It
wouldn’t be a Star Wars episode without the music of John
Williams to underscore the cosmic feats of intergalactic derring-do
unfolding on the big screen. The 83-year-old maestro returns with
what is one of his finest scores for the legendary franchise – in
fact, probably his best since Return of the Jedi.
Just
like the box-office-busting seventh episode it accompanies, Williams’
new soundtrack is a brilliant blend of old and new that reacquaints
us with familiar themes while taking us to new heights of thrilling
adventure and emotional poignancy.
Of
course, there is the classic fanfare that blasts the Star Wars
logo onto the screen and into the farthest reaches of space while the
famous main theme accompanies the latest text crawl, before segueing
with original music into the newest installment.
As
with Williams’ previous Star Wars scores, much of the
incidental music is, well, exactly that, incidental. But it is much
more melodic and tuneful than before, as opposed to being just abrupt
and atonal, especially during scenes of action and suspense.
Highlights
include musical callbacks to old friends and iconic spaceships, plus
a spectacular and majestic new hero motif, which brilliantly inverts
Luke’s binary sunset/Force theme from the original trilogy before
soaring to a lofty new crescendo of hope, promise, and triumph.
Since
Williams’ Star Wars end title music usually encapsulates the
themes of the just concluded film, his closing music here is joyously
exhilarating, making it the most memorable and resounding finale
since Return of the Jedi.
This
is one of the very few exemplary soundtracks of at least the last
decade and a fine return to form for both Williams and Star Wars.
--Raj
Manoharan
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