Available this Friday, November 1, 2024 on Disney+, the documentary Music by John Williams returns to the greatest melodies of the brilliant American composer, including the extremely famous theme of Jaws. But what was the reaction of Steven Spielberg, director of the film, when he heard these few notes for the first time?
One of the greatest beauties of cinema is film music. These melodies that stay in your head long after the end of the session, or the viewing. Some notes, sometimes legendary, entered the history of the seventh art. Some artists are aces. Like John Carpenter, who himself composes the score accompanying his films. Or Hans Zimmer and his unforgettable themes. But if there is one greater than all, despite all the esteem due to the personalities mentioned just before, it is John Williams. It's simple, the composer, who announced his retirement in 2018, has signed the soundtracks of all the greatest films, all the most popular sagas, of the last forty years. Offered this Friday, November 1, 2024 on Disney+, the documentary Music by John Williams looks back on the work of this brilliant musician and his various collaborations with some of the greatest contemporary directors.
“You told me to listen carefully“: Steven Spielberg's first reaction when listening to the music of Jaws
Who says John Williams immediately says… Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. The American composer, to whom we also owe the soundtrack of the first Harry Potteris a long-time collaborator of two of Hollywood's most popular directors. With the second, Williams created all the unforgettable themes of the saga Stars Warsknown throughout the world. With the first, he quite simply forms a legendary duo of popular culture, with eternal compositions. Like the sublime theme ofE.T.the music ofIndiana Jonesand the no less superb score of Jurassic Parkwhose heroes have changed a lot. A collaboration launched with Steven Spielberg's first feature film, Sugarland Express (1974) and which extended into the filmmaker's next production, a certain Jaws (1975). In Music by John Williamsthe director tells John Williams about his first reaction when he first heard the two simple notes that form the film's terrifying theme. “I thought he was joking! I said to myself, 'My God, we won't have an orchestra, there will be a piano and Johnny will play a few low notes.' You told me to listen carefully. And I finally realized that your idea was brilliant.“
Jaws : a legendary theme by John Williams
A little later in the documentary, Steven Spielberg returns to the effectiveness of his friend's composition, for a feature film whose filming was not easy, with a fake shark which gave the filmmaker a hard time. “My shark wasn't working. And I had no idea that John was going to give me a shark that walked thanks to music. His musical shark was much more effective than my mechanical shark“. Perhaps the most beautiful tribute to the power of music, to the greatest happiness of moviegoers… and the greatest misfortune of swimmers!
