Quintus 5,391 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I was just listening intently to E.T. and after quite a few replays of the two major statements of the main theme heard during the movie, I was struck once again by the wondrous bridge section of the theme; it really is a powerhouse of orchestral composition and arrangement in its own right and I personally believe it to be the epitome of film score craft. Now of course I'm not saying the more famous melody is a lesser work, far from it, but in the instance of E.T., I do prefer the overall sound and development of bridge part of the main theme.After the exhilarating relief of the main melody has captured the attention, the bridge for me, adds a profound element of spirituality to the events being witnessed, capturing the overwhelming sense of being dumbstruck by the sudden magical flight, before giving way to the sheer wonderment and awe of what one is experiencing, both as viewer and as Elliot himself. The warm cellos of the Halloween statement communicate this sentiment perfectly - they tell the audience that Elliot is safe, even though he is as high as he is and that it should be treated as a joyous flight to behold the stars and the darkened forest below. As the strings swell during the iconic moon flyby, John Williams the artist, comes full circle with his music and in doing so very nearly succeeds in making the audience lift out their seats in unison with the fantastic music. Indeed I think those few seconds of uplifting romantic strings as E.T. and Elliot ascend past the moon are possibly JW's most defining moment, as far as underscore goes. When the main melody is finally reprised, it is ever so slightly subdued in tone, allowing the audience to let what just happened sink in, whilst bringing them slowly back down to earth, quite literally.The second statement heard after the bicycle chase is all of the above, but here the music is arranged in a much more driven and triumphant manner; percussion and accompanying brass that sound like fanfares for flight serve to complete the expectations of the audience, indeed the satisfaction felt by all is sweeping and all-embracing, executed to perfection by JW.For me the main melody of E.T is legendary, but the depth and satisfaction of the theme is found during the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollie 859 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,017 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I was just listening intently to E.T. and after quite a few replays of the two major statements of the main theme heard during the movie, I was struck once again by the wondrous bridge section of the theme; it really is a powerhouse of orchestral composition and arrangement in its own right and I personally believe it to be the epitome of film score craft. Now of course I'm not saying the more famous melody is a lesser work, far from it, but in the instance of E.T., I do prefer the overall sound and development of bridge part of the main theme.Indeed. And to be completely honest, I always liked the "bridge" of the "Raiders March" (also called the "B Theme") more than the "A Theme". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,391 Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 Raider's did enter my head when I made the thread, but for me at least, you just can't beat the "A Theme". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldsmithfan 3 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Indeed. And to be completely honest, I always liked the "bridge" of the "Raiders March" (also called the "B Theme") more than the "A Theme".Dit-to! The B Theme is fan-freaking-tastic! I loves it. That was the main thing I was looking forward to hearing in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and, thankfully, it appeared a couple of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxxie 1 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Well said. I can never make my mind up about the A or B theme for Raiders. At the minute I'm leaning towards the B.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TownerFan 4,548 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I always had a soft spot for the Superman March bridge. I love those marvellous seventh chords. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie 45 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 ^ Ditto. There's something ultra satisfying about clusters of seventh chords following the most diatonically elementary of melodic themes (well, except for the more complicated last 9 notes of the theme, on which I guess the bridge is intervallically elaborating). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldsmithfan 3 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Yeah, what he said! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 2,924 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 The Olympic Fanfare and Theme bridge is great too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego 21 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I've always loved the bridge of Carol Ann's theme from Poltergeist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,391 Posted January 20, 2009 Author Share Posted January 20, 2009 Ah, I wouldn't have thought about that, but you're right, it is a lovely part of the lullaby and possibly the most touching thing about it. It sounds quite beautiful during he end credits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 152 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 For me the main melody of E.T is legendary, but the depth and satisfaction of the theme is found during the bridge.Agreed.Raider's did enter my head when I made the thread, but for me at least, you just can't beat the "A Theme".Agreed.The Olympic Fanfare and Theme bridge is great too.Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now