A note on sources: we’re talking, of course, about the music composed by John Williams and performed by a freelance orchestra (the first time the London Symphony hasn’t scored a Star Wars film). For source/cue division, I’m relying on the original soundtrack release, though it’s worth noting that some of the cues are cut a little differently on the “For Your Consideration” album distributed on the Disney Studios Awards website. (One, my #3 choice, appears there but not on the official soundtrack release.)
10. “Snoke”
Strange though it may seem, “Snoke” lands on our Top 10 list not exactly for what Williams did with the piece but for the rabid fan speculation it inspired. We know very little about the First Order’s Supreme Leader Snoke (as Han asks in a deleted scene, “What makes him supreme?”), but Williams might be giving us a tantalizing clue. “Snoke” sounds an awful lot like “Palpatine’s Teachings” from Revenge of the Sith, with a low, rumbling men’s chorus that seems to imply that Snoke is actually Darth Plagueis – Palpatine’s Sith Master, thought to be deceased. Or perhaps Williams is actually devising a motif for the Dark Side itself. Either way, we know Snoke is not to be taken lightly, and Williams has given us something worth debating until Episode VIII.
9. “Scherzo for X-Wings”
This one almost didn’t make the cut, albeit solely on principle – it’s a concert suite arrangement found on the soundtrack but not in the film proper. But it’s such a great piece that I threw it on here anyway, a fast-paced cut perfect for an aerial dogfight that captures the rapid energy of Poe Dameron as the greatest pilot in the Resistance. Poe has his own musical flourish, sure, but “Scherzo” belongs not just to one pilot but to the entire Black Squadron. Heck, if we could retroactively feature it in some of the Red/Rogue Squadron scenes in the Original Trilogy, the more the better.
8. “Han and Leia”
Kudos to director JJ Abrams for holding back General Leia’s on-screen debut to coincide with her reunion with Han Solo, and equal points go to John Williams for reviving “Han Solo and the Princess” to tug at our heartstrings all the more. The scene could have worked with just the looks exchanged by Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford – punctuated by the applause-worthy interruption of C-3PO – but it’s that musical reminder of their romance that really turns on the waterworks.
7. “Kylo Ren Arrives at the Battle”
Things go from bad to worse whenever Kylo Ren shows up, imbued as he is with an ungodly amount of power and an ill temper to match. But it’s the descending five notes that let us know just how much bantha poodoo has hit the proverbial fan, and it accompanies the visuals to perfection as we see Kylo Ren survey the destruction of Maz Kanata’s watering hole in pursuit of his prize – which quickly becomes a chase through the forest as Rey captures his attention just as he takes her hostage. It’s a solid blend of action score and character-driven motifs, and Williams nails it, as per usual.
6. “The Falcon”
I’ve long lamented that Han Solo never got his own theme tune (apart, perhaps, from “The Asteroid Field” from The Empire Strikes Back), but with The Force Awakens we got the next best thing – a motif for the Millennium Falcon. Situated somewhere between Roland Barrett’s “Of Dark Lords and Ancient Kings” and Dave Brubeck’s “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” “The Falcon” motif might also be a theme for Finn, since he appears in both action scenes where the track is featured, but it’s more likely that one of the saga’s unsung heroes finally got, well, sung.
5. “The Starkiller”
Whether you thought that Starkiller Base was the next logical step in the franchise or just a Death Star turned up to eleven, Williams gave us a surprisingly mournful melody – a far cry from the suspenseful countdown heard in “Destruction of Alderaan” from Star Wars. It’s mildly reminiscent of the middle section of “Across the Stars” out of Attack of the Clones, and the suggestion that it’s as much an elegy for the soul of Kylo Ren as for those killed by the Starkiller weapon makes its deployment in the film a somber affair, inducing goosebumps and perhaps even a tear of sorrow.
4. “The Ways of the Force”
Throughout The Force Awakens, Williams is judicious in his invocation of classic motifs, but in “The Ways of the Force” he goes fro broke by reusing the “Burning Homestead” cut from Star Wars at the moment that the lightsaber flies into the hand of Rey, choosing her over Kylo Ren. Blending the Force theme, Rey’s motif, and Kylo Ren’s fanfare, Williams crafts a charged and frenetic action cue that is as frantic as it is meaningful. If this is Rey’s “burning homestead” moment, what does that portend for her hero’s journey? And if this is her first glimpse at what the ways of the Force can teach her, how much more powerful will she be after a few rounds of Jedi training?
3. “The Resistance”
While some might lament that the Resistance is just another iteration of the Rebel Alliance, a small band of dissenters against a monopolistic force of evil, they have something the Rebels never had – a unified musical motif (unless you count the fleeting “Rebel Fanfare” heard throughout the Original Trilogy). And I’ve chosen this particular cue as my #3 moment because it encapsulates the first big Resistance action scene in the new films as Poe Dameron gets to show off his skills as Finn and Han continue the fight at ground level. It’s not much more than a minute of music, but it’s immediately unforgettable and sends the audience cheering just as Finn does.
2. “The Jedi Steps”
Leave it to Williams to come up with two minutes of original music that dwarfs nearly everything else on the soundtrack (hey, it ain’t #1, is it?). The ascending scales as Rey takes her steps up the mystical island retreat of – SPOILERS – a self-exiled Luke Skywalker lead the viewer/listener up those same steps toward enlightenment, promising us that the true adventure is only just beginning. It’s a promise that I hope will be fulfilled in the as-yet-untitled Episode VIII, provided we see Williams return, but I think “The Jedi Steps” prove that the Maestro still has a few tricks up his sleeve. (And the flirtatious blend of “Rey’s Theme” with the Force theme during the end credits is just icing on the cake.)
1. “Rey’s Theme”
In terms of reintroducing the Star Wars saga to a new audience, Williams outdid himself with an instant classic, instantly recognizable as a reference point for its title character and for the Sequel Trilogy (is that what we’re calling it?) as a whole. With orchestral bells straight out of his Harry Potter work and a musical thirst for adventure and for one’s place in the universe, “Rey’s Theme” awakened something in us all – a reminder of what it is to live in that galaxy far, far away and the possibilities therein. The entire score is permeated by “Rey’s Theme,” proving how deft Williams has always been with motifs and how versatile his work can be, repurposed for tragedy, action, and mystery.
Hit the comments section to tell me your favorite musical moment from The Force Awakens! And be sure to subscribe up above to make sure you don’t miss future reviews, or...
3 comments:
I haven't listened to the album itself, but per your contention that the music is only as good as the scene it's in, I'm still not convinced this score is anything special (something I never thought I'd say about John Williams). I've watched the movie at home now (my fourth time seeing it), and still the only piece that stands out is 2, mainly just the small portion when she finally sees Luke. Every other piece of music was either average (and quiet, like the music was on a lower volume level than the other sound in the picture) or reuse of the classic score. The prequels may have been garbage overall, but even they had some great, memorable musical pieces. The Force Awakens, not so much.
And now that you mention it, the destruction in the scene of #5 is glossed over in the movie even more so than Alderaan in Star Wars. I keep forgetting that even happens in the movie until someone brings it up again.
I wouldn't say I think that a score is only as good as the scene - in fact, I'd say the opposite is frequently true (case in point, Tomorrowland, which has a killer score but a lackluster film). But if you think Rey's Theme doesn't stand out, I'd have to ask how you've gone through four viewings without noticing it.
Those weren't your exact words, but you said something to that effect earlier about the score and the scene it's in.
And I guess the volume issue affected Rey's theme?
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