Star Wars IV Soundtrack

The Star Wars IV soundtrack is iconic and the songs are deeply connected to the Star Wars legacy.  The famous soundtrack can’t be heard without thinking of the Star Wars movies and the characters in the trilogy.  The music from the film was composed and conducted by John Williams and was preformed by the London Symphony Orchestra.  John Williams has composed music for some of the biggest movies ever made, such as Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and the Star Wars saga.  The soundtrack is Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning both for Best Original Score.  The music still resonates 30 years later.  The genre of the Star Wars soundtrack is classical.  The movie soundtrack originally became available to the market on vinyl record.

The first song you hear in the opening of the first Star Wars movie is called the Main Title and it accompanies the beginning credits of the film.  The song starts out energetic and adds a layer of suspense to follow in the film.  This song fits the backstory credits and opening scene very well.  Without any music this scene would be too long and boring.  This song has a very proud emotion about it and it grabs your attention.

“Music can be used as foreshadowing, especially when dramatic context doesn’t permit a director to prepare an audience for an event.” – Ch. 5 Sound.pdf  Pg. 14 

The next song Imperial Attack is heard when Storm Troopers board the rebel’s spaceship and kills all the rebels.  As the quote suggests this song is used to foreshadow the coming of Darth Vader.  The music adds the emotion of fear as well as a level of mystery as Darth Vader is seen for the first time.  Trumpets are heard and the song is in your face loud.

Later on in the movie, strange creatures in the Cantina Bar perform music.  This song is upbeat and energizing and sets a jazzy mood.

 The final song of the film is called Throne Room.  It plays loud and victoriously over the scene.  It celebrates the victory of Luke Skywalker and the rebels.  This song has an adventurous emotion about it.  This song is heard with lots of brass instruments, drums, and clashing of symbols.  This song is followed by the end credits and completes the movie.  This song is grand and ending like.       

The soundtrack goes through many themes throughout the film and reflects the characters moods from dramatic to aggressive to heroic and even triumphant.  This soundtrack works perfectly with the film and helps transition scene to scene.  This soundtrack appeals to pathos, as it very emotional and dramatic.  Logos is also present because if you enjoyed any of the other films that John Williams composed the music for, the assumption is that you will like this one.  The music in the film helps to convince the audience of the story line and its characters.  Ethos is seen in how this great music keeps the film credible.  The music captures the magic of the film and helps us better imagine the Star Wars universe.

I have watched the film and it would just not be the same without this amazing soundtrack to accompany it.  I rate this movie soundtrack five slurpees.