What kind of music do you expect for War Of The Worlds?

[Sandor 459]

Will Williams write a score in Close Encounters mode or in the vain of the more heroic Independence Day (David Arnold)? Or a totally different approach? What do you think or what do you hope?

[Mr. Breathmask 480]

I don't know. I'll wait and see.

At first I was thinking - or hoping rather, probably - it would be something like Arnold's ID4. But taking Spielberg's comments on how this is going to be a small, intimate film into account, I think it probably won't be as bombastic. Another CE3K would be nice, but I'd still like something bombastic. Sort of like Jurassic Park perhaps. ID4 turned down a notch.

- Marc

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

But taking Spielberg's comments on how this is going to be a small, intimate film into account, I think it probably won't be as bombastic.

We're still gonna be seeing buildings and cities blowing up, right? I'm paying to see Martians do some major kick arse stuff with an awesome Williams score over it.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

I don't think iti will resemble ID4 at all. Arnold's score was bright and patriotic, and, while I expect some heavy bombast from Williams, the Spielberg movie looks a whole lot darker, so the music will play accordingly. I guess it could be a bit like Minority Report in the most intimate, dramatic scenes.

[Bowie 45]

I have a feeling Spielberg was inspired by "Signs" to some degree. That was EXTREEEEMLY small and intimate. Perhaps it'll suggest a Newton Howard/Village-esque score? I'm thinking "The Bad Color" and "The Vote," with the use of different instruments for the characters moreso than themes, for example, a piano for the daughter, a cello for Tom, and a barrage of barbaric horns and a soprano cornet for the aliens. Lots of interweaving of these instruments as the plot develops and climaxes would be awesome.

[TownerFan 4,548]

I'm expecting something along the lines of The Lost World and Minority Report: a very hard-edged score, with lots of brass and woodwinds runs and a very dark general feel. I expect a bold, heavy, dramatic main theme, but probably there will be space for some lyrical moments as well associated with Tom Cruise's character and his family. Oh, and there will be a menacing, scary motif for the aliens as well... probably something along the lines of Bernard Herrmann's Gort Theme from The Day The Earth Stood Still. I think Williams will go very atonal and polyphonic in this score, like he did in Minority and Lost World.

So, these are my predictions... but I know that JW has the ability to surprise all of us with something completely new and unexpected.

[Bowie 45]

LOL I was going to say that too, a very typical modern Williams sounding score, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that, after having composed a Star Wars score, Williams will venture away from that sound, and maybe pay homage to his fellow Oscar nominees this year.

[Hitch 55]

In an ideal world, I'd hope for Williams re-hashing Bernard Herrmann's radio score to THE WAR OF THE WORLDS of 1938 complete with voice-over by Richard Burton from the 1970s musical of the same name.

Hitch (NOW YOU'RE NOT HERRRRREEEEE!!!!)

[John Crichton 4]

More bombastic than CE3K, more intimate and darker than ID4. The darker side of ID4 is probably the best comparision.

John- surprised no one's commented on the irony of Roald starting this thread.

[JoeinAR 1,759]

are we sure John's scoring this,

have we received confirmation?

Joe, concerned on this Holiday.

[Hitch 55]

John- surprised no one's commented on the irony of Roald starting this thread.  

I can't see the irony in it! Then again, irony is always lost of the Master of Suspense.

Hitch

[SturgisPodmore 0]

I think someting along the lines of POA in terms of darkness. I hope that it will be quite bombastic with some DotF-esque choir involved. Signs is a great example of this: small scale and very light at times, but with very very bombastic moments.

~Sturgis

[King Mark 2,924]

I hope he'll go for a choir all over the place score,sort of to show he can do it better than Howard Shore.Star Wars has choir,but I mean more,the choir of doom that will make us feel like it's the end of the world.

k.M.

[SturgisPodmore 0]

Kind of like that one chilling choir moment in "Dueling the Basilisk."

~Sturgis

[King Mark 2,924]

Something like that,but not just little snipplets.

K.M.

[hoby12 0]

I imagine CE3K with some bigger chorus stuff. That will be awesome - whatever the man writes usually is.

[Justin 2]

I still think Williams should take a minimalist approach, in terms of size. Everyone is expecting a huge orchestra with Chorus. How about an orchestra based around a string quartet? I dunno.

Justin

[SturgisPodmore 0]

~Sturgis

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

I agree with the chorus comments, and I think John Crichton put it best in terms of comparison with other scores. I'd love something huge, patriotic, bombastic, etc, but it probably will be more restrained than that overall - which is fine, I have faith in Williams!

Ray Barnsbury

[David Coscina 3]

Well, let's take a look at the history of John Williams dual efforts for Lucas and Spielberg projects around the same time:

1977- Star Wars: bright, dynamic, vibrant, thematic

1977- CEOT3K: dense, textural, eerie, and, at the end, overtly melodic

2002- SW: Attack of the Clones- bright, dynamic, thematic

2002-Minority Report- dark, dense, tense, and in places, overtly melodic

Do we see a trend here?

I believe Williams will eschew bombast for subtle textural shadings. If I could hazard as guess to how his mind thinks, I would say he wouldn't use a motif or theme for the martians. Remember, Spielberg said his film will be shot in a more realistic tone. If it's from the perspective of Cruise's character, the Martians would seem...well alien and thus not characterized by a traditional theme. But that's just a supposition. I'll be interested to see if Williams follows this theory.

As for ID4, Christ I hope Williams doesn't go near that style. It's overwritten, patriotic bombast at its worst.

[Adam 1]

Memoirs of a Geisha sounds like it could have more epic sweep than WotW which I find to be kind of funny. Any movie called War of the Worlds is bound to have some large orchestral statements I would think. But the realistic style and smallness of its focus, seems to indicate this film is trying to be the anti-Independence Day in some respects. So I doubt the score will have the sweep and adventure aspects that one would think of in a sci-fi score. Its just a guess, but I imagine there being a quiet, tonal aspect of the score that relates to family relationships. And then the supernatual aspect would be scary and relatively more atonal. It could also be a small score in the sense that there might not be a lot of it. Of course these are just impressions from Spielberg?s comments. The final look of the film could be quite different.

- Adam

[TownerFan 4,548]

I believe Williams will eschew bombast for subtle textural shadings.  If I could hazard as guess to how his mind thinks, I would say he wouldn't use a motif or theme for the martians.  Remember, Spielberg said his film will be shot in a more realistic tone.  If it's from the perspective of Cruise's character, the Martians would seem...well alien and thus not characterized by a traditional theme.  But that's just a supposition.  I'll be interested to see if Williams follows this theory.

As for ID4, Christ I hope Williams doesn't go near that style.  It's overwritten, patriotic bombast at its worst.

Very well put

[Justin 2]

I believe Williams will eschew bombast for subtle textural shadings.  If I could hazard as guess to how his mind thinks, I would say he wouldn't use a motif or theme for the martians.  Remember, Spielberg said his film will be shot in a more realistic tone.  If it's from the perspective of Cruise's character, the Martians would seem...well alien and thus not characterized by a traditional theme.  But that's just a supposition.  I'll be interested to see if Williams follows this theory.

Excellent post. I think any bombastness in the score will work in opposition to the realism Spielberg is apparently shooting for. Honestly I think chorus can work. But it has to be subtle. It can't be Neodamerung or DOTF. Pesonally I think a small orchestra or an orchestra based around a single or small group of instruments would work well. At any rate I think he's going to avoid they typical orchestral sound. Then again perhaps time constraints will force him to take a more typical approach.

In any event I wouldn't expect a bombast score at all.

Justin

[HPFAN_2 0]

I agree. I think like the movie the music will be an intimate narration. The only theme i see would be for Cruise's character and perhaps the martians or just the actual events in general. I'm sure we will have our long awaited bombast action cues, but i feel that this score will be like Minority Report, a bit more action mixed in with eloquent drama. Gosh i'm so excited!

[JoeinAR 1,759]

2002- SW: Attack of the Clones- bright, dynamic, thematic  

2002-Minority Report- dark, dense, tense, and in places, overtly melodic  

I would hardly describe AOTC as bright, dynamic and thematic, it was not a thematic driven score, I would describe it more as dark, dense, tense, and overtly melodic, just as MR, and this isn't a criticism, just a result of my listening experience.

[John Crichton 4]

As a fan of AOTC I pretty much agree with you Joe. It's easily the least thematically driven SW score. They're still there and important, but not to the level of the previous ones. And I would also describe it as layers on layers, there always seems to be a lot more happening in there than at first glance.

I agree with a lot of what's been said regarding WotW too, but I just hope it's more thematically driven than what's been suggested lately. You can do intimate and non-bombastic and still have a deep thematic structure. AI's a perfect example.

[David Coscina 3]

. Any movie called War of the Worlds is bound to have some large orchestral statements I would think. - Adam

Remember Saving Private Ryan? All of the majoy battle scenes were not accompanied by music. I believe Spielberg will apply the same rules to this film. Leave the major Martian attacks unscored thereby lending a more documentary-type tone ergo making the events seem more terrifying.

[David Coscina 3]

Joe, yes, I actually agree with your observations on AOTC. It's the least played Star Wars CD I have so I'm not as familiar with it as say Minority Report which still gets a lot of my attention. I more or less meant that it's not quite as dense as MR.

As for choir, if Williams uses it as he did in CEOT3K, using quarter-tones and cluster effects, it could work really well. Even his choral work on Empire of the Sun had a certain alien, eeriness to the timbre of the choir. It could work quite well indeed. Johnny, are you taking notes?

Williams could always go the '70's Goldsmith route and score this completely against type- use a small ensemble, perhaps string quartet or chamber orchestra to underline the human element. If I were scoring this project, I would create a tonal/textural dichotomy between the humans and aliens. Scenes involving Cruise and his daughter would get melodic, theme-driven music albeit not overwhelming, while the Martians would get mixed chorus, and perhaps percussion, both tuned and non-pitched. No strings because to me, strings represent a certain warmth and emotive quality that those Martians bastards wouldn't deserve.

Nonetheless, this score is the one in 2005 I'm most looking forward to. Followed by Shore's King Kong.

[AC1 3,565]

I still think Williams should take a minimalist approach, in terms of size.  Everyone is expecting a huge orchestra with Chorus. How about an orchestra based around a string quartet? I dunno.

Justin

The theme doesn't seem to call for such set-up. :?

[AC1 3,565]

Remember Saving Private Ryan?  All of the majoy battle scenes were not accompanied by music.  I believe Spielberg will apply the same rules to this film.  Leave the major Martian attacks unscored thereby lending a more documentary-type tone ergo making the events seem more terrifying.

I'm sure the action scenes will be scored, most of them anyway. This is not the Holocaust or World War II. It's a Spielberg/Cruise doing a "fiction" movie. But ... I hope I'm wrong and you're right.

----------------

Alex Cremers

[Adam 1]

. Any movie called War of the Worlds is bound to have some large orchestral statements I would think. - Adam

Remember Saving Private Ryan? All of the majoy battle scenes were not accompanied by music. I believe Spielberg will apply the same rules to this film. Leave the major Martian attacks unscored thereby lending a more documentary-type tone ergo making the events seem more terrifying.

Most of my post that you left out states that I think this is going to be a small-type of score precisely for the types of reasons that you're alluding to. I just think given that this is an alien invasion threatening to destroy the world, something quite different than Saving Private Ryan as Alex stated, its quite likely there will be some large orchestral statements. Having said that, we're all guessing and anything is possible.

- Adam

[scissorhands 16]

"The Poseidon Adventure" will be the reference this time, I think. The main theme fits the atmosphere Spielberg wants to generate (a major disaster beyond our understanding).

[John McClane 1]

John- surprised no one's commented on the irony of Roald starting this thread.  

LOL

I can't see the irony in it

You must have missed this thread, then...

I hope he'll go for a choir all over the place score,sort of to show he can do it better than Howard Shore.Star Wars has choir,but I mean more,the choir of doom that will make us feel like it's the end of the world.

I agree. I hope the score will be in the Star Wars style, with something from CE3K and Minority Report maybe.

[Docteur Qui 1,248]

I agree. I hope the score will be in the Star Wars style, with something from CE3K and Minority Report maybe.

Those are three different styles! Make up your mind, man!

[King Mark 2,924]

I don't really want anything that sounds like Minority Report.

K.M.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

I expect something in that impressive Williams style that we've all come to know and love, plus something a little different that we've never heard before. New motifs, new themes. You know, the goods.

[Mr. Breathmask 480]

That's probably the best way to describe it.