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Your favourite film + music moments in Star Wars: The Force Awakens


Sharkissimo

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- First shot as the new Star Destroyer's shadow covers Jakku and the brass rises (Main Titles and Attack on Jakku Village at 1:37)

 

- Rey making her dinner and the beautiful flute and harp of her theme come in (The Scavenger at 2:54)

 

-Rey saying how she didn't think there was that much green in the whole galaxy as the Falcon comes in to land (Finn's Confession at 0:47)

 

- Poe on his badass annihilation run with his theme blasting out in full glory. (FYC track - The Resistance at 1:03)

 

- Ren doing his evil walk to go get Rey from the interrogation room (On the Inside at 0:45)

 

- Burning Homestead as Rey catches the lightsaber. (I think it makes the scene more powerful and didn't bother me that it was lifted from ANH)

 

- When the Falcon flew away from Jakku and into space. (The Falcon at 3:14)

 

 

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The Jedi Steps, obviously.

 

Rey's Theme in the finale.

 

Also, the second half of Torn Apart, which I don't recall being in the movie, but you guys who are actually fans and have seen it like 47 times will have to confirm that.

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I'm going to get hammered for going with the obvious, cliched moment here, but the Rebel theme rising at the first sight of the Falcon is an absolutely perfect moment.

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2 hours ago, Sharky said:

One that stands out in my mind and haven't seen mentioned is the build-up to the arrival of Kylo Ren.

 

For the first time in the saga, stormtroopers are shown to be the formidable fighting force we've been always been told they are. The moment I'm talking about really starts once the wave of stormtroopers starts taking significant causalities, and Finn recoils from the horror around him. In one of the film's most memorable images, a blooded hand from a dying comrade slides down Finn's helmet,  At this point the score climbs to a fever pitch as out of the blackened clouds, Kylo Ren's shuttle raises its wings to land. Williams's motif with its triplet fanfares and cyclic string runs suggesting a man-monster, cutting through the fear in his troops. While technically none of this new (stylistically you could say it points to Nixon, The Patriot and RotS), dramatically this is dead on. Beyond badass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fantastic sequence. And I love how seamlessly and elegantly -almost subliminally- the Imperial March is woven into the fabric of the score from ca 04.58-05.10. Williams captures the tone of that scene -the dread, drama and tragedy- just perfectly.

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56 minutes ago, Uni said:

I'm going to get hammered for going with the obvious, cliched moment here, but the Rebel theme rising at the first sight of the Falcon is an absolutely perfect moment.

 

I love it when it blasts into the sky as well, that twirling shot we got of it in the first teaser.

 

"Finn's Trek" is one of my favorites in the film, that always really stands out to me. And "The Resistance," of course, the X-Wings arrival and Poe's flight. Such a great cue.

 

That little moment at 1:02 in "I Can Fly Anything" (1:25 on the FYC) that I think we've all singled out at one thread or another :lol: THAT is so freaking cool in the movie, blasting in on that first shot of the TIE Fighter zooming toward the audience when they escape.

 

Also regarding ET's post about "Torn Apart," I've mentioned this before but I just double-checked and 2:58-3:25 is not in the movie. Or if it is, it was thrown into an entirely different sequence.

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Again, Burning Homestead was used when she first gets the saber, not later when she closes her eyes and uses the force to defeat Ren.

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3 minutes ago, Jack said:

I really love the quirky action stuff from Follow Me / The Falcon. The 4/4 & 3/8 stuff (or whatever it is). To me, haromically and rhythmically it's markedly Goldsmithian. But with the character and Jazziness that Williams does so well. It feels so fresh and colourful to me. And clever

 

It's my favourite cue from the score. You gotta love the Midway/AOTC references here and there, and the classic bVI chord at the end.

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I've been wondering if it's 4/4 & 3/8, or 3/4 & 5/8. Hard to tell maybe? 

 

One thought I had about the score overall is that Johnny baby seems to demonstrate an almost Mozartian restraint in his own personal way. Everything is just so, y'know? It does what it needs to without too much showing off or over-colouring/texturising (within the scope of SW). Herrmann would be proud!

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It's, perhaps, not a deliberate reference, but there's a strong similarity in the musical DNA of the quirky xylophone/WW/strings moments at about 1:10 and 1:35 of The Falcon and similar moments in Midway, Jaws, Attack of the Clones and the more recent Fanfare for Fenway and Music for Brass.

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I have only seen the film once and these are the film+music moments that have stood out to me the most:

  • Opening: When the big spaceship covers the planet. That horn! <3
  • When Rey surfs down the sand dune.
  • When the general guy tells Ren that Rey and Finn escaped.
  • When Finn gets grabbed by the big Rathtar.
  • When the X-Wings leave the exploding Starkiller.
  • End credits

 

 

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41 minutes ago, dfenton85 said:

Finn running toward Kylo kidnapping Rey. Great tracking shot with a powerful rendition of her theme.

 

Finally the movie had a damsel in distress. Joss Whedon would have been proud!

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So many! Here's just a few moments that make my heart flutter.

 

(FYC because they're film versions)

- Kylo Ren's introduction, from his shuttle landing to him getting off ("Attack on the Jakku Village Part 1" 4:28-5:03). Anyone who says there's no awesome epic music or moments, look no further.

- When Rey reveals her face and tries to drink water, then slides down, then drives away, then eats, then hangs out by the AT-AT. Basically, the entirety of "The Scavenger" and "Lunchtime."

- Every statement of Poe Dameron's theme. 1:52 on "I Can Fly Anything" when Finn knocks out the turret and they both cheer - a totally fun and classic Star Wars scene. 1:06 on "The Resistance" when Poe's X-Wing flies around taking out baddies showing he's "one hell of a pilot." 0:35 on "The Journey Home" when Starkiller blows and our heroes fly away.

- The entirety of "Follow Me and the Falcon" is just a killer combo of film + music. One small moment I dig is 5:50 when it cuts to the Tie pilot, just a classic bad guy thing. The end is perfect as are all the Rebel fanfare statements.

- Luke's theme when Han and Chewie show up gives me big goosebumps (I think you can hear it on "The Rathtars!" OST at 0:50)

- I'm not in love with "The Rathtars" as a scene or as a cue but I really like the horn bit at 0:31 as Rey and Finn run down the corridor.

- The Force theme when Han talks about, uh, the Force (unreleased, unfortunately). 

- The short motif in "Kylo Ren Arrives at the Battle" 0:24 when we see that beautiful shot of the Ties against the sun, Apocalypse Now style. Reminds me of the Death Star motif in the best way.

- When the camera swings to stormtroopers being shot down to the rhythm of "The Resistance" at 0:48.

- The beginning of "The Abduction" on OST with the bad ass rendition of Kylo's secondary theme as he lurches towards Rey, blocking her shots. Also the sweeping, tragic rendition of Rey's theme at the end of "The Abduction" when Finn chases after Kylo's shuttle.

- Pretty much all of "Torn Apart" but I especially love at 1:33 as it shifts from sinister to sad as Han puts his hand on Ben's face and falls away and then at 2:04 when it shifts from sad to angry as Chewie flips shit.

- "Burning Homestead" when Rey gets the lightsaber. Yeah, it's tracked, but nowhere else does the film give me chills this big.

- The Scherzo bit at the start of "Ways of the Force" as the X-Wings start their trench run, and the big statement of the Force theme at 3:20 as Rey harnesses her potential.

- "The Journey Home" at 1:51 when Rey hugs Leia and we hear Han and Leia's theme for the last time and I cry my eyes out.

- The entirety of "Farewell and the Trip."

- The entirety of "The Jedi Steps."

- A bunch of others. I could spend all day doing this.

 

Yeah, I really like this movie and score.

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1 hour ago, Flare said:

The first horn phrase when the Star Destroyer eclipses Jakku.

 

 That is a really great bit, especially when watching the film opening night and there was this absolute silence from the audience after the main titles as we all waited anxiously to see what we were in for. Hearing that horn phrase immediately let us all know that Williams was back and in good ol' Star Wars mode.

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On 1/15/2016 at 9:09 AM, mrbellamy said:

Also regarding ET's post about "Torn Apart," I've mentioned this before but I just double-checked and 2:58-3:25 is not in the movie. Or if it is, it was thrown into an entirely different sequence.

 

Thank you. I'm familiar with the score, not the film, but I recall that section being omitted. It's one of Williams' best moments!

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13 hours ago, Flare said:

The first horn phrase when the Star Destroyer eclipses Jakku.

 

 

That's a great bit.  I think(?) the opening horn of the FYC Snoke is the same or at least very close.  That's a cool bit as well.

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Well I think the first appearance of Finn's motive during the Follow Me sequence is just great fun.  The first bit of action with the very likable main characters, that is exciting and makes me smile.

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The incoming X-Wings skimming the water and Poe's subsequent incredible attack run.

 

Rey's entire introductory sequence is one of the best of the film but the flute bit when we first see her face is particularly great.

 

The whole escape from Jakku sequence is also great. Finn's motif has such a fun, propulsive rhythm to it.

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-The frantic "Superman" (Dameron?) rhythm that plays while Poe is instructing Finn about how to operate the Tie-Fighter before their escape.  It does a great job setting up a sense of nervous anticipation.  

 

- The sweeping statement of Rey's theme as she rejects Maz's offer

 

-The sweeping statement of Rey's theme as Finn runs after her in "The Abduction".

I kind of wish that the final lightsaber duel had more of a heroic or romantic sweep like those latter 2 moments.  

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