Star Wars and Leitmotifs

[E_Hcutie 0]

Hi! I'm working on a paper for college and would appreciate your opinions and input on Star Wars and leitmotifs. Some critics argue that John Williams' use of leitmotifs can be too obvious, relying on a grand, symphonic sound. Other critics say that his use of leitmotifs runs the risk of overshadowing more subtle narrative cues or character development. What do you think? I've scoured some forums and found some views already...one person posted that they loved the simplicity of Yoda's theme. Another fan posted that they loved Rey's theme because it is whimsical and playful. With your favorite leitmotifs, do you agree with the critics above or disagree? Any comments or feedback would be really appreciated!

[Schilkeman 964]

Because of the inherent brevity and efficiency (some would say shallowness) of film, and the pace of Star Wars in particular, the music must act in a kind of shorthand. Motifs, being the shortest cogent elements of melody, and melody being so identifiable by music listeners, it is only logical that Williams would use them to quickly identify the various people and places of the films. Dismissing them as "overshadowing narrative cues" is dismissing the emotional potential of melody altogether, and the musical craft needed to make them.

[E_Hcutie 0]

Hi Schilkeman,

Thank you so much for your insightful reply. I agree with you fully on your last statement. Do you by chance have any insight or opinions on the critic statement that there is an over-reliance of leitmotifs in JW's works (even non-Star Wars scores) that leads to predictability in the movies? 

 

Do you think the use of leitmotifs adds to character development or detracts from it?

 

Again, I really appreciate your help!

 

 

[Chen G. 3,949]

At the risk of overwhelming a college assignment, regarding first your point of "over-reliance" on the themes... the whole point of leitmotives is that the bulk of the score comprises of the leitmotives and their derivations. If its just a musical signpost that comes up every once in a while, we're in the realm of what's called the "Reminiscence motif" of Weber and Dalayrac, which scholarship considers distinct from the "mature" leitmotif of The Ring.

 

Now, to speak to the point that the use of the motifs is unsubtle...that's kind of in the eye of the beholder. Some people just do not abide the leitmotif technique in principal - Debussi comes to mind, at least in theory - and to be fair, in Williams a substantial amount of the individual themes are more "indexical" in the sense that he composed a single theme identified unequivocably with a single character (Leia, Yoda, Boba, Sidius, Jabba, young Anakin, Jar Jar, Grievous, Snoke, Poe, Rose), pair of characters (Han and Leia, Luke and Leia, C3PO and R2D2) or characters presented as a group (Jawas, Ewoks, battle Droids, Knights of Ren). So you can "predict" musically that when one of those characters enters the frame, you're probably going to hear this theme.

 

Dramatically, however, the predictably fostered by the leitmotif technqiue can actually be a strong dramatic tool: one of the most significant uses of the mature leitmotif, after all, is as a greek chorus that intentionally "spoils" things: the portentous uses in the prequel trilogy of both the Imperial March and the theme associated with the Emperor count as that. By having the music tell us something the characters onscreen are not privvy to, it creates tension and a sense of dramatic irony.

[Schilkeman 964]

4 hours ago, KimH said:

Do you by chance have any insight or opinions on the critic statement that there is an over-reliance of leitmotifs in JW's works (even non-Star Wars scores) that leads to predictability in the movies?

Do you have a source for this statement? I'd like to know what they are saying specifically before answering.

 

4 hours ago, KimH said:

Do you think the use of leitmotifs adds to character development or detracts from it?

I think the only thing that can add or detract from character development is the writing itself. Film music commentates, predicts, and reacts. It doesn't instigate. Character development requires plot movement. Music has nothing to do with that.

 

If the commentator is suggesting that an element of character development is undercut, or over-blown by the use of "obvious" motivic identifiers, well that's subjective, and they're entitled to their opinion. There's some James Horner stuff I could point to that had this effect on me. I believe Richard Brody has spoken disparagingly of Williams' Star Wars music, for instance. To each their own.

[Chen G. 3,949]

Music - especially leitmotivic music - can bring out the inner world and psychology of the character, but Williams perhaps doesn't do much of it, and even if he wanted isn't granted the opportunity to do so by the films (understandable given their idiom). Again, the exception mostly being some of Anakin's music, probably.