Music by John Williams Review
Even if you’ve never heard his name before, you’ve listened to the music of John Williams. A champion of classical and orchestral music, over his seven-decade career, he’s created the music to some of the greatest films ever made. Name any big movie created by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg or uses a grand orchestra, and John Williams is likely the man who made the music. His music hits listeners on the most primal of levels, invoking every possible emotion a story can make us feel, all without saying a single word. So when Disney+ released a documentary about his life and career, I knew I had to watch it. What I wound up watching was something that, while it didn’t reveal anything significant about his life, didn’t need to do that. Instead, what it needs to do is look at just what it is that makes John Williams music so iconic…and sing his praises.
John Williams, the GOAT
After spending a good three minutes showing famous people who have worked with or were inspired by John Williams, the documentary begins with the man himself practicing on his piano. Over the course of the next hour and forty minutes, viewers are given a look at Williams’ life and career while also praising him for his work. And he deserves to be praised from now until the day the sun burns up. Because more than most people, John Williams understands the importance that music can play when telling a story.
A prominent example the documentary gives is a clip from Jaws. First, it’s played without the music, rendering it little more than a clip about some guy on a boat. Then it adds John Williams’ music to it, and everything changes. Suddenly, it’s this adventurous and whimsical, yet also uneasy, moment where the heroes are hunting down the shark threatening their home. What makes it so noteworthy, though, is that it’s being done by live orchestra with few elements of what would be considered modern music. In an age when films were relying more and more on contemporary music to accompany what was happening onscreen, John was that guy who said “No. You guys don’t get how important this is. This is is you do it!”
Music is What Can Make a Movie
Not many people understand it, but having the right music can be what makes or breaks a movie. By eschewing modern electronics and the like in favor of classical orchestral pieces, John is able to tell the entire story of a film without uttering a single bit of dialogue. Go on YouTube and throw on whatever song you can think of from Star Wars. Your mind will start picturing everything happening onscreen without having to look at it. How many films do you know that can be told through the power of song alone? Not that many! But John Williams can. Because as he and those who know him testify, music, when done right, can invoke primal emotions within all of us. And Williams is one of those rare people who can do that across the entire spectrum.
Like I said at the start, this entire documentary is basically people singing the praises behind John Williams, but as it demonstrates, he deserves to be praised. In a world where music is moving on from its classical roots, he’s the guy that reminded us how incredible music can be. I can’t even tell you how incredible it is to hear a band play one of his creations live. There isn’t any composer like him alive right now, and there may never be another one like him. This documentary is a celebration of an incredible man whose work has changed culture forever. Even more impressive, he’s only now starting to slow down at age 92. That’s dedication to his craft! And I hope he lives another few decades so that he can keep inspiring people with his music. Because the moment he’s gone, the world is going to be a lot less musical in response.
