October 31, 2024
FILM: MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS
DIRECTED BY: LAURENT BOUZEREAU
STARRING: JOHN WILLIAMS, STEVEN SPIELBERG, GEORGE LUCAS
RATING: 4 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
If you don’t know who John Williams is, you absolutely know his music. He’s won five Oscars and has been nominated an astounding 54 times! When I first heard about the new documentary about this great composer, my first thought was, “What new will I learn?” I’ve seen (and shown to film students) many different documentaries over the years that focus on film scoring, including some of the greats such as Jaws, Star Wars, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Each of these was composed by Williams. What director Laurent Bouzereau has created here is the quintessential film devoted to the evolution of Williams’s work. It’s a major historical document. Imagine having a film about some of the greatest composers of all time such as Beethoven, Mozart, or Tchaikovsky, and having them discuss their compositions and include all of those that have benefitted from their work. The fact is, the scores of John Williams are not only memorable and a significant part of film history but they continue to be played in concert, often conducted by 92-year-old Williams, today.
This is also far from a dull portrait of a major public figure. Bouzereau includes interviews with not only Williams but some of the most successful filmmakers of the last century, including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, J.J. Abrahams, and Ron Howard. The film allows them to discuss at detail what it has been like working with Williams. Of course, there are numerous clips from the key films he scored but even more interesting is the footage featuring spotting and recording sessions for some of the films such as Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This is priceless footage that also includes interesting observations about his process by these major directors, along with other composers, musicians, and historians.
There is also a lot of background on Williams’s life prior to working in film. Bouzereau takes us back to his childhood and his early interest in the piano and jazz before he eventually landed gigs scoring for television shows such as Gilligan’s Island and Lost in Space. Of course, the largest sections of the film are focused on the work Williams did on some of the greatest films of the last century. It’s interesting to hear him talk about some of the music themes he created for Star Wars, the complex nature of the final scenes in Close Encounters, and some of the work he did on other noteworthy films such as The Poseidon Adventure, Home Alone, JFK, Superman, and many others.
The film is also briskly edited and features some very colorful images plopped onto the screen from the dozens of films he scored, some of which many of us might never have associated with him (who knew he did so many comedies in the 1960s?!) It’s interesting to hear about the wide range of music he created for some of his films and how he remains devoted to the orchestral score versus the many filmmakers today who utilize electronic music to create moods for their works. Williams discusses his reluctance about embracing this shift in film composing but he is clearly stimulated and fascinated by it.
As is documented in the film, Williams’s work goes on and on, including his compositions for the Olympics and his conducting jobs for the Boston Pops and at the Hollywood Bowl. All of this is lovingly illustrated with numerous clips and of course a detailed interview with Williams himself.
There’s no question that John Williams is one of the most significant artists of the past hundred years. Thankfully, this film honors all of his major works, his processes, and his importance to the culture.
Music by John Williams is opening in limited release in New York, Los Angeles, and London this week as well as premiering on Disney+ for streaming.
FILM: MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS
DIRECTED BY: LAURENT BOUZEREAU
STARRING: JOHN WILLIAMS, STEVEN SPIELBERG, GEORGE LUCAS
RATING: 4 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
If you don’t know who John Williams is, you absolutely know his music. He’s won five Oscars and has been nominated an astounding 54 times! When I first heard about the new documentary about this great composer, my first thought was, “What new will I learn?” I’ve seen (and shown to film students) many different documentaries over the years that focus on film scoring, including some of the greats such as Jaws, Star Wars, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Each of these was composed by Williams. What director Laurent Bouzereau has created here is the quintessential film devoted to the evolution of Williams’s work. It’s a major historical document. Imagine having a film about some of the greatest composers of all time such as Beethoven, Mozart, or Tchaikovsky, and having them discuss their compositions and include all of those that have benefitted from their work. The fact is, the scores of John Williams are not only memorable and a significant part of film history but they continue to be played in concert, often conducted by 92-year-old Williams, today.
This is also far from a dull portrait of a major public figure. Bouzereau includes interviews with not only Williams but some of the most successful filmmakers of the last century, including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, J.J. Abrahams, and Ron Howard. The film allows them to discuss at detail what it has been like working with Williams. Of course, there are numerous clips from the key films he scored but even more interesting is the footage featuring spotting and recording sessions for some of the films such as Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This is priceless footage that also includes interesting observations about his process by these major directors, along with other composers, musicians, and historians.
There is also a lot of background on Williams’s life prior to working in film. Bouzereau takes us back to his childhood and his early interest in the piano and jazz before he eventually landed gigs scoring for television shows such as Gilligan’s Island and Lost in Space. Of course, the largest sections of the film are focused on the work Williams did on some of the greatest films of the last century. It’s interesting to hear him talk about some of the music themes he created for Star Wars, the complex nature of the final scenes in Close Encounters, and some of the work he did on other noteworthy films such as The Poseidon Adventure, Home Alone, JFK, Superman, and many others.
The film is also briskly edited and features some very colorful images plopped onto the screen from the dozens of films he scored, some of which many of us might never have associated with him (who knew he did so many comedies in the 1960s?!) It’s interesting to hear about the wide range of music he created for some of his films and how he remains devoted to the orchestral score versus the many filmmakers today who utilize electronic music to create moods for their works. Williams discusses his reluctance about embracing this shift in film composing but he is clearly stimulated and fascinated by it.
As is documented in the film, Williams’s work goes on and on, including his compositions for the Olympics and his conducting jobs for the Boston Pops and at the Hollywood Bowl. All of this is lovingly illustrated with numerous clips and of course a detailed interview with Williams himself.
There’s no question that John Williams is one of the most significant artists of the past hundred years. Thankfully, this film honors all of his major works, his processes, and his importance to the culture.
Music by John Williams is opening in limited release in New York, Los Angeles, and London this week as well as premiering on Disney+ for streaming.