Introduction
While watching any film, one can see that, at times, the lack of specific musical effects or a drastic substitution with other types of compositions might make the movie less appealing. This is why composing can be considered a true kind of art. Among such well-known and recognized artists of the 21st century is John Williams. The works of this composer are used in such popular motion pictures as Jaws, Star Wars, and Superman. The reason for Williams’ popularity is due to the influence of his compositions and their strong connection with the environment, seen by the audience, which creates a unique atmosphere. Thus, the skillful combination of sound, expression, rhythm, and harmony allowed Williams to find the best way to represent the themes of the films.
Jaws
Among the most recognizable movies for which John Williams composed soundtracks is Jaws. The movie was released in 1978 and involves countless parts which aim at making the audience feel stress combined with excitement (Williams). The general theme expressed in the film is the fragile character of humans and their vulnerability when exposed to nature. For instance, among the noteworthy examples in the movie is the episode with a young woman named Chrissie, who was attacked by a shark while swimming away from the shore (Williams). After the audience sees Chrissie in the water, the camera makes a transition and shows the girl from the water, which is accompanied by a musical effect.
Several elements are incorporated, including sound, harmony, and texture. As the camera moves toward the body of Chrissie, the sound elements start to indicate a higher pith, which involves a harmony of violin and drums. The element of expression used by Williams involved using the dynamics of gradually increasing the sound along with the tempo. As a result, the changes brought to the film made by Williams intensified the emotions of the viewers and, therefore, suited the motion picture. My personal emotional reaction changed as well since there was a drastic transition from the serene beach episode to intensifying terrifying musical composition to rapid camera movements.
Star Wars
The second film worth paying attention to is Star Wars, which is a collection of movies about Luke Skywalker’s adventures. One of the themes of the movie is Luke Skywalker theme, which resonates with the nature of the protagonist, illustrating his compassionate and moral character. From 1:38 to 2:50 of this composition, one can hear the elements, such as sound and expression, which are emphasized strongly (— “Skywalker Theme”). For example, the sound has a low timbre in the beginning and transitions to a piercing one at the end, symbolizing the change in the character. Another element, expression, is characterized by shifting dynamics, going from soft to loud volume. The tempo of the piece does not vary much, transitioning from slow to medium beats per minute. This introduces the audience to the protagonist and his role in the film, which captures the character of Luke and can be considered to suit perfectly by Williams. My personal emotional reaction changed as the level of excitement rose.
Superman
The final motion picture, Superman, has an intensifying musical composition as well. The movie was released in 1978, introducing a memorable character Clark Kent for the first time (— “Prelude and Main Title March”). The central theme of the film is the bold nature of individuals and their inner and outer strengths. Such a motif can even be felt through the beginning of the movie, the opening titles. From 1:12 till 1:41 into the start of the picture, the audience hears the intensifying music, which Williams created by implementing elements like expression, rhythm, and sound (— “Prelude and Main Title March”). The first element in this part, the sound, can be characterized as a warm, soft amplitude in the beginning, shifting toward strident vibrato toward the end.
Then, the rhythm, the organization of music in time, becomes evident when the peak of musical effect is the occurrence of the title Superman on the screen. At this point, the dynamics in the expression element are loud, and the tempo is medium, which is a change from the slow tempo in the beginning. Therefore, one can see that the work of Williams suits the film since it perfectly introduces the epic nature of a movie about a hero. My personal emotional reaction changed due to the variety of feelings I felt while listening to the score.
How to Train Your Dragon
As can be seen from the works of John Williams, he is a composer of great talent, and it is undeniable that his efforts might have influenced countless predecessors in this field. For example, according to John Powell, Williams has an “unbelievably high quality of musical compositional sort of rigor” (Patches). The composer chose the correct score for each movie, picking the melodies that would best suit each individual film and its themes. As a result, John Powell, who is of Scottish descent, poured his inspiration into his creation, focusing on the suitability of the score within the motion picture’s framework.
Conclusion
Hence, sound, expression, rhythm, and harmony music elements incorporated by Williams allowed him to create memorable scores for the movies. For instance, Jaws combine the given elements to make the scene more intense. In turn, Star Wars show the transition of the main character, Luke. Lastly, in Superman, the composer was able to introduce Clark Kent via opening titles, slowly intensifying musical effects toward the occurrence of the Superman title. Consequently, the works of Williams inspired many future composers, such as Powell.
Works Cited
Patches, Matt. “How the How to Train Your Dragon Trilogy Wound Up with the Most Thrilling Music since Star Wars.” Polygon, 2019. Web.
Williams, John. “Chrissie’s Death – Jaws” (Video). YouTube. Web.
- “Skywalker Theme” (Video). YouTube. Web.
- “Prelude and Main Title March” (Video). Youtube. Web.