STAR WARS EPISODE III - Revenge of the Sith

Soundtrack review by Jonathan Hicks

It was George Lucas who said, somewhere in the long documentary accompanying the Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace DVD, something along the lines of that you won’t be watching the movie, ‘you’ll be listening to the music’.

Well I haven’t seen Episode III yet, but by God, I’ve listened to the music.

In the other John Williams scores there’s always been an uplifting element to the music, a roaring of trumpets and horns that fill you with eagerness as to what amazing thing is about to happen on the screen. Remember the sense of bravado you felt when Luke and Leia fought off Stormtroopers and then swung across a chasm? Or the swelling sense of anticipation and excitement as the Falcon blasted through an asteroid field? Moments of high adventure and drama, accompanied by powerful, high-energy music.

If that’s what you remember, then leave it behind. One has the feeling, the expectation, that all is about to change.

You see, other than the obvious opening titles and the long, powerful end credits music, there’s not much to cheer about with this soundtrack. In fact, I would go as far to say that the music is dark, brooding and morose, powerful and driven by an emotional content that can only reflect the personality of the protagonist. After all, the Republic falls and the Sith have their revenge; what is there to cheer about?

There’s the opening credits, as you would expect from a Star Wars soundtrack, but instead of slowly slipping into a quiet moment before starting the theme that define the movie, the music dives straight into the middle of the action. Then there’s an emotional, slow movement that can’t seem to make its mind up as to whether it wants to describe peace or violence. The whole soundtrack is a mis-match of conflicting pieces but they all share one thing in common; they are all punctuated by a sense of doom and sorrow.

In some ways, this doom and gloom makes this particular Star Wars soundtrack stand out, but not always for the better. There are some tracks, especially Track 6: Palpatine’s Teachings, where very little happens for a while and you’re left waiting for the music to swell, or at least become even slightly tuneful. Alas, this is the only downfall of this soundtrack, and with movie soundtracks in general; the music fits the film, not the other way round. Therefore there are limits to what can be done and it must be remembered that the more boisterous the music the more it will overshadow what is happening on the screen and quiet character moments can’t be eclipsed by the tune. This is a bit of a letdown, but you do get the impression that they could have cut out all this dead space and just got to the juicy bits. My only other gripe is that, whilst the Throne Room music makes a welcome appearance in the end credits, it does sound a little forced as if the composer is forcing the fact that this is Star Wars film down your throat. It’s only when you get past that do you feel that this is really the end credits of a Star Wars film, and with that final drum roll you can almost taste the feeling that the last of the credits are about to vanish and, emotionally, you don’t want to let go.

The standout tracks are:

Track 3: Battle of the Heroes. This amazing piece of music has already been heard on the movie clip featured on the official Star Wars website and is highlighted by a choir that sing no words. Powerful stuff.

Track 9: Anakin vs. Obi-Wan. Although this is basically another rendition of the music in Track 3, it’s filled with such energy that you can imagine the emotional fight between the two, made even better by being interspersed with the Imperial March. This makes it both exciting and ominous as you can see where Anakin is going…

Track 10: Anakin’s Dark Deeds. I can imagine what this music refers to, and listening to the track and the images on the screen it could possibly accompany it makes it even more powerful. The choir is interrupted by a sombre moment, perhaps a moment of reflection… but for what? Excellent contrast.

Track 13: Grievous speaks to Lord Sidious. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this and I can only imagine what role it plays in the movie but it is a peculiar piece. I was expecting a low, driven piece but it starts quite pacey with plenty of horns and a burst of choir. The opening of the piece is excellent but it falls away about a minute into the track, which is a shame.

All through the music there are small interruptions from other soundtracks, especially the Throne Room music from Episode IV: A New Hope. These are welcome as this final film is supposed to bridge the gap between the new trilogy and the old, and the tracks are welcome.

You get the impression that Williams didn’t want to end the music (especially at the end of the End Credits theme, with the longest drum roll before the final explosion of music I’ve heard yet from any of the films) and it shows. Some people may say that he’s cheated a little by falling back on older music. I say he’s a bloody musical genius.

To complete my trip into Star Wars geekdom the soundtrack also comes with a bonus DVD called Star Wars: A Musical Journey. Essentially these are a sequence of music videos with scenes from all six films accompanied by John Williams amazing scores. They are all well done, capturing both the skill of the composer and the emotional drive the music creates when placed with the Star Wars movies. Of the selection of 16 videos I have my favourites, mainly Chapter 2: Dark Forces Conspire, Chapter 5: A Hero Falls and Chapter 12: A Narrow Escape. All the chapters are introduced by Ian McDiarmid, the Emperor himself in his ominous, foreboding voice. I think it’s a great showcase for the genius of the music and the power of the films (my feelings about Episode I notwithstanding, although the clips they use actually make it fit into the overall theme of things) and convey what it is about the music that make it loved by many. John Williams is one of the very few movie composers whose music works on and off the screen.

It’s a sad fact that this could be his last soundtrack. Be assured he hasn’t walked from the studio with a limp but with a stride worthy of an Imperial March.