Here’s a fun exercise: Try and rank your Top 5 films scores composed by the legend, John Williams. You’d think that Star Wars would have to be included (and it’s up to you which composition you’d like to choose, as there are too many great ones that should be in the conversation). Raiders of the Lost Ark also feels like a slam dunk, especially after Harrison Ford joked that it follows him everywhere he goes. My own personal Number One choice on the list is the Superman theme that Williams composed for RIchard Donner, because it is about as iconic as scores come. But this, of course, leaves off Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Home Alone, Catch Me If You Can, Harry Potter… the list literally goes on and on. If you really want to make a movie lover’s head explode, ask them to pick the best John Williams score.
I tried that with Jude Law as he prepares to enter the Star Wars universe courtesy of the upcoming Star Wars show Skeleton Crew, available with a Disney+ subscription. And it basically melted his face.
Jude Law has been making movies for the bulk of his adult life. He’s a two-time Oscar nominee, for Cold Mountain and The Talented Mr. Ripley. He’s been associated with key directors such as Spielberg (in A.I. - Artificial Intelligence), Mike Nichols (Closer), Clint Eastwood (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition), Martin Scorsese (The Aviator), and many, many more. So he knows what he’s talking about. Yet, when I asked him to rank Star Wars on his own personal John Williams list, Law was speechless. He tried to tell CinemaBlend:
Oh, wow. And I just watched the documentary, Music by John Williams, which was just incredible. Another reminder of the canon, and the greatness of that individual. What music. Gosh. Okay. That's a really good question. And this'll make you laugh, but I'm sitting here for some reason today singing the Superman theme. … But Star Wars… I mean, and then you’ve got E.T. It's top three, for sure. … Wow. Wow, wow. I mean, that little Harry Potter (theme) is iconic. It's phenomenal. Um, okay. That's an impossible question to answer. I will only do it – I will only answer it under serious duress. I can't, otherwise. It's impossible.
He’s not wrong. When you start to drill down into John Williams’ filmography, you will uncover most of your favorite movies. And his music ends up being a main reason why the films are such a success. That’s why he has a whopping total of 54 Oscar nominations. 54!!! Take that, Meryl Streep.
I actually love the music in the upcoming Star Wars show Skeleton Crew. I think it helps to set the tone for the pirate mood and atmosphere that envelopes the series. You will dig it, once it starts to stream, so make sure that you have your Disney+ subscription up to date, so you can keep up with it as it plays.
