Perhaps John Williams Isn't God After All...

by James Southall

When I sat in the cinema in the Summer of 1993 watching a little film directed by Steven something-or- other about dinosaurs, I remember thinking, nice effects... I distinctly recall my sense of awe when I first saw those dinos around the lake (a beautiful scene); my sense of bewilderment as I pondered how on earth Denis Muren and co had managed to come up with such stunning effects. I was, simply, dumbfounded. But another aspect of the film struck me even more than the effects; when I was coming away from the cinema, I didn't turn to my movie-going companions and talk about the effects, but about the music. Before that moment, I'd never really noticed film music, to be honest (well, I was only a wee lad at the time). But I couldn't stop humming those two darned themes... I just had to get the CD. But, for some reason, I didn't; I forgot all about it, and went back into my youthful state of film music ignorance.

A couple of years later, I saw the film on video. And, once again, I was awe-struck by the beauty of the music (in particular, for the helicopter ride to the island). I liked it so much that I got playing with cables and leads and taped the end credits music from the video onto a cassette. And I listened to it over, and over, again. And then I started noticing music in films much more often. I found myself walking around the house whistling (badly) film themes all the time. But still I didn't get any CDs (mainly, it has to be said, because I didn't have the money...) But the interest was there. Something had clicked. The lightning had struck.

Then I came to University and, by the most amazing coincidence, the person in the next-room-but-one to mine is a huge film music fan. He had about a hundred film music CDs. And so I would listen to his music over, and over, again, particularly the music of John Williams. Then, as I was more independent financially, I started buying a few film music CDs, starting with the obvious ones (Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Jurassic Park, etc.—do you notice a pattern emerging as to the composer?)

I would sit around happily and listen to these (and a few others, the obvious ones by Goldsmith, Horner and Elfman, and not a fat lot else) all day. To me, film music was these scores to summer blockbusters. I distinctly recall one evening taking a walk with my friend and laughing about how no composer would ever come remotely close to being as talented as John Williams. Those were the days; blissful ignorance! I would happily talk about how magnificent Star Wars is; how Empire Strikes Back is even better, and Return of the Jedi is at least as good; how the Indiana Jones trilogy's music would never be bettered in action films; how E.T. is the best soundtrack ever composed; how Jaws mesmerized me from start to finish. To an extent, I still hold those views; all of the soundtracks I've mentioned are bloody good.

But then I went out and became a little more experimental. I bought a little Maurice Jarre. I bought a little Ennio Morricone. I bought a little Nino Rota. I bought a lot of John Barry. This broadened my horizons no end (particularly Barry), and I'm so glad that I took this opportunity to discover that there is a world of film music aside from John Williams out there. Of course, if anyone had asked me who the greatest composer is, I'd still have said John Williams.

But then I happened to hear Nixon. (And then I heard it again, only this time it was retitled Sleepers.) And what a terrible score it is. Sure, there's the occasional brassy march that have become Williams's trademark. Sure, the main theme is reasonable. But there's so little of substance. Nothing to cling on to and make you think "This is a great score!" Nothing at all. But worse was to come, because I got to hear The Lost World, which sounded to me like a combination between something Alan Silvestri might have written on a bad day and something Robert Folk might have written on a good day. Look out John Williams, here comes Robert Folk.

It was The Lost World that did it. It made me realize that perhaps John Williams isn't God after all. He can make mistakes. And does. Take Hook for example. At first I was enchanted by the music. I loved it. But, with every listen, I liked it a little less, until now when I really do find it rather tedious sitting through JW's happy, smiley music. The jazz cue's good, but totally out-of-place. The prologue is good, but only 90 seconds long. It's gone from being one of my most-listened CDs to one of my least-listened.

I look forward to the new Star Wars films with a certain amount of trepidation. Will they be the effects-laden, character-free-zones that I fear they might be? I certainly hope not. But I am a little concerned about the music, too. What if we get another Lost World? Something everyone's looking forward to, but few are pleased with. What if his new themes aren't so great? What if we get too much recycled music? What if...?

Of course, that's still a long way off. Before then, there's Seven Years in Tibet, which I'm not too confident about, and Amistad and Saving Private Ryan, which I am. Come on, John. Recapture your old magic. Make sure you go out on a high.