As a lifelong enthusiast of John Williams’ enchanting symphonies that have accompanied my most cherished cinematic memories, I found “Music by John Williams” to be a delightful and poignant journey through the life and career of this American musical titan. The documentary masterfully weaves together anecdotes from his collaborations with Spielberg, Lucas, and other notable filmmakers, all while offering insight into the creative process behind some of our favorite film scores.
One notable aspect of Disney+’s ongoing brand development is the use of upbeat, celebrity-centric ads that are marketed as documentaries. These ads often present affectionate and reverential depictions of individuals such as Jim Henson, Mickey Mouse, or the Imagineers collectively.
Laurent Bouzereau’s 105-minute documentary titled “Music by John Williams,” set to debut at AFI Fest before its November 1st release on Disney+, is the most creatively triumphant within this genre. In its initial hour, it offers a deeply fulfilling homage to an undisputed cinematic titan who has arguably grown more adored than the iconic filmmakers he worked with or the movie stars whose careers his music and melodies significantly elevated.
Mentioning “John Williams” often triggers a strong, immediate emotional response compared to the responses to “Steven Spielberg” or “Tom Hanks.” This reaction can vary greatly as well! Bouzereau utilizes this psychological depth, understanding that each group of twelve listeners might instantly connect different images with Williams’ name – from thoughts of Superman or E.T. soaring through the sky, to the ominous growl of a shark, the melancholic symphony of a Yahrzeit candle played by Itzhak Perlman’s violin, or the awe inspired by a newly discovered dinosaur or extraterrestrial spacecraft.
Skimming through the depths as casual film enthusiasts often do, the soundtrack Music by John Williams pays tribute to the vast influence and heritage of John Williams, striking all the necessary emotional chords for a moving experience that will induce tears, enlightenment, and an irresistible urge to discover 25 different films scored by him. Conveniently, many of these movies, it just so happens, are accessible on Disney+.
Bouzereau, known for his introspective documentaries about Hollywood, such as the Emmy-winning “Five Came Back” and glossy promotions like Disney+’s “Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones & Harrison Ford,” uses his extensive portfolio to gain unique access in this piece. It’s hard to imagine Steven Spielberg being as relaxed socializing with a director who hadn’t spent countless years working on behind-the-scenes films with him. However, the most engaging segments feature Williams and Spielberg casually conversing about their collaborative projects.
The sequences along with the extensive panel discussion featuring Spielberg and Williams suggest that this film could have been even more simplified than Bouzereau’s already straightforward version. Simply placing Spielberg and Williams, or Lucas and Williams, in a room together, providing them with a piece of music to analyze, and stepping back to let their creativity unfold is essentially what Bouzereau achieves. To his credit, he does this quite frequently.
Beyond Spielberg and Lucas, Bouzereau has gathered a powerhouse team of Williams’ filmmaking partners, such as J.J. Abrams, Chris Columbus, Ron Howard, Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank Marshall, who have a long-standing connection with the maestro dating back to his own youth. The list of fellow composers and musicians is just as impressive, featuring collaborators like Alan Silvestri and Thomas Newman, renowned classical artists – Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Anna-Sophie Mutter – and even Chris Martin from Coldplay and Branford Marsalis. Their admiration for the jazz roots of the Star Wars cantina band is infectious.
The first hour of ‘Music by John Williams’, a key part of the film, follows a chronological path. Skilfully weaving in the nostalgic tunes from ‘The Fabelmans’, Spielberg’s autobiographical work, Bouzereau narrates a journey that takes us through Williams’ musical childhood to his entry into Hollywood as a jazz pianist, session musician, orchestrator and eventually composer. Although not entirely surprising, it’s good to remember that Williams’ career began with ‘Gilligan’s Island’ and reached its pinnacle with ‘Schindler’s List’.
The systematic recall of Williams’ early collaborations with Spielberg, leading to his work with Lucas, and the enchanting year when he composed music for Star Wars, Close Encounters, and Black Sunday, are meticulous. Yet, due to the heartfelt storytelling and undeniably catchy musical excerpts, they never come across as dull or dry.
Occasionally, this documentary feels quite in-depth, especially with Bouzereau’s extensive home movie footage access from Spielberg. It offers a peek behind the curtains, showing us snippets from numerous scoring sessions, along with some rare outtakes such as silent clips from Jaws and unused compositions from Star Wars. However, I can’t help but yearn for more instances like the one where Williams eloquently combines musical theory and rhetoric to explain why the five-note central theme of Close Encounters is more impactful than the numerous other five-note combinations he tried out.
Williams’ discussion on process could benefit from being more extensive, and it would be interesting to see the musicians delve deeper into what sets Williams apart. However, we find David Newman providing a basic explanation of “leitmotif” and appearing slightly uncomfortable with his level of sophistication. Yet, a comprehensive analysis may not be fully achievable within the constraints of a feature-length documentary.
It’s highly likely that some of John Williams’ works may be overlooked or given minimal attention, such as “The Fury” and “1941,” which are among my favorite Williams scores that don’t often get mentioned. During the Paris Olympics, I found myself reflecting, not for the first time, on how significant Williams’ Olympics fanfare is in his compositions. Unfortunately, it seems to be relegated to a secondary position in a section titled “Here are some other pieces Williams composed.
The extensive discussion revolves around solidifying Williams’ influential role as a pioneer in cross-discipline orchestral music across America, a position that has been widely accepted for nearly three decades. It is now rare to find anyone questioning Williams’ significant contribution to our nation’s classical music scene. While Williams’ classical compositions are well-recognized, it would have been fascinating to hear insights from artists like Perlman, Ma, and Marsalis about their experiences collaborating with him throughout his career, or their thoughts on how Williams’ early jazz work influenced later scores such as Catch Me If You Can. I prefer the first hour of detailed analysis over the final 45 minutes of more general celebration.
In this documentary, the focus is primarily on Williams as an artist, showcasing his incredible productivity at 92 years old, which seems almost unbelievable. However, the film gives less attention to Williams as a person. There are only a few touching tales about the loss of his first wife and some humorous insights into his love for golf with his daughter, but Bouzereau and Williams believe that’s not the main reason people watch this movie.
After listening to “Music by John Williams,” you’ll leave with the strong impression that his talent has been rightly appreciated. If there’s still more celebrating to be done, it can easily be accomplished by streaming classics like “Jaws,” “Lincoln,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and “The Sugarland Express” for a spectacular and harmonious night.
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2024-10-24 07:55