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Best JW World War II related score


indy4

Best JW World War II score  

39 members have voted

  1. 1. Best JW World War II score

    • None But the Brave
      0
    • Midway
      0
    • 1941
      1
    • Raiders of the Lost Ark
      6
    • Empire of the Sun
      5
    • Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
      4
    • Schindler's List
      17
    • Saving Private Ryan
      5
    • Memoirs of a Geisha
      1


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World War II has brought a huge variety in scores and films for Williams, both in style and subject. I vote Raiders but I think all of the listed scores are very good, excepting the first two.

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Have never listened to the first two and rarely listen to the last 3, but the middle 4 are all excellent scores. I don't think I can choose among them... the two Indiana Jones scores are my favorite of them, but I don't think of them as "war scores". 1941 is the most "war"sy out of the ones I'm familiar with. I listened to it again recently actually, and enjoyed it quite a bit. Its an underrated score.

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I share Jay's uncertainty about calling the Indy scores WWII-related. I'm not very familiar with None But the Brave, Midway, 1941 (except the concert suite of the march), or Empire of the Sun (except for the pieces on the Spielberg/Williams Collaboration album). Between the others, I pick Raiders as my favorite, followed closely by TOD.

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World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945.

Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade were set in 1936 and 1938, respectively.

Even though the Nazi party began under that name in 1919, and was in power from 1933 to 1945, the two Indiana Jones flicks are not war films because they are not set during wartime. There is nothing about them to suggest the world is marching towards war, aside from the inescapable fact that we know it is and that those guys and their leader start it.

So.......... Empire of the Sun

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Well if we go by that thought then Raiders wins hands down but if we go by actual WWII then Schindler's List gets my vote.

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It does, Quint, I'll give you that. It's a great movie, one of my absolute favorites. But its "great wartime adventure feel" feels out of place due to the taint of future history.

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World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945.

Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade were set in 1936 and 1938, respectively.

Wow, I don't think I ever knew that TLC was supposed to take place only 2 years after Raiders

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You thinking those two years weren't kind to him, too?

TLC really put a damper on how quickly they could make another Indy film. If set in 1939 or later, an Indiana Jones film would have to address the concept of WWII. Even though the USA didn't enter until late 1941, an American of Indy's notorious reputation would be restricted when crossing hostile borders during war, not to mention simply believed to be a spy by wearing civilian clothes. The older that Harrison Ford got, the harder it would be to pull a TOD stunt and turn back the clock into a "prequel" situation.

The long-believed alternative was that if Indy IV were to be made, they would just wait until the war was over. By paying homage to Saturday afternoon matinees, the character of Indiana Jones was more of a superhero than a real man. I don't think Spielberg wanted to apply those exaggerations to a real wartime situation, when American troops were at stake instead of just Indy, especially as he was turning to serious wartime fare with Schindler's List and SPR. I'm glad he didn't. Maybe Empire of the Sun convinced him. As it were, they waited 20 years until WWII was over, which left only one logical nationality as the "villains."

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Didn't Spielberg mention he regretted making the Germans so cartoonish in the IJ films?

No, once he made Schindler's List the old Spielberg went out the window and the more serious one was born. TOD proved it always doesn't have to be about a world power or war. there were plenty of adventures IJ could have done that took place during the war.

Wasn't it pointed out or discussed that Jones served during WWII in KOTCS? I can't remember nor do i wish to sit through the film anytime soon.

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Didn't Spielberg mention he regretted making the Germans so cartoonish in the IJ films?

Compared to the Japanese in 1941, the Germans in the IJ films come off as complex Ingmar Bergman characters in comparison.

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Wasn't it pointed out or discussed that Jones served during WWII in KOTCS? I can't remember nor do i wish to sit through the film anytime soon.

That point was mentioned, yes, in order to justify IJ's loyalty when he was seemingly put on trial for helping the Soviets on American soil.

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Good, just wanted to make sure I wasn't imagining things or pulling it from one of the unused scripts for the 4th film.

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Didn't Spielberg mention he regretted making the Germans so cartoonish in the IJ films?

Compared to the Japanese in 1941, the Germans in the IJ films come off as complex Ingmar Bergman characters in comparison.

:thumbup:

Lee - who wonders whether Spielberg has since had a moral turnaround on his Nazis as comedy villains stance, now that he appears to be mellowing out again; his post Schindler's maturity and resolution fading with time...

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Considering that Last Crusade is my favorite Williams score, period, this wasn't a hard choice.

TLC is my favorite of those listed, but like others, I avoided voting for one of the Indy scores in this vote as I don't consider them war-related.

I voted for Empire of the Sun. Data - I think you should listen to the full soundtrack. I think you would like it.

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I agree. EOTS was not a score that I ever owned, or was familiar with outside of, like Data, the Spielberg/Williams Collaboration tracks. I have never seen the film either

But I recently picked up the OST used for really cheap, put it on and... pretty much instantly loved it. It's definitely one of the maestro's masterpieces

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Thanks for the tip, guys! :) Yeah, I love "Cadillac of the Skies", whereas "Exultate Justi" tends to annoy me, and I honestly don't remember any other music in the film, haha. :P I should check out the whole thing one of these days...

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I think Saving Private Ryan gets an unfair shake, mostly because it's not as thematic as Williams' other scores. Hymn to the Fallen is beautiful, there's a really grand main theme that's like a positive spin on his Nixon theme, and the brass work is absolutely fantastic, taking Coplandesque harmonies and filtering them through wartime. I remember Filmtracks reviewed Medal of Honor saying that it's the score they wished Saving Private Ryan was, to which I was incredulous. SPR may not be flashy, but it's some fantastic writing and works perfectly for the film, as it is nuanced and respectful. I think it's actually a more daring score than Schindler, though perhaps not as pleasurable to listen to.

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Interesting that Schindler's List is winning by such a large margin, yet no one has said much about it. Not that I'm surprised it's winning - it's beautiful - but is it really a "goes without saying" type of winner (considering the competition)?

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That was the easiest vote ever.

"Midway", for you, was it, Qiunt? ;)

You thinking those two years weren't kind to him, too?

It's not the years, honey. it's the mileage.

Didn't Spielberg mention he regretted making the Germans so cartoonish in the IJ films?

Compared to the Japanese in 1941, the Germans in the IJ films come off as complex Ingmar Bergman characters in comparison.

As crude (and as laugh-out-loud funny) as "1941" was, the Japanese were the only sensible characters in the film. At least they had the good sense to throw Christopher Lee off of thier submarine.

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Interesting that Schindler's List is winning by such a large margin, yet no one has said much about it. Not that I'm surprised it's winning - it's beautiful - but is it really a "goes without saying" type of winner (considering the competition)?

It's one of those scores where the music is just so powerful and profound that words cannot really do it any justice. Among Williams' works, I only rate Star Wars snd E.T. higher. Raiders, Superman, Empire and Jaws follow closely behind.

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Interesting that Schindler's List is winning by such a large margin, yet no one has said much about it. Not that I'm surprised it's winning - it's beautiful - but is it really a "goes without saying" type of winner (considering the competition)?

words cannot really do it any justice.

I know two that can: "nauseating", and "senimental".

I don't mean to rain on anybody's parade, but I've never been able to fully engage with this score. I find the film watchable, but mostly for Raplh Fiennes' masterful performance, and some of the (very) dry humour. I appreciate that both film and score are made with consumate skill, professionalism, compassion, and care, but it just doesn't move me in the way in which it was know doubt intended to. On that score (no pun intended) I refuse to be manipulated. Apparently Mrs. S. wasn't too impressed with the whole thing, either. It seems that I am in good company.

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That's fine, Richard. To each their own. To me, it's one of the greatest alltime masterpieces of cinema, and one I often mention when asked what my favourite film is. Either that or ALIEN.

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Apparently Mrs. S. wasn't too impressed with the whole thing, either. It seems that I am in good company.

Actually, I met Steven's mother a few years ago (who is actually Mrs. Addler, she owns the restauruant called Milky Way in southern California), and she said every time she hears the first few notes of "Theme from Schindler's List" she gets shivers.

Unless you're talking about Kate Capshaw.

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I think he meant Mrs. Schindler.

But I seem to remember her dislike originated from the fact she was living in poverty and didn't get a dollar from the movie, rather than from the quality of the movie itself. I could be wrong, though

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I'm still baffled that Raiders and TLC are not considered WWII related films/scores? What criteria are you people upholding?

1935 and 1938.

Karol

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That's fine, Richard. To each their own. To me, it's one of the greatest alltime masterpieces of cinema, and one I often mention when asked what my favourite film is. Either that or ALIEN.

I want to re-iterate that I truly appreciate this film. I have seen it many times, either at the cinema, or on DVD. It's just that it doesn't blow my bollocks off in the way that "CE3K", or "ROTLA" does. I know that perhaps they are the wrong type of films to compare "SL" to, but there just isn't that visceral reaction when I watch "SL". It is, however, a fine film.

Apparently Mrs. S. wasn't too impressed with the whole thing, either. It seems that I am in good company.

Actually, I met Steven's mother a few years ago (who is actually Mrs. Addler, she owns the restauruant called Milky Way in southern California), and she said every time she hears the first few notes of "Theme from Schindler's List" she gets shivers.

Unless you're talking about Kate Capshaw.

Actually, I was refering to Mrs. Emilie Schindler.

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S's List (film) is the only film that almost made me cry.

S's List (score) is beautiful, but it fails to move me. I'm much more affected by JP of the same year.

This said, I don't know which one to vote on this poll.

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S's List (film) is the only film that almost made me cry.

S's List (score) is beautiful, but it fails to move me. I'm much more affected by JP of the same year.

This said, I don't know which one to vote on this poll.

Let me assist you in your quandry, Chaac:

NINETEEN-------FORTY-------ONE!!!!!!!!!

Happy to be of service. :)

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Apparently Mrs. S. wasn't too impressed with the whole thing, either. It seems that I am in good company.

Actually, I met Steven's mother a few years ago (who is actually Mrs. Addler, she owns the restauruant called Milky Way in southern California), and she said every time she hears the first few notes of "Theme from Schindler's List" she gets shivers.

Unless you're talking about Kate Capshaw.

Actually, I was refering to Mrs. Emilie Schindler.

Ah, okay. But like Merkel said, it seems like she disliked not because it was poorly made, but because she had other issues with it:

Ms. Schindler had contended, though, that the film overlooked her role in keeping the Jews alive. ''Oskar is the hero -- and what about me?'' she told German ARD television in a 1999 interview. ''I saved many Jews, too.''

Although unlike Merkel, the article suggests (though does not state) that she did recieve some money from the film:

They had no children, and for decades, Ms. Schindler lived alone in Argentina, subsisting on a state pension until the film brought her more attention.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE1DD133CF93BA35753C1A9679C8B63&scp=8&sq

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S's List (film) is the only film that almost made me cry.

S's List (score) is beautiful, but it fails to move me. I'm much more affected by JP of the same year.

This said, I don't know which one to vote on this poll.

Let me assist you in your quandry, Chaac:

NINETEEN-------FORTY-------ONE!!!!!!!!!

Happy to be of service. :)

I've only listened to the march on the Greatest Hits CDs. I don't know about the rest of the score, but that track is awesome.

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