This week on “Picture Perfect,” we conclude our multi-part retrospective of music from the “Star Wars” movies, in anticipation of the theatrical release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on December 18.
We spent the past two weeks listening to highlights from the finest of the scores, those for “Star Wars” (later subtitled “Episode IV: A New Hope”) and “The Empire Strikes Back.” This week, we’ll hear selections from “Return of the Jedi,” which rounded off the original trilogy in 1983, and music composed for the prequels, issued between 1999 and 2005.
Already in 1983, there was, in some respects, an air of fatigue that hung about the third installment, “Return of the Jedi,” the most episodic of the original films that also seemed to recycle quite a bit of material from the first. The landspeeder was replaced by speeder bikes, the Wookie was usurped by teddy bear-like Ewoks, and the threat of the Death Star was replaced by – well, an even bigger Death Star.
For one of the scenes, which occurs fairly early in the film, the score even recycled battle music heard the first time around, perhaps in homage, but also, from a practical standpoint, to get it in on deadline.
That said, “Jedi” sported plenty of imaginative touches, fleshing out the villainous Emperor and giving us the belated onscreen debut of Jabba the Hutt. All told, while not quite on the same exalted level as its predecessors, the film got the job done and rounded off the trilogy in satisfying fashion.
Unfortunately, George Lucas couldn’t let well enough alone, and 16 years later, as if against our will (how could we help ourselves?), we were propelled back to a galaxy far, far away. The “Star Wars” prequels generated some pretty impressive box office, but also a fair amount of controversy. The films were criticized by some for their overreliance on computer generated imagery, inane dialogue peppered with impenetrable jargon, and wooden performances, with some particularly painful love scenes.
Though “Star Wars” composer John Williams crafted some lovely thematic interludes, the emphasis this time around seemed to be on epic bombast and ponderous premonitions of a date with destiny that the story and visuals required. Because everything in the film could be manipulated digitally and reedited virtually right up until the moment of release, the scores suffered through excessive tinkering in post-production.
I’ve selected just over a half an hour worth of cues from the prequel trilogy – “Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” “Episode 2: Attack of the Clones,” and “Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith” – which I’ve assembled into an extended suite. Williams indulges in nearly ten minutes of unabashed sentiment during the end credits of “Sith,” recalling some of the most beloved “Star Wars” themes and pushing things completely over the top by evoking the pomp of Sir William Walton to provide a euphoric coda to the series.
At the time, it was thought this would be the last of the “Star Wars” films, so who could blame him? Of course, we now know that not to be the case…
I hope you’ll join me this Friday evening at 6, with a repeat Saturday morning at 6, for a conclusion to our “Star Wars” retrospective; or that you’ll listen to it later as a webcast at wwfm.org.
