"Bombastic" & Williams

[Eplicon 53]

This poll just came to mind when I was reading some old article in which Williams' music was mentioned, but with the word "bombastic" in it, as if that and his name were synonyms. Pauline Kael was notorious for practically hating every movie she saw (well, maybe not every movie, but she drove me so crazy and I never took her seriously), and was even less kind to the music that accompanied it. She strong disliked just about every score Williams ever wrote.

But anyway, many's the time when a reviewer discusses Williams music, the word bombastic tends to accompany it. (I prefer the phrase Korngoldian, thank you. )

How do you react when you see the word bombastic associated with Williams?

[King Mark 3,625]

It's one of Williams styles I guess,like that portion of Reunion of Friends that's in the new Harry Potter trailer fits that decription perticularely well.I don't see it in a negative way though.

K.M.

[Adam 1]

I've seen that word used quite a bit with JW and its intended as a put-down, I think. My impression is that paid movie reviewers watch movies with detachment compared to the average audience. They're trying to observe the acting, direction, etc. so they resent it when the music plays a big role in a movie. They're more likely to view the music as "bombastic" and manipulative.

I don't like the word, personally, though not everyone who uses it intends to be derisive.

- Adam

[Rogue_Leader 2]

I usually think of this word to describe music which is very dynamic, shrill, loud and intense.

[Lurker 5]

Pauline Kael loved Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (the movie, not sure how she felt about the score).

Neil

[IrishCal24 0]

Personally, I don't feel that it's necessarily negative, but when I see someone else use that particular word to describe one of his scores, it's almost always meant as jab. It seems to be a favored insult amongst his harshest critics.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

I tihnk it's typically people who don't know what they're talking about. They've heard Star Wars and Indiane Jones and thus are fit to judge William's entire repertoire.

Ray Barnsbury

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

What's wrong with bombast?

- Marc, who likes his scores macho.

[Eplicon 53]

Almost every time I see "bombastic," I've tended to read it as a dissing of Williams' work. It's as if the person doesn't know any other style than what Williams is famous for. He has a life beyond the Star Wars/Superman/Indiana Jones/Jurassic Park core, y'know.

And to anyone that's voted about pulling a Homer Simpson, this one's for you:

[HPFAN_2 0]

It's just a style, i don't see it as anything negative. Williams can be Bombastic at times, Jurassic Park, th opening of the Quidditch Match and others. I realy don't see how this can be negative.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Because people use the term to stereotype his music unfairly.

Ray Barnsbury

[Adam 1]

Yeah, the impression given is Williams music blasting away in the background. Even his "bombastic" stuff is always nuanced, subtle and appropriate in its relationship to the movie which is why I never like to use the word. With Schindler's List it became harder to perpetuate this stereotype of him, although we all know it was never accurate to begin with.

- Adam

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Because people use the term to stereotype his music unfairly.  

exactly, people who arn't truely familiar with his music.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

I don't know the exact dictionary definition off the top of my head, but the word has no negative connotations as far as music goes. Bombastic is often used as a performance indication in scores. To my mind it means "With gusto", a little oppressive perhaps. It's a great word! It can hardly be applied to any composer's entire output, however. Battle of Hoth is clearly bombastic, as indeed are many of Williams' battle cues. I wouldn't apply the word to Garrison Family Theme though .

[Guest]

I figure if I know enough of Williams' music to be able to say he's done other stuff besides bombastic, then I'm a hopeless nerd and probably shouldn't bother correcting those who only think he does bombastic.

[Lurker 5]

Also, keep in mind that Williams does bombast better than just about anyone else.

Neil

[A24 4,326]

Since Williams is known for being influenced by many different composers (both classical and film), he must've copied something of their bombastic style too. Many composers have written bombastic music. For what else is bombastic music other than grand scale, exaggerated, oversized and "slightly" pretentious music, once designed to make a country and its people proud? Old school film composers used this "feeling" to great effect. Listen to scores from the 30s and the 40s. They bombast you to death! Williams merely streamlined it, dressed it up in new clothes, and on top of it, he added something of his own.

I think many film composers are and have been trying to copy John Williams' style only to end up with a hot air inflated balloon without any or much substance.

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Alex Cremers

[MSM 126]

I I like bombastic orchestral music but I just think Williams is never really bombastic. His orchestration is always very clear and has a light undertone. I regard bombastic music to be music with a lot of bass and loud polyphonies which can be seen in Williams' music only rarely. E.g. I think what David Arnold wrote for ID4 is bombastic.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Yes. ID4 is bombastic. And ID4 rocks!

But with Williams, it doesn't get as bombastic as that (although I think Superman is pretty loud), and a score like Jurassic Park might have a bombastic center piece, but it also has much gentler parts, and smaller bits. Ah, the power and diversity of John Williams.

- Marc,

[scarybunny 0]

I had to go with the 'Homer' vote. Everytime I've seen Williams music described that way in an article, it always struck me as a negative remark.

[Morn 8]

Williams isn't bombast? Someone hasn't heard Minority Report and such.

Anyway, it's just a description of something, however it can be used in a negative way.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

I don't think it's bad. It's what he's good at. There's a difference between bombast and flat out noise. Want an example of that, go no further than any MV score of late (more specifically Pirates).

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

Of all orchestral music, I love Bombastic most, and Williams is best at it. That's not saying it's the only style he is a master of (I think he's a master of pretty much everything), but the bombast from the Star Wars, Superman, ET, and Indy movies what made me a Williams and a film score fan.