Superman: Should Metropolis Have Been Given Its Own Theme?

[Andy 4,141]

Listening to the score chronologically, the transition from Leaving Home and  the Fortress of Solitude  into the Mugger  is rather jarring.  And while Donner's cut to Jimmy's camera lens to represent the cosmopolitan world of Metropolis is pretty inspired, we don't immediately feel the enormity of Metropolis until the Flying Sequence.  

 

What if Donner had given us establishing shots of the hustle and bustle of Metropolis, to show contemporary urban chaos?  Traffic, pedestrians, petty crime... all with a unique John Williams theme?

 

It would balance out the musicality of the three locations: Krypton (space), Smallville (rural), Metropolis (urban).  As it is, only two of those settings have their own theme.  Mind you, I would not want a "contemporary" piece that would date the film with 1970s grooves like some of the unused pop versions of Can You Read My Mind?   But it would be cool if we had an up tempo theme in the style of Arrival in New York from Home Alone 2 to musically introduce Act III with sophisticated style instead of the Mugger's stab of surprise.   Even if Donner's cut of the film doesn't lend itself to music for the Daily Planet through Olsen's POV, a concert piece for Metropolis tantalizes the imagination.

 

Or, instead of a new theme, perhaps a piece expanding on the "B" theme as Alexander Courage did in Superman IV's To Work.  Or maybe an upbeat sprightly piece based on the underused Clark Loses His Nerve motif?

 

Don't get me wrong, the score is perfection, and already bursting at the seams with themes and motifs.

 

I just thought the idea of something for the Act III location would've been appropriate.  What do you think?

[Faleel 5,360]

A cue was actually spotted for a scene in the Daily Planet, but never written.

[artguy360 1,844]

As the film is edited now, there really isn't space for a Metropolis theme to shine. Purely conceptually? Sure.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

17 hours ago, Clockwork Angel said:

A cue was actually spotted for a scene in the Daily Planet, but never written.

Is it for the shot where Kent accidentally touches Lois Lane's front bottom? 

[pete 907]

Williams should write themes for everything. 

[Faleel 5,360]

4 hours ago, pete said:

Williams should write themes for everything. 

"pete's Theme"

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

6 hours ago, pete said:

Williams should write themes for everything. 

Including front bottoms? 

[Jay 37,374]

Is the "Smallville theme" truly a theme for Smallville the location, or is it more a theme for Clark's childhood in general?

[Faleel 5,360]

53 minutes ago, Jay said:

Is the "Smallville theme" truly a theme for Smallville the location, or is it more a theme for Clark's childhood in general?

No real way to tell, though the fact it is only used for scenes that take place in Smallville, and not for any passing references to CK's childhood might point to the former?

[HunterTech 994]

Its use in IV and Returns would suggest it primarily being about his childhood than the location in particular, but that of course is based on other composers interpreting the theme (plus the former being really edited down in the final cut, so it's hard to say for sure). I wonder if the FSM booklet says anything about it.

 

Funnily enough, the arrangement of the Superman theme in Supergirl is done in such a way that it almost sounds like the Smallville theme. I actually thought it was that for a moment before I paid closer attention.

[Faleel 5,360]

5 minutes ago, HunterTech said:

Its use in IV

Which is only used in the Smallville section of the film I think?

6 minutes ago, HunterTech said:

Its use in IV and Returns would suggest it primarily being about his childhood than the location in particular,

Doesn't he use a snippet of it for a shot of Martha near the end of the film?

[HunterTech 994]

Sure, but the exact point of the scene is that Clark wants to keep the farm as it was when he was growing up.

 

Ah, indeed it is (though curiously JW isn't credited on the cue it appears in). I guess it's a little hard for me to be concrete with the intent when I don't think either II or III really use it (the latter film being one where it'd make the most sense for it to show up again).

[mstrox 6,651]

I think Williams should have written a theme for Metropolis - could have broken up the enormous wall of Superman Theme in the back half of the movie a bit 

[GerateWohl 4,373]

It could have been something like this.

But probably not at that point in time.