Mary to be sleeper hits. Far fewer sequels were scheduled for release than in previous years; one executive explained, "everyone started to realize that a certain amount of originality was required, and if you make a sequel it should be better than the last one." There was also less escapist entertainment and more films targeted older audiences, such as The Horse Whisperer, The Truman Show, and the highly-anticipated Saving Private Ryan. Analysis suggested the film's commercial potential could be harmed by its long