A couple of months ago, it struck me that almost all of my favorite film scores were done by one guy... and it further struck me that in all of these cases the score itself could almost (and in some cases certainly did) transcend the film itself.
That guy was John Williams of course.
It could be argued that no one else has had a greater impact on the art of film scoring (and I'm sure it is ). He is second only to Walt Disney for Oscar nominations with 45, and has won 5.
From Fiddler on the Roof, to Jaws and Star Wars, on to Schindler's List, Star Wars again, and Harry Potter... the range is great, but the quality never seems to suffer. I often wonder if some of the greatest films ever would even be known without the scores by John Williams.
For the TROUBLED may you find PEACE
For the DESPAIRING may you find HOPE
For the LONELY may you find LOVE
For the SKEPTICAL may you find FAITH
-Frances C. Arrillaga 1941-1995
I remember when I saw Star Wars for the first time, at 18, that as much as anything else in the film it was the score that blew me away. That retro, fanfarish, incredibly evocative score. Half the reason I went back and saw it again less than a day later was to try to get that score into my head. I asked for the LP of the score for my birthday (I still have it).
And, of course, Williams is the composer of the most famous two-note theme in film score history. The two notes repeat, but everybody knows what that deep, ominous first "dah-dum . . ." means. Just two notes.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Well, maybe this post doesn't belong in this thread, but I really haven't been fond of John Williams. Perhaps that's because I never forgave him for taking over (and ruined, IMHO) the Boston Pops, back in 1980.
But in looking at his bio on Wikipedia, I'm surprised at how many scores he's written. He is definitely synonymous with the "big cinema" sound.
He is definitely synonymous with the "big cinema" sound.
He's almost responsible for it. The big symphonic score had practically disappeared after the early Sixties, but Williams brought it back, consciously channeling guys like Korngold and Reger (think Errol Flynn swashbucklers).
I remember when I saw Star Wars for the first time, at 18, that as much as anything else in the film it was the score that blew me away
It was the score that brought me to the film. The rest of my family went to see it but I stayed home. (Humph! Sounds like a cheap Star Trek ripoff!). Even after they came home raving I was unconvinced- until the radio played the Title Theme (NOT the disco version) - then I had to see that movie.
). He is second only to Walt Disney for Oscar nominations with 45, and has won 5.
