Makenna Byers
Professor Bomboy
HUM 101
January 12, 2016
Star
Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
I
chose to critique a new widely popular movie "Star Wars Episode VII: The
Force Awakens" written by George Lucas and directed by J.J. Abrams in
2015. I chose to critique the way the music has helped to heighten emotional
response. The plot of Star Wars can be somewhat complicated and
confusing if you have not watched previous episodes because it is a saga. In
short, thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy faces a
new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and the First Order. When a defector named
Finn crash-lands on a desert planet, he meets Rey, a tough scavenger whose droid
contains a top-secret map. Together, the young duo joins forces with Han Solo to
make sure the Resistance receives the intelligence concerning the whereabouts
of Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi Knights. The actors of the main
characters are Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill who
appears at the very end of the movie.
Much
of the trilogy's success relies not on advanced visual effects, but on the
simple, direct emotional appeal of its music. The musical scores for all the
Star Wars films were composed by John Williams. The music for the films are
especially distinctive as it has been known to paint musical pictures of such
accessibility and precision, and Williams's invaluable contribution to the
double-trilogy stands as an unsurpassed feat in the history of film scoring in
terms of breadth, thematic-development and cultural impact. The scores utilize
an eclectic variety of musical styles, many culled from the Late Romantic idiom
of Richard Strauss and his contemporaries that it was incorporated into the
Golden Age Hollywood scores of Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Max Steiner while
also incorporating more strains of modernist orchestral writing with each
progressive score. The tapping of a familiar Romantic idiom involve the desire
to ground the otherwise strange and fantastic setting in well-known,
audience-accessible music.
Star
Wars is often credited as heralding the beginning of a revival of grand
symphonic scores in the late 1970s. While to ascribe this feat single-handily
to Williams is premature, the popularity and impact of the scores was a major
contribution. One technique in particular has had a particular influence:
William's revival of a technique called "leitmotif", which is most
famously associated with the operas of Richard Wagner and, in film scores, with
Steiner. A leitmotif is a phrase or melodic cell that signifies a character,
place, plot element, mood, idea, relationship, or other specific part of the
film. It is commonly used in modern film scoring, as a device to mentally
anchor certain parts of a film to the soundtrack. Of chief importance for a
leitmotif is that it must be strong enough for a listener to latch onto while
being flexible enough to undergo variation and development. For example, every
Star Wars fan along with a majority of other people, not necessarily
"die-hard" fans know the tune of the opening to every movie of the
trilogy. Blue letters on black: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away,
along with the “Star Wars anthem”. This is followed by a straightforward precursor
to what is taking place currently. All music in the Star Wars movies are
similar in terms of the places they play and the type of action taking place,
but new places bring about new music. I think the different types of music
enhance a different type of mood on the people. The opening song creates a sense
reminiscence as people recall the earlier episodes and also anticipation of
what is to come. The “dark” tunes played during scenes on the dark side create
a suspenseful, evil atmosphere. The music that plays at the end of this movie
when Rey finds Luke on top of a mountain is hopeful but then leaves a
cliffhanger for the audience until the next movie.
I think this movie was created to be entertaining as it
is a continuation of the saga. Many adults have been watching these movies
since they were young and always look forward to the next one being directed.
The music brings this movie together in an incredible way, a way that communicates
the driving force of the ideas. Although this movie just premiered in theaters
less than a month ago, it is my favorite movie and truly a “must-see”.
