Film Critique

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”.