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What are your Top 3 Force Theme renditions?


DarthDementous

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Hey guys, I thought it would be interesting to see what everyone's uppermost three favourite renditions of the 'Force Theme' were.

 

For me it'd be:

 

1. https://youtu.be/Itzm8-kcOAg?t=48

Until 1:10 really hits me in the feels. Its such a whimsical victorious version and the instrumentation makes it truly stand out among the rest. It's clear this would be at my top because every time I hear another Force Theme my mind instantly morphs it into this. Epic without falling into generic modern orchestration.

 

2. https://youtu.be/R7Rb0-pr9Mk?t=157

Until 2:50 makes me think of an ominous and brooding 'Binary Sunset' with a mythical tone that recalls the way the Force theme was intertwined with the Emperor's in the ending fight of ROTJ. It also helps that it scores the amazing moment where Rey taps into the Force and forces (lul) Kylo into submission.

 

3. https://youtu.be/cUBUlKgsNK8?t=450

Until 7:44 comes just at the right time in a track of complex and varied orchestration. It suddenly jumps to silence and a wonderful single instrument line of the Force theme rings out. What really makes this stand out is how beautifully interwoven Rey's theme is, its like they're two sides of the same coin and it's musical storytelling at its finest. The Force is now with Rey and this musical representation showcases that.

 

As you can see The Force Awakens certainly made an impression on me, lol.

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1. Return Of The Jedi: Leia Breaks The News - Funeral Pyre For A Jedi: Love this version above all, so triumphant! The Key change before the theme repeats itself is amazing. 

 

2. The Empire Strikes Back: Losing A Hand: This version when Luke uses the Force to call Leia in the Falcon gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. 

 

3. Star Wars: The Princess Appears: Binary Sunset, just beautiful. 

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1 minute ago, aj_vader said:

1. Return Of The Jedi: Leia Breaks The News - Funeral Pyre For A Jedi: Love this version above all, so triumphant! The Key change before the theme repeats itself is amazing. 

 

2. The Empire Strikes Back: Losing A Hand: This version when Luke uses the Force to call Leia in the Falcon gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. 

 

3. Star Wars: The Princess Appears: Binary Sunset, just beautiful. 

 

This!

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28 minutes ago, Romão said:

As good as those are, my favorite is probably when Luke calls for Leia after his duel with Vader in ESB.

https://youtu.be/SaVz5djS26c?t=202

 

That version really is so beautiful but it's also the build up before it and the sense of hopelessness it evokes that helps to finally give such an impact emotionally, at least for me anyway. I think Williams is a foreplay maestro!

When the Force Theme starts and we 'feel' those soft timp hits, I never know if it's my heart beating or the music but it never fails to put a lump in my throat.

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54 minutes ago, Stefancos said:
56 minutes ago, aj_vader said:

1. Return Of The Jedi: Leia Breaks The News - Funeral Pyre For A Jedi: Love this version above all, so triumphant! The Key change before the theme repeats itself is amazing. 

 

2. The Empire Strikes Back: Losing A Hand: This version when Luke uses the Force to call Leia in the Falcon gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. 

 

3. Star Wars: The Princess Appears: Binary Sunset, just beautiful. 

 

This!

 

Seconded!

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2 minutes ago, Taikomochi said:

3. The full rendition that plays before going into Duel of the Fates in AOTC

 

That's a great one

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1 hour ago, Romão said:

As good as those are, my favorite is probably when Luke calls for Leia after his duel with Vader in ESB.

 

https://youtu.be/SaVz5djS26c?t=202

 

Oh yes. This an Binary Sunset are certainly two of the very best.

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27 minutes ago, Taikomochi said:

3. The full rendition that plays before going into Duel of the Fates in AOTC

 

24 minutes ago, Jay said:

That's a great one

 

What I love about that one and also the one for when Anakin leaves home are the prominent counter lines.

 

I can't pick three for the moment but the one I probably listen to and revisit the most is for this moment.

https://youtu.be/GBw4UoyL5YA?t=30

 

TFTa.thumb.jpg.15c479d4f5ba5970363a77045TFTb.thumb.jpg.11d3f4fb21b4d790bb84dbf6d

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Just now, MikeTroxell said:

 

Anakin leaves Shmi (TPM)

 

While pretty grand and epic, it never quite seems to get there. I prefer the swashbuckling performance for the destruction of the Federation base.

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2 minutes ago, MikeTroxell said:

Anakin leaves Shmi (TPM)

 

Ooooh that's a good one too

 

Just now, Stefancos said:

I prefer the swashbuckling performance for the destruction of the Federation base.

 

Shit yes!  That's a GREAT one!

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1 minute ago, Stefancos said:

 

While pretty grand and epic, it never quite seems to get there. I prefer the swashbuckling performance for the destruction of the Federation base.

 

That'd be #4 on my list, for sure.

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6 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

 

While pretty grand and epic, it never quite seems to get there. I prefer the swashbuckling performance for the destruction of the Federation base.

 

I forgot that one, I switch my TPM vote to this.

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53 minutes ago, Taikomochi said:

3. The full rendition that plays before going into Duel of the Fates in AOTC

This would be my first honourable mention. 

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Only three is tough:

 

1. Binary Sunset

2. Rebel fleet from Empire's finale (I love the "b" theme that's never used again)

3. Anakin leaves his mom

 

Honorable mentions:

 

- When Luke hears Obi-Wan's voice during the trench battle

- Alternate from Vader's funeral

- Anakin and Obi-Wan say goodbye from Revenge of the Sith (unreleased I think)

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27 minutes ago, Diego said:

- When Luke hears Obi-Wan's voice during the trench battle

I think this is going to be my second Honourable Mention. 

 

Has anyone heard this cue in the Re-Recording with Zubin Mehta? It's great! 

 

http://www.amazon.com/ZUBIN-MEHTA-CONDUCTS-SUITES-ENCOUNTERS/dp/B000MS4OAW

 

 

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"Funeral Pyre for a Jedi"

 

The statements in "The Battle of Yavin", specifically when the X-Wings first dive into their attack run and then when Luke hears Obi-Wan's call to "use the force". Gets me every time.

 

The opening to "The Rebel Fleet". I think one of the only times the theme has been developed beyond what it normally is.

 

I remember several years ago there was a forum-wide poll to determine our collective favorite John Williams theme and the Force theme won it. I still stand by that.

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Yes! That rather sorrowful statement of the Force theme when Obi Wan tells Luke to turn off his targeting computer is absolutely dripping with emotion. JW very rarely goes the route of overwhelming strings of sadness but when he does its usually to score a fantastic moment, like here and the firing of the Starkiller in TFA. 

 

Damn it, I found another great one in TFA. I like how it sounds like the Force is in distress (as it bloody well should be considering the context) but is also a more of a darker rendition with the heavy bass to symbolise a major surge of the Dark Side. The way it also ends is rather unique and a tad militaristic, probably to symbolise the First Order.

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While I can understand why some may not favor it, I do quite enjoy the rendition we get in Battle of the Heroes if only for how it further proves just how damn versatile the theme is; working perfectly in both the quietest and most spectacular of moments. Its got this almost kinda tortured sound to it, perhaps mirroring the conflict we see on screen. I typically don't favor the use of large choirs to create "epic" music but when Williams utilizes it in conjunction with the Force theme thrown in the way it is, the title of epic is most definitely earned. Not my absolute favorite but certainly up there. 

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I could have sworn I read either on here or somewhere else some time back where some didn't quite enjoy it as they felt it was kinda out of place. I could be imagining things, I suppose. At least, I hope I'm imagining it. 

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I'm probably one of those people, if only because I wish it were a "pure" thematic concert suite ala Across The Stars, Duel of the Dates and Anakin's Theme. 

 

But it's a moot point ultimately because BOTH isn't technically a concert suite.

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Haven't seen this one listed here yet (probably as it's just a fragment, in passing), but I've always loved this moment in the horns and trumpets from TPM (1:02):

 

 

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Holy crap!  The board now auto-embeds with the correct freaking TIMESTAMP if you paste in a URL with a timestamp!  That's great!

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One. Binary Sunset
Two. Burning Homestead
Three.
When Darth Vader kicks Palpatine's penis to a very deep curb!

On 1/7/2016 at 7:45 PM, DarthDementous said:

Yes! That rather sorrowful statement of the Force theme when Obi Wan tells Luke to turn off his targeting computer is absolutely dripping with emotion. JW very rarely goes the route of overwhelming strings of sadness but when he does its usually to score a fantastic moment, like here and the firing of the Starkiller in TFA. 

 

Damn it, I found another great one in TFA. I like how it sounds like the Force is in distress (as it bloody well should be considering the context) but is also a more of a darker rendition with the heavy bass to symbolise a major surge of the Dark Side. The way it also ends is rather unique and a tad militaristic, probably to symbolise the First Order.



Not "sorrowful"  but soaring.

And you still probably think that The Imperial March is written in a minor mode too.

For "sorrowful" go back to Ben's Death and the swashbuckling sadness of "Princess Leia's Theme"

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1. Boys into Battle (1:38) - Those runs in the background are absolutely gorgeous.

2. Light of the Force (1:19) - I think I know what the Longinian sublime refers to now.

3. Anakin's Dream (3:31) - This or the "I Am the Senate" variations are the closest we get to a Dark Side iteration of the Force theme, but I am very grateful for those brief moments.

 

15 hours ago, skyy38 said:

Three.
When Darth Vader kicks Palpatine's penis to a very deep curb!

I get it now - the OHSAA non-compliance chutes of doom are all yonic imagery!  Look at who falls down chutes/out of buildings in these movies: Maul, Windu, Luke, Palpatine - further proof Lucas intended for Luke to get married and have mini-Skywalkers.  Luke is capable of having a healthy relationship with a woman in ways the others (tattooed kill machine sans personality, orthodox Jedi forsaking attachment, literally Space-Satan) were not, and that is what spares him being destroyed by the feminine manifestation of the Force subverting the Empire's industrial practices.

 

Holy fuck I need to finish my thesis.  Lit crit is bleeding into everything.  I was thinking about focalization reading my local newspaper at breakfast.

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1. Right after Red leader says "I'll cut across the axis and try to draw their fire!" And the X-Wings dive in we get a resounding fanfare of the beginning of Ben's theme.

 

2. EP III opening scene

 

3. Burning homestead

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Isn't there a great rendition of it in the carbon freeze chamber?  It might not be in the film, just the SE soundtracks. I know a version I like a lot but can't think if it's from there our somewhere else. 

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On January 6, 2016 at 9:27 AM, Taikomochi said:

3. The full rendition that plays before going into Duel of the Fates in AOTC

That is probably the single best moment of the entire prequel trilogy (musically and generally).

 

Picking the top 3 Force theme renditions is damn near impossible because pretty much every rendition is amazing, as it is without a doubt the best musical theme in cinema history. It's also hard because ANH completely owns when it comes to the Force theme, and beyond that the original trilogy more generally. 

 

So here's my top 3:

1. Binary Sunset 

2. The Battle of Yavin ("Use the Force, Luke")

3. The Throne Room

 

But of course they're all from ANH so here's my number one from each film:

TPM: Anakin Is Free

AOTC: Return to Tatooine 

ROTS: A New Hope

ANH: Binary Sunset

ESB: Rescue from Cloud City

ROTJ: The Battle of Endor II (The Emperor's Death)

TFA: The Jedi Steps

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